URI researcher to be honored

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A University of Rhode Island researcher is being honored along with first lady Michelle Obama for his lifetime contributions in the field of public health.

The school says James Prochaska will be named an honorary fellow by the Society for Public Health Education at a ceremony scheduled for Saturday in Arlington, Va.

He serves as director of URI's Cancer Prevention Research Center.

Prochaska pioneered a widely used model that outlines the five stages individuals go through as they attempt to make health behavior changes.

During the past 30 years, the model has been applied to behaviors including smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, exercise and diet.

The society is also naming Michelle Obama an honorary fellow for her campaign to combat childhood obesity.