James Butler III
Associate Professor, Behavioral and Community Health
jbutler9@umd.edu (301) 405-0757SPH | Room 1234Y
James Butler’s research is anchored in an ecological framework that incorporates individual, social structure and environmental influences to eliminate tobacco-related health disparities. He builds ongoing and permanent relationships with community members when developing interventions where the community participates in all aspects of the research process.
Department Information
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health
Tobacco Control; Community-Engaged Research; Health Disparities; Health Equity; Qualitative Research Methods; Smoke-Free Policies; Tobacco Outlet Density
Graduate Fellow in Randomized Behavioral Clinical Trials, 2012
Exceptional Educator Award, 2015
Elevate Fellow, 2017
Most Valuable Professor (M.V.P.), 2016 - 2020
HLTH140 Personal and Community Health
HLTH391 Making a Difference: Applying Community Health
SPHL610 Program and Policy Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
DrPH, Doctor of Public Health, 1999
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
MEd, Community Health Education, 1994
Temple University
Iles I, Nan X, Ma Z, Butler J, Feldman R, Feldman R, Wang MQ (2021). Self-Affirmation Does Not Change Smokers’ Explicit or Implicit Attitudes toward Smoking Following Exposure to Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels. Communication Research Reports.
Kidanu AW, Kidanu TW, Butler J, Dyer TV (2021). A Qualitative Analysis of Ethiopian and Eritrean Americans’ Initiation and Continuation of Hookah Smoking. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. DOI:
Kidanu AW, Shi R, Cruz-Cano R, Feldman R, Butler J, Dye, Fryer CS, Clark P. Health Information on Waterpipe Lounge Menus to Educate Young Adults: Pilot Study Findings. In press, Health Education & Behavior.
Ma Z, Nan X, Iles I, Butler J, Feldman R, Wang MQ. Effects of Self-Affirmation on Responses toward Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels: Testing the Mediating Role of Perceived Susceptibility and Self-Efficacy. In press, Health Education.
Phan L, Beck KH, Wang MQ, Butler J (2020). The Development and Initial Validation of a Health Belief Model Scale to Reduce Single Cigarette Use among Urban, African American Smokers. Journal of Health Education and Behavior.
Iles I, Nan X, Ma Z, Feldman R, Butler J, Wang MQ, Zhao X (2019). Self-affirmation and defensive processing of graphic cigarette warning labels by African American smokers: A community-based study. Health Education Journal, 78(3), 301-314. PMC Journal – In Process.
Chen JC, Choi K, Kirchner TK, Feldman R, Butler J, Mead E L (2019). Flavored Cigar Smoking among African American young adult dual Users: An ecological momentary assessment. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 196, 79-85. PMC Journal – In Process.
Kidanu A, Butler J, Dyer TV (2019). Assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of hookah smoking among Ethiopian and Eritrean Americans. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved, 30, 378-391. PMC Journal – In Process.
Butler J, Fryer CS, Garza MA, Quinn SC, Thomas SB (2018). Commentary (Invited): Critical Race Theory Training to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: The Public Health Critical Race Praxis Institute. Ethnicity and Disease, 28(1), 279-284. PMCID: PMC6092161.
Butler J, Fryer CS, Ward E, Westaby K, Adams A, Esmond SL, Garza MA, Hogle J, Scholl LM, Quinn SC, Thomas SB, Sorkness CA (2017). The health equity leadership institute (HELI): Developing workforce capacity for health disparities research. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 1(3), 153-159. PMCID: PMC5647658.