From riding his bicycle 100 miles on Sundays to researching public perceptions on third-hand smoking, Robert McMillen embodies health advocacy.
An assistant professor with a joint appointment with Mississippi State's department of psychology and the university's Social Science Research Center, McMillen uses his sense of adventure to guide his recreational enjoyment and his research to help determine his position on key health issues.
"The science guides the advocacy," he said.
Through a vegetarian diet, an active physical lifestyle and choosing to live "smoke-free," McMillen seeks to make a difference in his personal life, while his health-center research has helped make Starkville restaurants healthier experiences for patrons.
When a coalition of community health activists successfully sought to make the community smoke-free in 2006, McMillen provided key research and statistical data for city leaders to use when employing local public policy to encourage healthier behavior.
During his years of researching and teaching at MSU, he has continued to use his bicycle as his primary mode of transportation. He also has attended the Tour de France five times, witnessing first-hand elite cyclists persevering through the 3,500-kilometer course.
"It's quite a rush," he said.