brown school of public health phd

Department of Epidemiology

Doctoral program.

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Start the next chapter of your career by studying epidemiology at Brown University.

Doctoral candidates undergo rigorous training in epidemiologic methods. We prepare students to become leading, independent investigators. Our graduates excel in academia, industry, government and public health practice.

The Doctoral Program in Epidemiology’s mission is to prepare students to become leading, independent investigators with rigorous training in epidemiologic methods, able to excel in academia, industry, government or public health practice.  Using sophisticated study designs, statistical analyses, field investigations, and laboratory techniques, epidemiology students investigate the cause of a disease, its distribution (geographic, ecological, and social), method of transmission, and measures for control and prevention. 

All students in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology are required to demonstrate mastery of advanced epidemiologic methods, which is assessed via coursework and examinations. For more information about our program, please check out our Department of Epidemiology Brochure.  

Courtney Choy, pictured answering questions about her Public Health Research Day poster, conducts data collection for the Ola Tuputupua’e study and supports the research efforts of the Obesity Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptation (OLaGA) group in Samoa.

Professor Eric Loucks, Director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown, studies the impacts of mindfulness and early life adversity on adulthood well-being.

The doctoral dissertation defense is the culmination of at least four years of study and research. A major academic and career milestone presented before a live audience, successful PhD defenses are celebrated with colleagues, friends, family, and a champagne toast.

• Faculty who are leaders in the field
• Outstanding student to faculty ratio
• Numerous research possibilities
• Emphasis on teaching
• Training in grant writing (more than half of our recent F31s submitted received funding in their first round)
• Guaranteed funding
• Opportunities to work on applied projects at RI State Department of Health; nearby RI hospitals

Upon completion of the PhD program, students are expected to have proficiency in the following areas:

•  Develop a strong foundation in contemporary approaches to epidemiologic methods, and major observational study designs
•  Design a research study that can appropriately and efficiently examine an epidemiologic research question of interest; write and submit a proposal to support this research
•  Use causal diagrams to identify threats to study validity and potential approaches to mitigating such threats
•  Conduct appropriate analyses of epidemiologic data using standard regression models in SAS or R
•  Distinguish between association and causation based on counterfactual theory to make causal inference using data obtained from observational studies
•  Represent a priori subject- matter knowledge and hypotheses with causal diagrams
•  Understand the difference between effect modification and interaction
•  Learn to interpret and integrate multiple lines of scientific evidence concerning a particular topic of importance to the field of epidemiology
•  Effective communication of scientific findings
•  Demonstrate a basic understanding of human physiology and pathophysiology
•  Demonstrate mastery of a substantive area
•  Review, critically analyze and synthesize existing epidemiologic literature to identify meaningful gaps in current knowledge and formulate research objectives
•  Strong understanding of what scientific misconduct is and the impact unethical conduct can cause within and outside of the research community.

All students in the PhD program in Epidemiology are required to take 13 courses for credit, including 8 core courses, 2 or 3 more methods selective courses, and 2 or 3 more substantive selective courses. Each of these courses must be taken for credit and for a grade. PhD students are also required to: a) take PHP1001, an online, noncredit introductory course b) take a noncredit online introductory course on SAS data management, c) participate in the journal club series (course credit optional), and d) take the noncredit Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) course.

Core Courses:

• PHP 2150 – Foundations in Epidemiologic Research Methods 
• PHP 2200 – Intermediate Methods in Epidemiologic Research
• PHP 2250 – Advanced Quantitative Methods for Epidemiologic Research
• PHP 2180 – Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology 
• PHP 2510 – Principles of Biostatistics and Data Analysis 
• PHP 2511 – Applied Regression Analysis
• PHP 2090 – Research Grant Writing for Public Health 
• PHP 2130 – Human Biology for Epidemiology

Our Commitment to Program Diversity and a Culture of Respect

The Brown University Department of Epidemiology is committed to ensuring that we admit students from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. 

The Department of Epidemiology is committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative climate centered on mutual respect, with the goal of cultivating a productive work and learning environment.

Ph.D. funding

As a result of Brown’s commitment to high quality education, all students admitted into the Ph.D. program receive full scholarships that include tuition, healthcare and a research-assistant-based stipend for five years of graduate study.

Graduate Program Director

William Goedel

William C. Goedel, PhD [he/him] is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. He is a social epidemiologist, with significant methodological expertise in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to guide public health policy and practice. His research uses spatial analytical techniques to quantify the burden of many of the United States' most pressing public health challenges varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, with a particular interest in identifying areas that are overburdened and underserved as points of focus when resources are limited. He currently teaches "Fundamentals of Epidemiology" (PHP 0850), "Foundations of Spatial Analysis in Public Health" (PHP 2015), and "Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology" (PHP 2180). As a scholar of teaching and learning, Dr. Goedel is interested in the implementation and evaluation of graduate admissions review processes and novel grading systems that value both a learner's accomplishments to date and their potential for growth over time regardless of their background. He received his undergraduate degree with a joint major in global public health and sociology from New York University's College of Global Public Health in 2017 and his doctoral degree in epidemiology from Brown University's School of Public Health in 2020.

Graduate Programs

Public health.

The Brown MPH is rooted in the University’s tradition of academic excellence and collaborative synergies, much like the field of public health itself. Students and faculty move freely among our research centers and academic departments—across and beyond the university, too. Brown MPH graduates go on to make important public health contributions in academic settings, government agencies, consulting firms, and non-profits.

Brown is an internationally recognized leader in public health research, and the University is home to thirteen nationally-renowned public health research centers. The MPH program has an unusually high faculty–to–student ratio. Students have a great deal of interaction with faculty, who are accessible, approachable, and encouraging of student involvement in critical projects. Innovative curriculum requirements, such as community and analytic internships, make the program academically rigorous while providing unparalleled access to ongoing research and immersion in public health practice.

Additional Resources

The Master of Public Health Program enjoys a privileged relationship with the Rhode Island Department of Health. This partnership affords students exceptional research opportunities and participation in community service and data analytic internships through the Department of Health and other state and community agencies.

Application Information

Applicants to this School of Public Health program should apply through  SOPHAS , a centralized application service for accredited schools and programs in public health. Application to the  Five-Year Undergraduate/MPH  is done through  SOPHAS Express . 

Comprehensive application requirements are detailed on the School of Public Health's  admissions requirements website .

Application Requirements

Gre subject:.

Not required

GRE General:

Official transcripts:, letters of recommendations:.

Letters of Recommendation (3)

Personal Statement:

Additional requirements:.

Application Fee

International Applicants:

Language Proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS if applicable)

Transcript Evaluation (if applicable)

Dates/Deadlines

Application deadline, 5 th year deadline, tuition and funding.

Most students are self-supported through a combination of scholarships, loans, outside funding, and/or assistantships. Please visit the  master's funding website  for more information.

Completion Requirements

Effective Fall 2022, students are required to successfully complete 12 course credits (11 full courses and 2 half credit courses) and complete an internship and a thesis. Full–time students typically take 6.5 courses in the first year and 5.5 courses in the second year. This change is in effect for students who started the program in Fall 2021 or later.

Students who started the MPH Program prior to Fall 2021 are required to successfully complete 13 course credits (12 full credit courses and 2 half credit courses) and complete an internship and a thesis. Full–time students typically take 6.5 courses/year.

Alumni Careers

Contact and Location

School of public health, mailing address.

• Program Faculty
• Program Handbook
• Graduate School Handbook
• Public Health Career Outcomes

Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice

Doctoral program.

Apply to our program

Start the next chapter of your career by studying health services at Brown University.

Program Handbook

Health Services Research Doctoral Program Handbook 2023-2024 Academic Year

Advisor Handbook

Health Services Research Doctoral Program Advisor Handbook 2023-2024 Academic Year

The Health Services Research (HSR) doctoral program offers training in research methods to advance knowledge of issues central to the improvement of population health by focusing on organizational characteristics of health care delivery systems, providers and economic forces that shape consumer and provider behavior, as well as the policy environment in which these relationships exist.

The competency-based curriculum provides students with a strong analytic foundation and general health services research orientation. Students may select an emphasis area in Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, Health Economics, and Comparative Effectiveness Research and Evidence-based Medicine.

