Colleen M. Peterson

Personal Pronouns

she/her/hers

Education

• Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA, 2020-2021. Families and Long-Term Care Projects, Center on Health Aging and Innovation, Division of Health and Policy Management, School of Public Health.
• Doctor of Philosophy (Awarded June 30, 2020) University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2014-2020. Epidemiology – Division of epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health.
• Master of Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention, School of Public Health.
• Bachelor of Arts with General Honors, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Psychology with Honors – Department of Psychology

Research Interests

A social behavioral epidemiologist by training, Dr. Peterson applies advanced population-level analysis and mixed methods approaches to examine issues of safety and mobility throughout the life course. This and her background in behavioral theory has been fundamental to the development of wholistic approaches to understanding of driving behavior and evaluating interventions. The goal of her research is to reduce speeding behaviors and increase life-long, equitable mobility through development, evaluation, and promotion of effective interventions and evidence-based policy.

Biography

Dr. Colleen Peterson completed her PhD in epidemiology within the social behavioral track at the University of Minnesota. She was most recently a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. Her transportation research advances safe and equitable mobility throughout the lifespan. The research she led with the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group informed national Transportation Security Officer education and training documents for dementia-specific security screening best practices. For her work on automated speed enforcement, she was honored with the Excellence in Transportation Research and Education Award from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies and was invited to serve as an expert on the Minneapolis Automated Enforcement Study Technical Advisory Committee. Dr. Peterson looks forward to continued academic, community, and governmental partnerships to promote practical applications supporting mobility-related health and well-being.

Service

• Minneapolis Automated Enforcement Study Technical Advisory Committee Member, 2020
• Life Course Center, an NIA Center on the Demography and Economics of Aging, Member, 2020-Present
• Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group Co-Chair, 2018-Present:

Navigating Air Travel as Persons with Dementia Project Survey Academic Lead

• Mobility for Minnesota’ Aging Persons Consortium, 2019-2021:

Dementia and Driving MN Initiative Advisory Group Member

Needs Assessment Project Expert Consultant

• Minnesota State Legislature’s Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group, 2018:

Assessment of Trends and Disparities Committee Expert Consultant

Awards

• J.B. Hawley Student Research Award, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota [UMN], 2019
• Minnesota Gerontological Society Higher Education Student Award, 2019
• John S. Adams Award for Excellence in Transportation Research and Education, UMN Center for Transportation Studies, 2019
• Student Travel Award for the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, UMN Center for Transportation Studies, 2016 & 2017

Additional Information

Hometown: Bartlett, IL

Craft spirits, small craft projects, fitness (yoga, weights, hiking), quirky niche communities, 80’s movies and nerding out about just about anything and everything!