Awards

John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Programs and Studies - 1999

About Beverly C. Flynn

Action research, in the words of Beverly Flynn, "takes place in community settings and involves community partners in the design and implementation of research projects...Action research aims to provide information the community needs for its decision making."

Flynn devoted her career to this synergistic combination of service and scholarship, leading to the improvement of public health conditions in Indiana and around the world.

She was the founding director of the Institute of Action Research for Community Health (IARCH), headquartered at IUPUI. The institute promotes, develops and conducts interdisciplinary research relevant to community health issues in the state, nation and world; provides new opportunities for community health research, public service, and education for students and faculty; and collaborates with communities in identifying solutions to health concerns. Soon after its establishment in 1990, IARCH was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the first Global Collaborating Center in Healthy Cities. This is also the first WHO Collaborating Center in the history of IU.