Register Today!

Join one of our sessions this semester to learn more about our PhD program and ask questions to current students and Faculty!

Ph.D. in Health Services Research

Dive into the curriculum, proficiencies, and highlights of our doctoral program

Program Highlights 

• Faculty who are leaders in the field of health economics, synthesis, aging, and health policy
• Outstanding student-to-faculty ratio
• Opportunities to engage in research from your very first semester
• Opportunities for teaching including an optional teaching certificate
• Training in grant writing (many students obtain federally-funded dissertation grants)
• Guaranteed funding for up to five years, including summers
• Opportunities to work on applied research projects with external partners

The Health Services Research (HSR) doctoral program in offers training in research methods to advance knowledge of issues central to the improvement of population health by focusing on organizational characteristics of health care delivery systems, providers and economic forces that shape consumer and provider behavior, as well as the policy environment in which these relationships exist.

Students may opt to take a general HSR track or an emphasis area in:

• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Health Economics
• Comparative Effectiveness Research and Evidence-based Medicine
• or a customized analytic track.

Core courses:

• PHP2446: HSR Doctoral Seminar: Financing & Delivery (Fall semester), required for Year 1
• PHP2447: HSR Doctoral Seminar: Quality & Equity (Spring semester), required for Year 1
• PHP2090: Research Grant Writing for Public Health, required for Year 2
• PHP2150: Foundations in Epidemiologic Research Methods, elective  
• PHP2200: Intermediate Methods in Epidemiologic Research, required in Year 1
• PHP2510: Principals of Biostatistics and Data, elective
• PHP2511: Applied Regression Analysis, elective
• PHP2455A: Health Services Research Methods I, required for Year 2
• PHP2455B Health Services Research Methods II, required for Year 2
• PHP2980: Graduate Independent Student Study and/or Thesis Research

Students are also expected to:

• Complete PHP1001, an online, noncredit introductory course
• Complete a noncredit online introductory course on Stata (required Year 1)
• Participate in the journal club series
• Complete the noncredit Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) course

Within the Department, the major requirements for the Ph.D. are:

• Completion of three years of course work (two with a prior graduate degree)  
• Demonstration of reaching experience via one TAship and one Teaching Experience with a focus on course design
• Synthesis of a core body of knowledge, evaluated via written examination.
• Demonstration of readiness to undertake original research, via oral presentation of prospectus or written dissertation proposal (oral exam).
• Submission of a dissertation grant to an external funder.
• Completion and oral defense of a dissertation that makes an original contribution to the chosen field of study

Upon completion of the Ph.D. program, students are expected to have proficiency in the following areas:

• Developing a strong foundation in contemporary approaches to health services research
• Designing a research study that can appropriately and efficiently examining a health services research question; writing and submitting a proposal to support and fund this research
• Conducting appropriate analyses of health research data using standard regression models in Stata, SAS or R
• Distinguishing between association and causation based on counterfactual theory to make causal inference using data obtained from experimental and quasi-experimental studies
• Learning to interpret and integrate multiple lines of scientific evidence concerning a particular topic of importance to the field of health services research
• Communicating scientific finding effectively
• Demonstrating mastery of a substantive area
• Reviewing, critically analyzing and synthesizing existing health services research literature to identify meaningful gaps in current knowledge and formulate research objectives

Ph.D. Funding

As a result of Brown's commitment to high quality education, all students admitted into the Ph.D. program receive full scholarships that include tuition, healthcare and a research-assistant-based stipend for five years of graduate study.

Health Services Research (HSR) Doctoral Program Contacts

Omar galárraga, david meyers, recruit our students.

Connect with our students and soon-to-be graduates seeking career opportunities.

Invaluable Relationships

Fostering student-faculty relationships is a pivotal component to student success at the School of Public Health.

Education and Student Services

Academic programs.

Our students bring their passion, discipline, intelligence, and compassion to bear on the most pressing public health challenges we face. We equip them with the skills they need to translate that passion into meaningful work.

Undergraduate Programs

Public health (a.b.), statistics (sc.b.), master of public health (mph) programs, mph for brown undergraduates, health equity scholars program, brown-tougaloo partnership in public health education, accelerated mph for clinicians.

Become a future public health leader in our flexible, case-based online Master of Public Health program.

Master of Science Programs

Biostatistics (sc.m.), biostatistics (a.m.) for brown undergraduates, nextgen scholars program in biostatistics, doctoral programs, behavioral and social health sciences (ph.d.), biostatistics (ph.d.), epidemiology (ph.d.), health services research (ph.d.), postdoctoral fellowships, center for alcohol and addiction studies, center for children's environmental health, center for evidence synthesis in health, center for gerontology and healthcare research.

Master of Public Health

Training future leaders in public health

The Brown MPH has a singular purpose: to train leaders in public health who are armed with the skills to conduct research, bring about policy change, and positively affect the health of populations. The in-person program includes an internship, a thesis, and the option of customizing your MPH with one of several concentrations. The generalist concentration is delivered fully online and includes an internship and capstone project.

MPH Practicum

Thesis- in person program.

The Brown MPH is rooted in the University's tradition of academic excellence and collaborative synergies, much like the field of public health itself. Students and faculty move freely among our research centers and academic departments—across and beyond the university, too.

Brown MPH graduates go on to make important public health contributions in academic settings, government agencies, consulting firms, and nonprofits.

Graduate Outcomes

A Brown education prepares students to flourish as independent thinkers, innovative collaborators, and active global citizens.

More from the Brown MPH Experience

Public health research day, health equity scholars, serving the local community, accelerated mph for clinicians.

A fast-paced, in-person program designed to deliver an academically rigorous and comprehensive public health education to professionals with prior medical or clinical healthcare education.

PhD in Public Health Sciences

The Brown School’s PhD program in Public Health Sciences prepares students to think critically as public health scientists, succeed as independent investigators, and understand and address public health challenges for the nation and the world. It provides hands-on research experiences and mentoring from day one in the program; a curriculum that builds methodological and analytical skills, and deep knowledge of the field’s theoretical and conceptual underpinnings, philosophy and history; and professional acculturation and network building. Graduates transition to leadership roles in academia, policy research, and public health settings to make a difference locally, nationally, and globally.

The Brown School is a one-of-a-kind place to learn and grow as a doctoral student.

“The public health sciences doctoral program provides unique training and research opportunities for transdisciplinary problem-solving. Doctoral students team with faculty to address complex public health issues locally, nationally, and globally. Training offers distinct hands-on experience with innovative science that promotes health, confronts disparities, and informs policies.” —Patrick Fowler Director, Doctoral Program in Public Health Sciences 

Doctoral students complete innovative coursework in public health foundations, statistical analysis, an array of research methodologies, and substantive offerings in their individualized areas of interest. Students also engage in mentored research and teaching experiences.

Students develop individualized areas of study through mentored training opportunities with our highly collaborative faculty working at the intersections of artificial intelligence, child and maternal health, chronic disease prevention, community-based research, dissemination and implementation science, environmental science, epidemiology and biostatistics, global health equity, health disparities, health policy, mental health, nutrition, urban design, systems science, violence and injury prevention, etc.

The PhD curriculum includes three units of required research and teaching practica. These practica typically occur after the first semester in our program and round out the individualized curriculum plan. Research practica provide opportunities to engage in different aspects of the research process and increase a student’s capacity for completing independent research. Teaching practica ensure students are well-trained in substantive content and pedagogy as they prepare for independent teaching at the graduate level. Additional opportunities for research development are available within specific research fellowship programs, faculty laboratories and research centers .

View PHS Research Opportunities

We are dedicated to providing our doctoral students full-tuition scholarships, four-year stipends, and professional development accounts. Base stipends for students are five years at $35,000 in the program, and additional funding is possible through paid research, teaching fellowships, and other internal and external support sources.

Our doctoral program provides the nation and the world with some of the profession’s best scholars, teachers and researchers, and as such, is highly competitive. We review all applications holistically, assessing an individual’s overall preparation for rigorous doctoral study.

Applicants to the PhD in Public Health Sciences must have a master’s degree in public health or related discipline. Applications are accepted through  SOPHAS – the centralized application service for public health . The application deadline is  December 1 .

