Dr. Drew Speer serves as the Director of Research for the College of Public Health. Drew provides critical support in the strategic planning for CPH research initiatives, overseeing all aspects of the research administration and the day-to-day operations.
Drew also serves as the Financial Operations Manager for the UK Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA). SUPRA houses the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) and the Women’s Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN).
Dr. Speer has research interests in public health economics space where he aims to provide information to policymakers and communities on how they may use their resources to live healthier lives.
Drew received his BS (Business Management) at Arkansas State University, his master’s in health services administration (MHSA) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and his DrPH at the University of Kentucky. He is a member of the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).
He loves to travel to National Parks to hike and enjoys most water related activities (scuba/snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, etc.). Despite being from Arkansas, he does bleed blue when it comes to sports and enjoys watching local and international soccer. Most of the time, wherever you find him, his dog (a Blue Heeler named Sirius Blue), is nearby!
The University of Kentucky College of Public Health is undergoing a review by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for re-accreditation. Part of this process includes the invitation to provide third-party comments. Anyone, including students, alumni, employers, community partners, etc., is allowed to share relevant information about the college directly with CEPH. If you would like to provide input to CEPH to inform their review, send your comments to submissions@ceph.org by May 4th, 2025.
