Dr. Mike Mackert Granted Tenure

Dr. Mike Mackert has been a faculty member at UT for the past five years and this December he was granted tenure. "I felt excited and honored when I heard the news. It is a big accomplishment, because UT has high standards in both research and teaching," Mackert said. "Reaching this accomplishment validates what I have been doing for the past five years." But he hasn't slowed down. Mackert is still working on numerous projects and setting goals for the future.

He is currently working on three main projects. The first is a high blood pressure adherence campaign. This campaign focuses on encouraging people who need to take high blood pressure medication to take it everyday and as directed by a medical professional. The campaign aims to encourage people to take the medication correctly, improving patient health and saving the health care system money in the long run.  A few advertising students are helping with this project, Kiley Hoggins, Kaleen Rietcheck, Jessie Hornyak and Maria Guadagno.

The second project he is working on is a folic acid promotion. The promotion targets college age women, and hopes to encourage them to start a daily vitamin regimen now, so when they do become pregnant, she and the baby will be healthier. Advertising students, Kiley Hoggins, Beth Ann Williamson, and Eunice Kim are assisting with this project.

Lastly, Mackert and former ad grad Sarah Champlin are working on a project that uses eye-tracking software. The study focuses on how people look at health communication messages based on their level of health literacy. Ultimately this study with help shed light on the best way to design health campaigns.

Mackert's future plans include tackling more long-term research projects that he has put off because he was in a time crunch. "Now I have the time and freedom to focus on and tackle those projects and continue to be adventurous in my teaching."

Mackert teaches Account Planning, Graduate Campaigns, Integrated Communication Management and Health Communication in the Media in the advertising department.