Application requirements include:

• SOPHAS Application and Fee
• Official Academic Transcripts
• Curriculum Vitae
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose and Objectives
• Writing Sample
• English Language Proficiency

Brown School PhD students typically develop an individualized research area through coursework and mentored training opportunities. The Dissemination and Implementation Sciences (D&I) doctoral concentration provides an opportunity for students interested in the transdisciplinary field to complete relevant coursework and mentored research.

If you have any questions about the program, please reach out.

MSC 1196-251-46 One Brookings Drive St. Louis MO 63130 [email protected]

Brown School Welcomes 2023 PhD Cohort

PhD Program Linking Data, Social Science Sees Early Success

Brown School Presentations at APHA 2021

Meet our PhD Students

PhD in Public Health Sciences Students

Published Research

Publication Research Highlights

​Take the next step in your career.

Mindfulness Center

Harold Roth, Ph.D.

Harold D. Roth is Professor of Religious Studies and the Director of the Contemplative Studies Initiative. Roth is a specialist in Classical Chinese Religious Thought, Classical Daoism, the comparative study of contemplative practices and experiences and a pioneer of the academic field of Contemplative Studies. He is also the person who coined the term "Contemplative Studies" and he designed the first university concentration program in this subject. His publications include six books,  The Textual History of the Huai-nan Tzu  (Association for Asian Studies, 1992),  Original Tao: "Inward Training" and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism  (Columbia University Press, 1999),  Daoist Identity: Cosmology, Lineage, and Ritual  (w/Livia Kohn) (University of Hawaii Press, 2002),  A Companion to Angus C. Graham's Chuang Tzu: the Inner Chapters  (Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, 2003),  The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China , (w/John S Major, Sarah Queen, and Andrew S. Meyer)(Columbia, 2010) and  The Essential Huainanzi  (w/ Major, Queen, and Meyer) (Columbia, 2012). He has also published more than 50 articles and book chapters on the history and religious thought of the Daoist tradition, on the textual history and textual criticism of classical Chinese works, and on the pedagogy and the academic discipline of Contemplative Studies.

Roth's articles have been published in many leading academic journals, including the  Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies,  the  Journal of the American Oriental Society ,  Early China ,  Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies ,  China Review International , the  Journal of Chinese Religions  and the  Journal of Chinese Philosophy , and he was written chapters or articles in such works as  The Religions of China in Practice , the revised  Sources of Chinese Tradition,  The  Encyclopedia of Religion , the  Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , and the  Festschrift  for Angus Graham.

In addition, Roth has been the recipient of grants and fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, The National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation For International Scholarly Exchange. He also was awarded a Wriston Fellowship for Teaching Excellence from Brown University. Roth has served his academic field in a variety of ways. He served on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Study of Chinese Religions for a decade starting in 1993, during which time he has also served on the editorial boards of four international journals of Daoism and Early Chinese Studies. In addition to this he was the founder and Co-Organizer of the New England Symposium of Chinese Thought (1988-93), the organizer of four academic panels at the Association for Asian Studies and American Oriental Society, and the Co-Organizer of the Second American-Japanese Conference on Taoist Studies (1998). He has been a member of the initial Steering Committees for two groups within the American Academy of Religion, the Daoist Studies Section and the Contemplative Studies Group. He has been on the planning committees for the Mind and Life Institute Summer Research Institutes and the first and second International Symposia on Contemplative Studies (2012 and 2014) and is currently co-Chair (w/Dr. Amishi Jha of U Miami) of the third International Symposium schedule for November, 2016 in San Diego.

A widely sought public lecturer, Roth has given 100  invited lectures and papers at academic conferences, including named lectures at Pacific Lutheran University, The Graduate Theological Union at UC Berkeley, St. Lawrence University, Grinnell College, Wheaton College, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the Keynote Address at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the ASIANetwork. He is scheduled to lecture this year at St. Michael's College and at Georgetown University.

Roth has done extensive service at Brown. He was Concentration Advisor in the Departments of Religious Studies (1987-93, 2000-2001), and East Asian Studies (1991-98), and has served on numerous department and university committees, including the Tenure, Promotions, and Appointments Committee for which he served Chair and the Faculty Executive Committee and the Faculty Executive Committee. For these contributions Roth received the 2014 President Award for Outstanding Service in Faculty Governance. He is the founder and director of Brown's unique "Contemplative Studies Initiative" and was the co-founder and co-director of the Warren Alpert Medical School's Scholarly Concentration in Contemplative Studies. Roth is continuing his research on classical Daoism, and is currently working on a book manuscript to be entitled "Practice and Tradition in Classical Daoism."

As an innovator in the field of Contemplative Studies, Roth has developed courses that combine traditional third-person study with critical first-person approaches. He is currently working on a book manuscript detailing the theory and practice of "Integrative Contemplative Pedagogy."

Pandemic Center

Jennifer Nuzzo, DrPH

Beth Cameron, PhD

Wilmot James, PhD

Seth Berkley, MD

Researchers@Brown

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Linda J Cook

Website information, professor emerita of slavic studies, professor emerita of political science.

Linda J. Cook received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1985. She is ~~Linda Cook is currently a professor in the Political Science and Slavic Studies Department at Brown University, and associate of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. Cook has authored "The Soviet Social Contract and Why it Failed" (Harvard, 1993), "Postcommunist Welfare States: Reform Politics in Russia and Eastern Europe," (Cornell, 2007 pap 2013). as well as numerous journal articles and other publications. Her research has been supported by the Davis Center, the National Council on East European and Eurasian Studies, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, and the Fulbright Foundation. She is currently researching the effects of recession on Russia’s welfare state, with a focus on health care.

Brown Affiliations

Research Areas

Publications visualize it , research overview, research statement, funded research.

 Team Leader for Research Project, “Social Policy in the Russian Federation:  Directions, Policy Processes,  Outcomes, Prospects, funded by United Nations Research Institute for Social               Development  Project “New Directions in Social Policy:  Alternatives from the for the Global South”  ($40,000)   

Fellowship, Aleksanteri Institute, Finnish Centre for Russian and East European Studies, Univ. of Helsinki, Finland, 2011-12 Co-recipient, COE Faculty Research Grant, Brown University, "States,NGOs and Access to Health Care in Postcommunist States" 2011-12 National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, principal investigator for research grant, "The Formulation of Social Policy in Russia's Regions: Is There Evidence of Civil Society's Participation?" (2003-2004; $23,000) National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, principal investigator for research grant, "Reforming the Safety Net? The Politics of Social Welfare in the Russian Federation" (1999-2000) Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, Wilson Center, Washington, D.C., short-term research grant ($3,000, spring 2000; $3,000, summer 1987) Salomon Faculty Research Award, Brown University, for project, "The Politics of Social Welfare in the Russian Federation" (1998-1999) Social Science Research Council, Joint Committee on the Soviet Union and its Successor States, faculty professional development grant (1994-1995) National Council for Soviet and East European Research, co-prinicipal investigator in collaborative study, "Working Class Responses to the Post-Socialist Transition in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics" (1992-1993) International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), short-term travel grants for research trips to Moscow (1992, 1998, 2001) IREX Young Scholar, Soviet Union Exchange, year in residence at Moscow and Leningrad State Universities for dissertation research (1981-1982)

Education and Training

Honors and awards.

