Faculty
Our faculty are dedicated to research and training that advance scientific understanding of behaviors related to health and how to influence them and improve health outcomes.
The Department of Health, Behavior and Society is also fortunate to have distinguished part-time faculty, including leaders in behavioral and social sciences and public health. These faculty teach courses, serve as preceptors, and guide students seeking career counseling.
Lauren Parker, PhD, MPH, examines how home-and-community based supports address the cultural needs of Black and Hispanic caregivers.
Rajiv N. Rimal, PhD, MA, works globally on social and behavior change interventions with a focus on women and children’s nutrition and well-being. He adopts a social norms-based approach to address health inequities in low- and middle-income countries.
Enid Chung Roemer, PhD, studies workplace health promotion programs, examining their impact on health and well-being, healthcare utilization and costs, and productivity.
Debra Roter, DrPH '77, MPH '75, is an expert on patient-provider communication and author of the widely used Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS).
Dominick Shattuck, PhD, MS, is a community psychologist who works on global public health topics including reproductive health, COVID-19, and masculinities and men’s health.
Susan Sherman, PhD '00, MPH, brings harm reduction evidence to inform drug policy and programming in order to reduce overdose deaths and other harms to people who use drugs.
Danetta Hendricks Sloan, PhD, MSW, MA, uses community-based approaches to inform interventions to reduce inequities in palliative and end of life care with partnerships with the Black Church.
Katherine Clegg Smith, PhD, MA, is a sociologist who examines health experiences and health communication, with a research focus on cancer and chronic disease.
Steve Tamplin, MSE, works with low/middle-income countries on leadership programs that enhance policy skills, focusing on reducing tobacco use and resolving related issues.
Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., PhD, MS, is a gerontologist and social epidemiologist with nationally-recognized expertise in minority aging, men’s health, and place-based disparities.
Karin Tobin, PhD ‘04, MHS ’00, is a social and behavioral scientist who studies how social networks and place-based context shape health and inequalities.
Carol Underwood, PhD '93, MA, MA, studies the role of gender, social class, and marginalization in global health outcomes to contribute to the wellbeing of populations.
Brian Weir, PhD ’13, MHS 12, MPH, is an HIV prevention researcher with expertise in study design, analytic methods, and economic evaluation.
Kevin Welding, PhD, MA, is an economist studying corporate influence on public health. His work has supported fiscal and health policy change around the world.
Kate Wright, MPH '17, strives to promote equity, justice, and wellness through research and program development focusing on gender, human rights, and maternal and child health.