Faculty Profiles

Featured scholarly/creative works

• Ekren, E. M., Maleki, S., Shakya, K., & Villagran, M. M. (n.d.). Mental health and individual resilience in contexts of social vulnerability: Evidence from rural Texas. Community Mental Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-026-01653-2
• Ekren, E. M., Adhikari, S., Maleki, S., Sexton, J. K., Aubert, C., Tomasso, M. E., … Villagran, M. M. (2026). Profiles of non-medical drivers and health burden associated with care seeking among rural women. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 17. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319261432462
• Ekren, E. M., Maleki, S., Curran, C. M., Watkins, C. L., & Villagran, M. M. (2025). Health differences between rural and non-rural Texas counties based on 2023 County Health Rankings. BMC Health Services Research, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-12109-2
• Maleki, S., Dede-Bamfo, N., Ekren, E. M., Mohammadalizadehkorde, M., & Villagran, M. M. (2024). Mapping access to children’s hospitals in Texas. Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 140. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020140
• Ekren, E. M., Maleki, S., Lee, L., & Villagran, M. M. (2025). Understanding health challenges in rural East Texas communities: How qualities of people and places shape access to care. Texas State University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10877/21778