Fulbright Scholarship, Russian Federation, 2015

Invited Participant, Richard C. Holbrooke Forum Retreat, "Authoritarianism in a Global Context," American Academy in Berlin, June 21-July 11, 2015

Chesler-Mallow Senior Research Fellow and Director, Seminar on Socialism and Post-socialism, Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women,Brown Univ., 2013-2014

Visiting Fellow, Center for Russian Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy  and Public Administration (RANEPA), Moscow, Russian Federation, June 2014

 Brown University Faculty Fellowship, Cogut Center for the Humanities, "Political Economy of Health Care in Russia: State and Market, Mothers and Migrants" Spring, 201

Visiting Fellow, Aleksanteri Institute, Finnish Centre for Russian and East European Studies, Univ. of Helsinki,Finland Summer 2011- 2012

Nominated as Member-at-Large, Board of Directors, Association for the Study of East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) 2011

Co-recipient, COE Faculty Research Grant, Brown University, Project on "States, NGOs, Access to Health Care in Postcommunist States." 2011-12

Pembroke Center Faculty Fellow, Seminar on "Markets and Bodies in Transnational Perspective" Brown University (2009-2010)

National Council of Eurasian and East European Research, Principal Investigator for Grant, "Formulation of Social Policy in Russia's Regions:The Question of Civil Society's Influence."(2003-2006)

Senior Fellowship, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University (2003-2004)

National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, P.I. forGrant, "Reforming the Safety Net? Politics of Social Welfare in the Russian Federation" (1999-2000)

Social Science Research Council, Jt. Committee on SU and Successor States, Professional Development Grant, Economics (1994-95)

National Council for Soviet and East European Research, Co-PI on collaborative grant, "Working Class Responses to Post-Socialist Transition in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics, 1992-93

Research fellowship, Russian Research Center, Harvard University, (fall 1990)

Post-doctoral fellowship, Harriman Institute for Russian Studies, Columbia University (fall 1985)

Junior Fellowship, Harriman Institute for Russian Studies, Columbia University (1983-1984)

IREX Young Scholar, Soviet Union Exchange, Dissertation Fellowship, Moscow and Leningrad State Universities, 1981-82

Visiting Scholar, Centre for Russian and East European Studies, University of Birmingham, England, funded by IREX (spring 1981)

National Resource Fellowship, Columbia University (1982-1983)

National Defense Foreign Language Fellowship, Columbia University (1976-1978)

M. Phil. with Distinction, Political Science, Columbia University (1979)

President's Fellowship, Columbia University (1975-1977)

Phi Beta Kappa, Boston University (1975)

B.A., Boston University, Summa Cum Laude with Distinction in Political Science (1975)

Affiliations Visualize it 

Collaborators, affiliations, teaching overview.

Russ Hauser

Frederick Lee Hisaw Professor of Reproductive Physiology

Environmental Health

[email protected]

Other Positions

Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology

Obstetrics Gynecology & Reproductive Bio. - MGH

Harvard Medical School

• Education and Training

Dr Hauser's research interests are in the fields of reproductive, perinatal and pediatric epidemiology. His research specifically focuses on the effect of environmental chemicals on male and female fertility, pregnancy outcomes and children's health. For the past twenty years, he led the NIH funded study, referred to as the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) study. The EARTH study investigates the effects of chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors on male and female reproductive health endpoints. Examples of specific chemicals of interest include persistent compounds (i.e., flame retardants, PCBs and DDT), and non-persistent chemicals including pesticides, phthalates, parabens and phenols. The EARTH study was conducted in collaboration with physicians and staff from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

He is currently conducting an NIH funded study on the effect of maternal and paternal preconception exposures and maternal prenatal exposures to environmental chemicals on children's health. His research team is collecting information on somatic growth, metabolic health and neurobehavioral outcomes. This study, referred to as the Preconception Environmental exposure And Childhood health Effect (PEACE) study, is co-lead with faculty from Brown University School of Public Health.

He also conducted a NIH and EPA funded prospective cohort study on five hundred boys in Chapaevsk, Russia, where he investigated the relationship of exposure to dioxins, dioxin-like compounds, chlorinated pesticides, lead and phthalates with the boys growth and pubertal development. Children in Chapaevsk were exposed to high levels of dioxins and environmental chemicals due to historic environmental contamination from a large complex of chemical plants in the city. He is currently investigating the association of lead, dioxins, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and phthalates measured in childhood with semen quality and sperm epigenetics in semen samples collected when the participants were young men. The study is being conducted in collaboration with Russian investigators from the Moscow State University and Chapaevsk Medical Association.

B.A., 1981 Clark University

M.D., 1985 Albert Einstein College of Medicine

M.P.H., 1990 Harvard School of Public Health

Sc.D., 1994 Harvard School of Public Health

Bibliography

Association of peripubertal blood lead levels with reproductive hormones and semen parameters in a longitudinal cohort of russian men..

Williams PL, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Korrick SA, Lee MM, Plaku-Alakbarova B, Burns JS, Smigulina L, Dikov Y, Abou Ghayda R, Hauser R, Sergeyev O.

Urinary phthalate and DINCH metabolite concentrations and gradations of maternal glucose intolerance.

James-Todd T, Ponzano M, Bellavia A, Williams PL, Cantonwine DE, Calafat AM, Hauser R, Quinn MR, Seely EW, McElrath TF.

Pesticide residue intake from fruits and vegetables and alterations in the serum metabolome of women undergoing infertility treatment.

Hood RB, Liang D, Chiu YH, Sandoval-Insausti H, Chavarro JE, Jones D, Hauser R, Gaskins AJ.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Risk of Testicular Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Bräuner EV, Lim YH, Koch T, Uldbjerg CS, Gregersen LS, Pedersen MK, Frederiksen H, Petersen JH, Coull BA, Andersson AM, Hickey M, Skakkebæk NE, Hauser R, Juul A.

Phthalate and DINCH urinary concentrations across pregnancy and risk of preterm birth.

Yland JJ, Zhang Y, Williams PL, Mustieles V, Vagios S, Souter I, Calafat AM, Hauser R, Messerlian C.

Design and methods of the Apple Women's Health Study: a digital longitudinal cohort study.

Mahalingaiah S, Fruh V, Rodriguez E, Konanki SC, Onnela JP, de Figueiredo Veiga A, Lyons G, Ahmed R, Li H, Gallagher N, Jukic AMZ, Ferguson KK, Baird DD, Wilcox AJ, Curry CL, Suharwardy S, Fischer-Colbrie T, Agrawal G, Coull BA, Hauser R, Williams MA.

Dietary correlates of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in 6-19 Year old children and adolescents.

Carwile JL, Seshasayee SM, Ahrens KA, Hauser R, Chavarro JE, Fleisch AF.

Hair mercury levels, intake of omega-3 fatty acids and ovarian reserve among women attending a fertility center.

Mínguez-Alarcón L, Williams PL, Souter I, Sacha C, Amarasiriwardena CJ, Ford JB, Hauser R, Chavarro JE.

Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations are negatively associated with follicular fluid anti-müllerian hormone concentrations in women undergoing fertility treatment.

Sacha CR, Souter I, Williams PL, Chavarro JE, Ford J, Mahalingaiah S, Donahoe PK, Hauser R, Pépin D, Mínguez-Alarcón L.

Urinary concentrations of phenols, parabens, and triclocarban in relation to uterine leiomyomata incidence and growth.

Wesselink AK, Weuve J, Fruh V, Bethea TN, Claus Henn B, Harmon QE, Hauser R, Williams PL, Calafat AM, McClean M, Baird DD, Wise LA.

Exposure to hormone-disrupting chemical mixtures common among office workers

Office workers in the U.S., the U.K., China, and India were exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals that can disrupt hormonal functions, according to a study that analyzed chemical traces picked up by silicone wristbands worn by the…

Why phthalates should be restricted or banned from consumer products

Russ Hauser discusses a paper he co-authored that outlines the health dangers of chemicals called ortho-phthalates and calls for their elimination in consumer products.

In Memoriam: Marianne Wessling-Resnick

Marianne Wessling-Resnick, professor of nutritional biochemistry, died on November 12, 2019.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Apple formally launch Women’s Health Study

Groundbreaking study will collect and analyze data on menstrual and gynecological health to improve overall understanding of women’s health needs. Study has potential to be largest study of its scope and scale. For immediate release: Thursday, November 14,…

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health partners with the National Institutes of Health and Apple for Women’s Health Study

Apple Women’s Health Study will advance understanding of menstrual and gynecological health.

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Hundreds of School of Pharmacy Graduates Entering Field

May 22, 2024    |   By Andrew Tie

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) held multiple convocation ceremonies last week, with hundreds of new graduates entering the field.  

On May 17, UMSOP celebrated 94 graduating  Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students   at The Lyric Baltimore.

“We at the School of Pharmacy are so very proud of you,” said Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD , UMSOP dean and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, who presided over graduation for the first time as dean. “As you go into the world and start your career in pharmacy, I am looking forward to hearing about your accomplishments. Whatever path you take, continue to be resilient, tenacious, and altruistic. Continue to lead.”  

