Public Health and Health Education Faculty and Staff
- Rebecca Pritchard, Undergaduate public health adviser
Wirtz 236, Phone: (815) 753-6328, rpritchard@niu.edu
- Andrea Hein, Teacher certification coordinator
Wirtz 238, Phone: (815) 753-5653, ahein@niu.edu
- Varsie Geisler, Program secretary
Wirtz 235, Phone: (815) 753-1384, vgeisler@niu.edu
- Nailya Almagambetova, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor
Ph.D. (social science), Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
M.A. (public administration), Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Certificate on Health Services Management and Policy, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY Ph.D. (medical clinical sciences), All-Union Endocrinology Research Center, Moscow, Russia M.D., Semipalatinsk Medical State University, Kazakhstan Research Interests: Health care policy, international health care systems, health care disparity and inequality.
- Wendy Bostwick, PhD, MPH, associate professor
B.A. (politics), Ithaca College
M.P.H. (community health sciences), University of Illinois at Chicago
Ph.D. (community health sciences), University of Illinois at Chicago
Teaching Areas: Behavioral and social aspects of health; community needs assessment; research methods
Research Interests: Sexual orientation and health; bisexuality; mental health and substance use among sexual minority women; health effects of stigma and discrimination
- James R. Ciesla, M.H.A., Ph.D., associate professor
B.S. (biology), Wofford College
M.H.A. (health systems management), Tulane University
Ph.D. (health services research), University of South Carolina
Teaching Areas: Health finance and economics and health care issues
Research Interests: Outcome research of substance abuse treatment services
- Sarah (Sally) Conklin, Ph.D., professor and program coordinator B.S. (home economics education), University of Minnesota, St. Paul M.A. (guidance and counseling), College of St. Thomas, St. Paul M.A. (theology and ethics), United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Ph.D. (educational leadership, health and human sexuality), University of Pennsylvania
Teaching Areas: Teacher Certification in Health Education, Sexuality Education
Research Interests: Advocacy for comprehensive sexuality education, youth asset development, cultural competence and social justice regarding diversity and sexual orientation, professional sexuality education of clergy, teachers, and counselors.
- Carolinda Douglass, M.P.A., Ph.D., associate professor
B.S. (family social science), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
M.S. (gerontology), M.P.A. (aging policy), University of Southern California
Ph.D. (health and aging policy), RAND Graduate School, RAND Corp, Santa Monica, CA
Teaching Areas: Health policy/planning and health and aging, grant writing
Research Interests: Health care policy, research methods, and aging issues, dementia care
- Jennifer Gray-Stanley, PhD, MPP, assistant professor
B.A. (government, second major in theology), University of Notre Dame
M.P.P. (Public Policy, certificate in Health Administration & Policy), University of Chicago
Ph.D. (public health, concentration in Gerontology), University of Illinois at Chicago
Research Interests: Long-term care workforce, health promotion behaviors of older adults and people with disabilities, access to health services for persons with disabilities, international comparative analyses of health services systems for people with disabilities
- Arlene Keddie, Ph.D., assistant professor
Ph.D. in epidemiology, University of Texas
M.S.P.H. in international health, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Research Interests: Social epidemiology and health disparities, aging, epidemiologic methods, international health
- Jinsook Kim, PhD, MPH, DDS, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. (Public Health), School of Public Health, UCLA
M.P.H. (Public Health), School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
D.D.S. (Dentistry), Seoul National University, Korea
Teaching Areas: public health programs and issues, program planning, research methods
Research Interests: social ecology of health and health behavior, health disparities, adolescent health and behavior, quality of life of cancer survivors, multilevel statistical modeling
- Daniel Klein, Ph.D., associate professor
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University
Teacher Certification in Health Education
Teaching Areas:
Research Interests:
- Nancy L. LaCursia, Ph.D., assistant professor
B.S., Illinois State University, Normal
M.S., Illinois State University, Normal
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Teaching Areas:
Research Interests: Body image, brain connection to learning and student wellness
- William A. Oleckno, M.P.H., H.S.D., Professor Emeritus
B.S. (public and environmental health), Indiana University School of Medicine
M.P.H. (environmental health), University of Pittsburgh
H.S.D. (health science and public health/environmental health), Indiana University, Bloomington
Teaching Areas: Environmental health and epidemiology
Research Interests: Environmental health and risk assessment; epidemiology of risk-taking and health-related behaviors
- Tomoyuki Shibata, Ph.D., M.Sc. B.Sc. (Health and Hygiene), Azabu University M.Sc. (Environmental Health & Safety), University of Miami Ph.D. [Civil (Environmental Discipline) Engineering], University of Miami Teaching Areas: Research Interests: Environmental/Human Exposure Assessments and Pollution/Accident/Disease Preventions
- Sherilynn F. Spear, M.S.W.,Ph.D., Professor Emerita
B.A. (sociology and English), Alverno College;
M.A. (sociology), Northern Illinois University
M.S.W. (research and administration)
Ph.D. (medical sociology), University of Iowa
Teaching Areas: Research methods
Research Interests: Chemical dependency among adolescents and health services planning in developing countries
- Maribel Valle, M.P.H., Ph.D., assistant professor
B.A. (psychology), Northwestern University
M.P.H (maternal child health), University of Illinois at Chicago
Ph.D. (community health sciences ), University of Illinois at Chicago
Teaching Areas: Community health sciences, prevention and health promotion
Research Interests: HIV/AIDS prevention and the use of technology in delivering prevention interventions
- Ping Yao, Ph.D.
B.S. (Animal Genetics and Breeding), Huazhong Agricultural University
M.S. (Genetics), University of Missouri Ph.D. (Statistics), University of Missouri
Teaching Areas:
Research Interests: Biostatistics, clinical trial, optimal design, sequential estimation, survival analysis, Microarray data analysis and bioinformatics.
