Tim Poor is retiring after working at WashU for the last 15 years. Tim has been a fantastic part of the communications team at the PRC and has written stories on our center faculty and staff, as well as many of our projects. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Tim for all of his work for our center over the years.
Learn more about Tim’s impressive career and what he plans to do during retirement, below.
How did you get started working in Public Health communications?
I began working at the Brown School in 2009 after a 23-year career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where I was a reporter and editor. I was hired by the Health Communication Research Lab (not long after the lab had moved to WashU from SLU) to edit the Ozioma News Service, an NCI-funded research project that provided news about cancer prevention and treatment to African American newspapers across the U.S. Eventually, I began splitting my time between the HCRL and other centers at the Brown School, including the PRC, as well as writing stories for the Brown School’s Communications Department. I also led a workshop, “Better Writing, Better Work,” as part of the school’s Professional Development program.
What was your favorite part about working at WashU and/or in Public Health communications?
My work at the PRC included writing stories about the center’s research and “Spotlight” features about the center’s faculty and staff.; I also participated in some training of public health personnel. Working with the incredibly bright, talented and interesting people at the PRC and elsewhere was my favorite thing about working for the Brown School, as well as the opportunity to work on projects that made a positive difference in people’s lives.
What are you most looking forward to during retirement?
I have no big retirement plans, but I’m looking forward to travel, learning another language, rejuvenating my long-dormant skills on the piano, and decluttering my house, as well as continuing to write regularly in various capacities yet to be determined.