Some students challenged themselves to complete pathways in geriatric and palliative care, pharmapreneurship — an initiative created by UMSOP in 2017 that represents the development of pharmacy entrepreneurs to address the nation’s health care challenges — pharmacotherapy, and research, while others completed graduate certificates or dual degrees in pharmacometrics and regulatory science.  

Others took on leadership positions in the Student Government Association or the University Student Government Association. And some participated in legislative advocacy.  

“If you think back to when you first started school here, how many skills did you have? How many lives could you save? How many proper medications could you think about and administer? Look at you today. Look at how excellent you’ve become,” said Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS , president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), in conferring PharmD degrees to the graduates.  

In reflecting on his journey through pharmacy school, Javier Trujillo, PharmD ’24 , recalls moving to Maryland not knowing anyone and developing friendships with classmates.   

During his fourth year, he worked at the Maryland Poison Center , which he said changed his career interests toward toxicology.  

“I absolutely loved working at the Maryland Poison Center. It was more fulfilling than anything I’ve ever done,” Trujillo said.  

In addition to the PharmD Ceremony, UMSOP celebrated its in-person and virtual PhD and MS programs between May 14-18. They included:  

• The Pharmaceutical Health Services Research program — part of the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research — which recognized three PhD and three MS graduates in the Saratoga Building President’s Boardroom on May 16 before a UMB hooding ceremony for PhD students. 
• The PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) program, which recognized 10 doctoral graduates on May 16 before a UMB hooding ceremony for PhD students. 
• The MS in PSC program, which held its convocation ceremony on May 15 to recognize its 22 graduates. 
• The Graduate Studies in Medical Cannabis Science program, which held a ceremony at the Universities at Shady Grove on May 14 to honor 135 MS and six certificate graduates. 
• The MS and Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Science program, which held a convocation ceremony on May 15 to recognize its 25 master’s and seven certificate graduates. Six of the MS students also graduated from UMSOP this year with their PharmD. 
• The MS in Pharmacometrics program, which held its graduation online on May 18 to recognize its 16 graduating students 

“We are so proud of the Class of 2024 across our PhD and MS programs,” Michel said. “Whether you’re working on discoveries in a lab, advocating for legislative and policy changes, or evaluating pharmaceutical services and interventions, we know you are and will continue to be leaders, innovators, and change makers in your respective fields.”  

Jassmin Brown, MS ’24 , has a business background and said she’s looking into entrepreneurial opportunities in the medical and adult-use cannabis markets. Based in Richmond, Va., Brown described the program as exciting, motivating, and entertaining.  

“I drive to Maryland to participate in volunteer activities, make connections with my friends and faculty, and, honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made because I’ve not only made lifetime friends, but also family,” Brown said.  

During the PharmD ceremony, Jarrell presented an honorary Doctor of Science degree to R.F. “Rick” Shangraw, Jr., PhD, MPA , president of Cintana Education, for which UMSOP nominated him.  

Shangraw has long been part of the UMSOP community as the son of the late Ralph F. Shangraw, a former department chair and professor emeritus of pharmaceutics. The honorary degree recognizes Shangraw’s involvement with and advocacy for advancing pharmacy education, research, and practice.  

“As you go out into the world, keep that entrepreneurial spirit to be innovative, to be creative, to think of new ways to do your job, to bring new ideas,” said Shangraw, who has been a supporter of the pharmapreneurship  initiative, the school’s commitment to supporting and best positioning faculty and students to achieve their career aspirations and address health care challenges.

“Many professions around the world are changing dramatically, and pharmacy is certainly one of them,” Shangraw added. “So it’s vitally important to bring this concept of pharmapreneurship to your job.”  

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News & events, epidemiology, phd student profiles, alexander furuya.

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I am a Columbia University graduate student pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. I have an extensive background in data analysis, statistical programming, and public health research. My goal is to understand social determinants of health among those in the LGBTQ+ community and immigrant communities, and I hope to identify effective interventions to improve health.

I currently work with Dr. Dustin Duncan in analyzing data form the Trying to Understand Relationships, Networks and Neighborhoods in Trans women of color (TURNNT) Cohort. Specifically, I am looking into determinants of HIV prevention and treatment and identifying factors that affect them.

Research Interests

• Social Epidemiology
• LGBTQ+ Health
• Health of the Aging Community
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• HIV Treatment and Prevention
• Biostatistical Methodologies
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I am a first year doctoral student, first year fellow on the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship with ICAP, and an infectious disease epidemiologist. I received a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2014, an MPH in Epidemiological Methods and Applications from the University of Michigan in 2016, and prior to coming to Columbia, spent about seven years at the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the HIV Epidemiology Section. My research interests are centered around infectious disease prevention and treatment interventions, and I have past work pertaining to HIV care navigation, hepatitis C treatment, mpox vaccination, and COVID-19 coinfection among people with HIV. Apart from my role as an analyst, as a database administrator and developer, I designed, carried out, and evaluated a surveillance system modernization project to increase the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of HIV test results for department case investigators and outreach staff. My current projects relate to PrEP demand creation among women in South Africa and HIV care retention patterns in Côte d'Ivoire.

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Hoisum Nguyen

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Inspired by the stories of immigrants and social justice movements in the United States, Hoisum's research centralizes psychiatric and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on trauma and violence as it relates to firearms, racial/ethnic populations, LGBQIA+ communities, and financial means. Equipped with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH, Class of 2020) from Boston University in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, prior training in causal theories from UCLA (2021-2023), and previous work in suicide outcomes and emergency preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic for the county of Santa Clara, CA (2020-2022), Hoisum aims to create research of consequence for policy formulation.

Hoisum is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Epidemiology, a pre-doctoral fellow in Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Fellow (PET-T32), and also a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS) receiving health policy and leadership training from Johns Hopkins University (Class of 2026).

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Adam Whalen

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I am a first-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I received my BS in Biology and Public Health Science in 2015 from Santa Clara University, and my MPH in Epidemiology with a Certificate in Applied Biostatistics and Public Health Data Science from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I worked as a data analyst at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, working on research projects related to Hispanic/Latino health as well as women living with HIV. As a member of the Spatial Epidemiology Lab at Columbia, my current research investigates how discrimination against transgender women of color and sexual minority men affects health outcomes. I also examine activity space exposure to different features of the bult and social environment and how they influence criminal legal system involvement, sleep, access to gender-affirming health care, and other outcomes. My research interests include social and spatial epidemiology, novel spatiotemporal methods including GPS-based activity space analysis and geofencing applications, injury and violence outcomes such as transportation and police violence, and sexual and gender minority health.

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Erin M. Annunziato

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I am a pre-doctoral fellow in the Substance Abuse Epidemiology T32 Training Program. I am interested in structural-level determinants contributing to substance use-related harms, including racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment and drug-related legal outcomes. My current research examines relationships between 1) state policies, such as drug monitoring programs, and legal outcomes, and 2) racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment access through the criminal legal system. I have a BS in Biology from Boston College and an MPH in Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health.

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I am a second year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a second year pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I earned a BS in Biology from Brooklyn College (CUNY) in 2019, and an MPH in Epidemiology with an Advanced Certificate in Public Health and Humanitarian Action from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I served as a clinical research coordinator at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, where I managed all aspects of research and administration for the Stroke Division. My previous research has focused on a range of mental, neurological, and substance use issues in humanitarian settings. As a doctoral student, my research efforts are focused on evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes amidst the complex landscape of mental health and substance use among adolescents and their caregivers in diverse conflict-affected settings. My research interests include global mental health, substance use epidemiology, child development, and disability advocacy. 

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Nicole Itzkowitz

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I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science T32 Training Program. I entered the program in 2022 with an MSc in epidemiology from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a BA in public health from the University of Rochester. My research interests are broadly concerned with quantifying urban environmental and built environment exposures and exploring their relationship with injury and other non-communicable disease outcomes. My previous work at Imperial College focused on examining the causal relationship between acute noise pollution exposure and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and creating a composite metric to estimate smoking behavior at small spatial resolutions. I am currently working with Dr. Andrew Rundle and the Built Environment and Health research group on several projects related to pedestrian and micromobility injuries and fatalities in the context of the built environment and alcohol use.

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Celebrating Excellence: UNLV School of Public Health recognizes faculty and students at annual Honors ceremony

On Friday, May 3, 2024, the UNLV School of Public Health celebrated the end of the academic school year by recognizing student scholarship recipients, faculty excellence, donors and community partners at its annual Honors Ceremony.

Below is the list of all the award recipients recognized at this year’s event.

2024 Student Scholarship Awards

ACHE Scholarship (American College of Healthcare Executives) Scholarship Recipients: Vidhani Goel, Sisinyous Mengesha, Trisha Anne Claire Santos    

Nevada Healthcare Forum Endowed Scholarship  Scholarship Recipients: Maryam Z. Dehkhargani, Leticia Delgado, Fye Pinera        

Francisco Sy Undergraduate Scholarship  Scholarship Recipients: Cleo Navarro

Francisco Sy Graduate Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Miklo Alcala                

Nevada Public Health Foundation Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Ashley Meda, Srishti Awasthi        

Minority Health Consultants Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Zipporah Collier, Lizette Mejia, Jazmin Rios    

Joan Essex Internship Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Kristen Custino                

Guinan & Gerstenberger Scholarship  Scholarship Recipients: Karen Figueroa Chilito, Ishrat Zaman, Homa Azizimazreah    

Guinan & Gerstenberger Internship Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Jessica Lopez, Dana Surwill    

SPH Alumni Association Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Mae Ling Catayong                

Aetna Community Heart Internship Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Marija Zolfaghari Dobrijevic        

Public & Community Health Benefit Scholarship Recipients: Brisa Rodriguez Alcantar, Bruno Bevilacqua, Kira Kramer    

Glahnnia Rates Scholarship  Scholarship Recipients: Tracy Carmelo 

Stacy Darling Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Emylia Terry, Binita Adhikari, Siddharth Raich            

M. Chino Dissertation Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Laurencia Bonsu                    

Roland Sotero Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Mable Lorraine Garrett, Fay Faiz                    

Joshua Huebner Memorial Scholarship Scholarship Recipients: Aastha Poudel, Terry Jones                  John & Nicanora Gurley Scholarship Scholarship Recipients:Jazmin Stamaria, Veronica Brown    

School of Public Health Awards

Faculty Excellence Awards      Excellence in Teaching – Gabriela Buccini Excellence in Research – Erika Marquez Excellence in Service – Chris Papesh

Donor Appreciation Award Robbie Martin

Outstanding Community Partner Lisa Bogard Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Scholars Program

Outstanding Internship Partner Sunrise Hospital

2024 SPH Faculty Awards -- Presented by Kaiju Manera, PHSA President

( The awards were presented in the theme of the movie "Monsters University")

James P. Sullivan -- The Hero     Dr. Louisa Messenger

Mikee Wazowski -- The Jester    Dr. Amanda Morgan

Professor Knight -- The Mentor    Dr. Nicole DeVille

Don Carlton -- The Caregiver      Dr. Kay Callahan

Roz -- The Gaurdian    Dr. Sheniz Moonie

Department Awards

Department of Healthcare Administration & Policy                          Outstanding Research  – Yonsu Kim Outstanding Teaching  – Maire Simington Outstanding Service – Jay Shen Rising Star  – Mohammad Karim Outstanding Graduate Student – Jalen Jones Outstanding Undergraduate Student & McGaw Recipient – Thomas Bloodgood III

Department of Environmental & Occupational Health                      Outstanding Research  – Louisa Messenger Outstanding Teaching  – Karen Callahan Outstanding Service  – Charles Regin Outstanding Part-Time Instructor  – Lawrence Sagadraca Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award – Alyx Phillips Outstanding Capstone Class Award – Austin Tang Outstanding Graduate Student – Samantha Smith, Katharine Major Outstanding Undergraduate Student – Annie Wang

Department of Social & Behavioral Health Outstanding Teaching  – Amanda Morgan Outstanding Research  – Timothy Grigsby Outstanding Service  – Christopher Johansen Outstanding Administrative Faculty – Asma Awan Outstanding Dissertation  – Noehealani Bareng-Antolin Outstanding Community Partner  – Nevada Cancer Coalition

Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics Outstanding Teaching  – Chad Cross Outstanding Research  – Miguel Fudolig Outstanding Service  – Timothy Bungum

About the School of Public Health The School of Public Health Sciences (SPH), formerly the School of Community Health Sciences(SCHS), is one of UNLV’s most recent additions. In 2003, Paul W. Ferguson, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, recognized the need for such a school in Nevada, given that rapid population growth threatened the capacity of the state’s public health agencies to cope with new and emerging public health issues. In 2004, the Board of Regents approved the formation of the School of Public Health and the school brought together programs housed in other colleges — environmental studies, health promotion, and healthcare administration — as well as several research centers, the Center for Health Disparities Research, Center for Health Information Analysis, and the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy. The schools centers, coalitions, and labs serve as connections to our community and real world examples of public health in practice. They provide opportunities for our students to engage in public health practice and gain experience as well as allow faculty to be on site role models.  

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Board of Trustees Recognizes Faculty Members

Congratulations to the 23 members of the faculty who were awarded promotions and/or tenure by the Ithaca College Board of Trustees at its May meetings.

The biographies of the faculty members were provided by their respective schools.

AWARDED PROMOTION FROM ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TO PROFESSOR Department of Theatre and Dance Paula Murray Cole (M.F.A. Southern Methodist University) teaches acting, voice, and movement. Her professional work is centered on the development and dissemination of Rasaboxes, a suite of exercises originally devised by Richard Schechner. She co-authored and edited the first book dedicated to the exercises, “Inside the Performance Workshop: A Sourcebook for Rasaboxes and Other Exercises” (Routledge 2023), and co-authored “The Actor As Athlete of the Emotions: The Rasaboxes Exercise” for the book “Movement For Actors (2nd Edition, 2017), edited by Nicole Potter, Barabara Adrian, and Mary Fleischer. She has taught performance workshops at New York University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, the Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Brown University, and Rose Bruford College and has presented Rasaboxes at conferences and workshops in Israel, Montreal, Turkey, Singapore, China, and Poland.

Department of Occupational Therapy Melinda Cozzolino (P.P.O.T.D. Creighton University) teaches courses in neuroscience, mental health, and research. She received the founding grant for the Center for Life Skills, an interdisciplinary program at Longview for adults with chronic neurological conditions. This program has operated for over 20 years and has provided experiential learning for thousands of students and therapeutic services for hundreds of community members. She is a prolific scholar in the areas of interprofessional education and supporting mental health and is an advocate for mental health at the local, regional, and national levels.

Department of Theatre Studies Chrystyna Dail (Ph.D. University of Maryland) serves as director of the Integrative Core Curriculum. Her area of specialization is theatre history, with research interests in U.S. social activist performance, labor theatre, 20th-century Ukrainian-American performance, and the representation of witches in performance. Her book, “Stage for Action: U.S. Social Activist Theatre in the 1940s,” is part of the Theater in the Americas series published through Southern Illinois University Press, and her chapter, “Driving Race Work: The UAW, Detroit, and Discrimination for Everybody!” is included in the edited collection “Working in the Wings: New Perspectives on Theatre History and Labor.” Additionally, her chapter on Margo Jones is included in the eight-volume book series The Great North American Stage Directors published through Methuen Drama. She is currently writing a book about theatrical stagings of the Salem witchcraft crisis by female-identifying artists, and is the book review editor of Theatre Survey, which is published through Cambridge University Press.

Department of Philosophy and Religion Serge Grigoriev (Ph.D. Temple University) imbues the array of courses that he teaches with his ready sense of humor and his gift for oratory. In his classes, laughter is a regular feature, allowing students to enjoy themselves intellectually as they grapple with complex material. His research focuses on pragmatism and the philosophy of history, and he has published prodigiously, producing original, philosophically significant, and refreshingly readable scholarly work. He has been a generous citizen of the college, bringing thoughtful insights to the H&S Faculty Senate, the C.P. Snow Lecture Series Committee, and the Faculty Grievance Committee, to name just three of his service endeavors.

Department of Management Narges Kasiri (Ph.D. Oklahoma State University) bridges theory and practice in her courses in operations management and business analytics. She has integrated cutting-edge technology, including generative AI, into the curriculum. Her collaborative projects with local businesses allow students to apply their skills in real-world settings, enhancing both their learning experience and IC’s engagement in the community. As a scholar, she has earned prestigious honors such as the Fulbright Innovation Award and a grant from HSBC’s Sustainability Office.

Department of Exercise and Athletic Training Patrick McKeon (Ph.D. University of Virginia) is best described as a teacher/servant/scholar. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate students to better understand research and its application to their clinical practice. He serves the department as the Athletic Training Clinical Education Coordinator, the college as chair of the Institutional Review Board and his profession as an editor of two prestigious professional journals. He is also a well-respected scholar, serving as an Executive Council member of the International Ankle Consortium and mentoring numerous students each year to present their own research at local, regional, and national conferences.

Department of Music Education James Mick (Ph.D. Florida State University) teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in string pedagogy, orchestral rehearsal techniques, instrumental conducting, and the psychology of music teaching and learning. In 2020 he was honored with Ithaca College’s Faculty Excellence Award. Recent all-state orchestra appearances include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Wyoming. Internationally, he has worked with student ensembles in the United Kingdom and Belgium. He served as music director and conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra from 2015 to 2023. During his tenure the RPYO held annual side-by-side performances with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. A popular clinician, he has presented at numerous state, regional, and national conferences including the American String Teachers Association National Conference and the Midwest Clinic: An International Band & Orchestra Conference.

Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition Alexander Reed (Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh) is the author of the books “Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music (2013 Oxford University Press) and “Laurie Anderson’s Big Science” (2021 Oxford University Press). He also co-wrote the volume on the They Might Be Giants album “Flood” (2014 Bloomsbury) for the 33 1/3 book series. He has published in the Journal of Popular Music Studies, Popular Music and Society, Perspectives of New Music, the Journal of Popular Music Education, ImageTexT, Music Theory Spectrum, Music Theory Online, and the Journal of Musicological Research. He is founder and former chair of the Popular Music Study Group of the American Musicological Society and has served on the board of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music’s U.S. branch. He has received awards, fellowships, and residencies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Mellon Foundation, Contemporary Arts International, and the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. Active as a musician, he has toured internationally and released seven albums with his bands Seeming and ThouShaltNot. He has also produced dozens of records for others, and his work has aired on MTV and in popular television on series such as “Gossip Girl.”

Department of Music Performance Michael Titlebaum (M.M. Eastman School of Music) is a saxophonist/composer/arranger who serves as Director of Jazz Studies at Ithaca College, where he directs the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble; coaches combos; and teaches jazz saxophone and courses in jazz standards, arranging, repertoire, and pedagogy. In 2010 he founded the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble Composition Contest. He also teaches and coordinates the jazz area in the IC Summer Music Academy. He is the author of the book “Jazz Improvisation Using Simple Melodic Embellishment,” published by Routledge/Taylor and Francis in 2021. He has performed and given workshops and lectures at numerous state and national conferences, including the Jazz Education Network, the International Society for Improvised Music, the New York State School Music Association, the New York State Band Directors Association, and the Texas Music Educators Association.

Department of Computer Science Doug Turnbull (Ph.D. University of California) teaches across the computer science curriculum, exhibiting a persistent dedication to making his classes accessible and to providing research opportunities to the largest possible number of students. Students appreciate that he involves them in his research as genuine partners and grants them foundations for future careers. His scholarship has earned wide recognition in the form of NSF and NEA grants that have brought more than $600,000 to IC. He has published widely in the area of music information retrieval, and he recently delivered a keynote lecture at a conference in Singapore. In his service, he has continued his efforts to promote undergraduate research, and he serves on the H&S Faculty Senate. He also engages in service to the music information retrieval research community, nationally and internationally.

Department of Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies Andrew Utterson (Ph.D. Birkbeck College) has expertly taught courses across the Screen Studies curriculum including Film Aesthetics and Analysis, Hollywood and American History, and Fiction Film Theory as well as ICC courses and mini-courses for the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, of which he is now co-director. The focus of his scholarship in film history, theory, and criticism is the intersection between film and new media as well as the changing nature of cinema from production to exhibition.

Department of Exercise and Athletic Training Justine Vosloo (Ph.D. West Virginia University) is a model for faculty within helping professions. She has spearheaded significant improvements to the department’s graduate Sport Psychology and Mental Performance programs. She is an outstanding mentor to students as they present their own research within professional journals and at national conferences and when they consult with student-athletes to improve their mental performance. Finally, she has grown to be a well-respected scholar within her profession as evidenced by her recent keynote lecture, “Reflections on cultural humility, inclusion, and belonging: Current trends and future challenges for the practice of sport psychology when considering the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Department of Music Education Baruch Whitehead (Ph.D. Capella University) is the founding director of the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers, which is dedicated to the preservation of the Negro Spiritual. He also founded the Orff-Schulwerk certification program, a music education that views music as a basic system like language, at Ithaca College and Marshall University, and is the past director of the annual Orff Certification Training Course at Boston University. His other areas of expertise include diversity in music education, gospel music and its preservation within mainstream musical settings, African American music, and the music of the Civil Rights movement. He has been a featured speaker/workshop presenter at many state, national, and international conferences, including the International Arts and Humanities conference in Honolulu and MENC, NYSSMA, NJMEA, and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association national conference. He has taught at the World Music Village in Helsinki, Finland, and continues to present workshops on diversity in music education for state, national, and international conferences.

Department of Strategic Communication Cory Young (Ph.D. Bowling Green State University) regularly teaches Crisis Communication, and this topic is the focus of most of her research. She is an organizational communication scholar whose work also explores risk communication and projects on diversity and inclusion. She has served in many capacities, including administrative roles for her department and for the school’s graduate program as well as for the college as a whole, as director of the Honors Program, a member of All-College Tenure and Promotion Committee, and chair of the Faculty Handbook Committee.

AWARDED TENURE AND PROMOTION FROM ASSISTANT TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Department of Music Performance Mike Truesdell (D.M.A. The Juilliard School) is a percussionist who has performed with numerous ensembles, including the New York City Ballet, International Contemporary Ensemble, and Lucerne Festival Ensemble conducted by Pierre Boulez, and with members of the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Chamber Music Society (New York), and Alarm Will Sound, among others. As an educator, he has previously been on the faculties of the University of Northern Colorado, Rutgers University, and Columbia University. Also engaged with mentoring the next generation, he has taught in the acclaimed Music Advancement Program at The Juilliard School, and founded Wildcat Percussion Camp, a summer percussion program to introduce aspiring percussionists to the spectrum of percussive sounds and techniques.

AWARDED TENURE AT RANK OF PROFESSOR Department of Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies James Rada (Ph.D. University of Georgia) expertly teaches budding journalists how to tell important stories in inventive ways in courses such as Documentary Journalism Workshop and Investigative Journalism. His creative activity includes producing and directing “With Infinite Hope: MLK and the Civil Rights Movement,” among other films he contributed to that tell the history of the movement and the Underground Railroad. He was awarded IC’s Faculty Excellence Award in 2020. He is an active reviewer and judge for several industry professional publications and organizations.

AWARDED TENURE AT RANK OF ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Department of Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies Andy Watts (M.F.A. Columbia University) is an outstanding teacher who can successfully teach across the various film and television programs in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. His creative work as a screenwriter, director, and producer, combined with a 20-year career as a set lighting technician, directly contribute to his efficacy as an educator, mentor, and colleague. He has demonstrated an exemplary level of service to the department, the school, and the college, while maintaining ties to the industry.

AWARDED PROMOTION FROM ASSISTANT TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Department of Biology Rebecca Brady (Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin) is renowned for her creative teaching of such classes as Human Genetics and Fundamentals of Biology, enlivening them with innovative techniques and placing a firm emphasis on students’ intellectual growth. Her scholarship is integrally connected to her teaching—she has contributed to the biology education literature through her published work in American Biology Teacher and is at work on a study of the flipped classroom. She has mentored student research projects that have resulted in public presentations, and her service contributions have students at their core. As examples, she has judged sessions for the Whalen Symposium and she was a member of the Innovation Scholars Program steering committee, helping to give birth to that vital new program in H&S.

Department of Music Performance Daniel Coakwell (D.M.A. Texas Tech University) teaches in the Voice area of the department, and students and peers alike commend his commitment to promoting a learning environment that prioritizes the mental health and well-being of his students. He also enjoys guest teaching artist residencies at institutions such as El Teatro Teresa Carreño in Venezuela, Yale University, and Dartmouth College. He specializes in the Evangelist and tenor roles of J.S. Bach, and he frequently performs the composer’s major oratorios—St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio, and Mass in B-Minor—as well as many of Bach’s cantatas. Recent performances as a tenor soloist include G.T. Handel’s Messiah at the Myerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX, and at the Steinmetz Hall in Orlando, FL, and as tenor soloist of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City and at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salem, OR.

Department of the Environment Paula Turkon (Ph.D. Binghamton University) teaches generously not just in her own department but for programs across the college, including Anthropology and Innovation Scholars. She is known as an exuberant and imaginative instructor, and her students express gratitude for the lifelong impact she leaves on them, often helping them to forge careers in science. Her research in the areas of dendrochronology and aquaponics has resulted in three NSF grants as well as published scholarship. She has left an indelible imprint on H&S by leading a discussion that resulted in a new Innovation Scholars Program with sustainability at its core. Colleagues characterize her as an embodiment of the scholar-teacher ideal in the liberal arts.

Department of Writing Jaime Warburton (M.F.A. Sarah Lawrence College) offers courses at every level of the Writing curriculum, with a focus on first-year writing, poetics, creative writing, and gender. Faculty and students point to her welcoming and passionate approach to instruction, noting that she teaches with humor and vivacity, and she empowers students to interrogate their biases and preconceptions. She is a prolific author of creative nonfiction, poetry, and scholarship on the craft of writing. Reviewers call her work “gorgeous,” “self-aware,” and “self-deprecating.” She has been a generous citizen of IC, directing the Writing Center and the Ithaca Young Writers Institute, and chairing the Faculty Handbook Amendment Committee, among numerous activities.

AWARDED PROMOTION FROM CLINICAL ASSISTANT TO CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Department of Physical Therapy Kayleigh Plumeau (D.P.T. Ithaca College) is a highly effective teacher and has exceptional clinical skills. She launched a novel mentoring program that directly addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical settings. She has had multiple presentations at national conferences including about the mentoring program, representation in clinical education, and growth mindset, with presentations and publications in interprofessional education and home exercise program for cancer survivors. She is the chair of the awards committee for the NY State Physical Therapy Association.

Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Jana Waller (M.S. Ithaca College) has been a clinical faculty member since 2011, serving as fieldwork coordinator, graduate co-chair, and interim chair. Since 2021 she has served as associate dean for the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance. She was selected for a prestigious HERS leadership development fellowship based on her leadership experience. She has conducted clinical research in autism, developing an innovative program for autistic adolescents and adults. More recently, her scholarly work has focused on interprofessional education in the health sciences.

Perspective Highlights Racial Disparities in Firearm-Related Injuries and Deaths

Schenita D. Randolph, PhD, MPH, RN, and Rosa M. Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN, partner with Jay Pearson, PhD, MPH, of Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy in this interprofessional work published in the JAMA Health Forum.

In a perspective published in the JAMA Health Forum, researchers from the Duke University School of Nursing and Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy have shed light on the stark racial inequities that exist in firearm-related injuries and deaths in the United States. The perspective provides a comprehensive analysis of the disproportionate impact of firearm violence on communities of color.

“Racialized violence shows up as a health care issue daily in our homes, schools, and health care systems,” says Rosa M. Gonzalez-Guard, PhD, MPH, RN . “It is the stomach ache that my own children have at home because of the anxiety of going to school because of fear of bullying, a racial slur, or school shooting. It is the child in our local Durham Public Schools’ school that gets into a fight and gets injured and is treated by the school nurse. It is our patient that we are taking care of in the emergency department with a firearm injury. We see the physical, psychological, and social impacts of firearm violence every day.”

The perspective’s findings are alarming, revealing that in 2022, firearm injuries became one of the top five causes of death across the nation. More concerning is the fact that firearm-related fatalities have now surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for individuals under the age of 19. The data indicates a clear racial divide, with American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic or Latino individuals experiencing significantly higher rates of firearm homicide compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts.

“The finding that stands out to me in the area of firearm violence is the drastic disproportionate burden that Black, American Indian, and Latino children face as a result of firearm injury,” remarks Gonzalez-Guarda.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, major U.S. cities saw an exacerbation of these disparities. Black children were found to be 100 times more likely, and Hispanic or Latino children 25 times more likely, to suffer firearm injuries than non-Hispanic White children. These statistics underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the root causes of such inequities.

The Role of Systemic Racism

The Duke University researchers argue that systemic racism plays a central role in perpetuating the cycle of firearm violence in racially minoritized populations. Historical and ongoing forms of structural racism have created conditions that foster interpersonal violence, particularly in urban communities plagued by concentrated poverty.

“Systemic racism and racialized violence can manifest as barriers to accessing equitable healthcare, resulting in disparities in health outcomes, mainly for marginalized communities,” says Schenita D. Randolph, PhD, MPH, RN . “Additionally, the experiences that one may encounter of racism and discrimination where they work, live, and play can have a profound effect on mental, physical, and emotional health, thus contributing to high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. And this is not just what is reported, through my own lived experiences and the experiences of others in my community -- I have seen this play out.”

Economic factors such as unemployment and underemployment, compounded by racial bias in housing, education, and healthcare, have limited access to resources for marginalized communities. This has led to increased exposure to risks, resulting in higher levels of stress, trauma, and ultimately, interpersonal violence.

A Framework for Change

The perspective advocates for a multifaceted approach to combat firearm violence, emphasizing the importance of using an equity lens to implement structural and community-level interventions. It calls for the dismantling of oppressive systems and the promotion of equitable access to high-quality education, housing, and economic opportunities.

“Nurses play a critical role in reducing mortality inequities related to gun violence,” Randolph insists. “They serve as first responders to gun violence providing trauma care and medical attention and they are educators and advocates.”

“Nurse’s first need to recognize that our current day firearm violence crises is rooted in systemic racism and therefore is a racialized public health problem,” adds Gonzalez-Guarda. “Nurses need to recognize that treatment is prevention in this case, and lead practice, programs, policies, and research to support the healing of historically oppressed populations that have experienced historical and current day trauma.” 

By addressing systemic racism and fostering environments where protective factors can thrive, the Duke researchers believe that it is possible to create safer communities for all individuals, irrespective of their racial or ethnic background.

Moving Forward

As the nation grapples with the epidemic of firearm violence, Randolph and Gonzalez-Guarda believe that this perspective serves as a critical reminder of the deep-seated inequities that fuel this public health crisis. It is a call to action for policymakers, community leaders, and healthcare professionals to work collaboratively towards a future where safety and justice are not determined by the color of one’s skin. Randolph and Gonzalez-Guarda demonstrated this need for interprofessional collaboration by teaming up with Jay Pearson, PhD, MPH , of Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

“Nurses are leaders in health care and in addressing inequities,” says Randolph. “In addition to our strengths as leaders, we need other disciplines and collaborators who can offer policy lenses and who have a strong understanding of the racial and systemic contributors that are associated with inequities. Dr. Pearson is an expert in applying theoretical frameworks to systemic structural inequality and its impact in public policy decision-making.”

“It is important to understand the historical, societal, and political influences on health to be best positioned to address it. Working with Dr. Jay Allen Pearson, a social, population health, and political scientist, allowed us to provide a richer more nuanced description of the fundamental systemic causes of firearm violence that helped us make a case to label it as racialized violence,” adds Gonzalez-Guarda.

The full perspective, “Addressing Systemic Racism and Racialized Violence to Reduce Firearm Injury and Mortality Inequities,” is available in the April 4, 2024, issue of the JAMA Health Forum and can be accessed online for a detailed understanding of the findings and proposed interventions.