Public Health and Health Education Faculty and Staff
- Elizabeth Bormann, Undergaduate public health adviser
Wirtz 236, Phone: (815) 753-6328, ebormann@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
- 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., program coordinator and associate professor
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Teacher Certification in Health Education
Research Interests: Advocacy for comprehensive sexuality education, youth asset development, 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
- 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, Ph.D., D.D.S., assistant professor
D.D.S. (Dentistry) Seoul National University
M.P.H. Johns Hopkins University
Ph.D. UCLA
Teaching Areas:
Research Interests: Social ecology of health and health behavior, health disparities, adolescent health and behavior, substance use, inequality in access to health care, 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
- Angela M. Odoms -Young, Ph.D., assistant professor
B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
M.S., Ph.D., Cornell University
Teaching Areas: Health promotion and education
Research Interests: Race, poverty and health, community-based research, obesity prevention and management, minority health
- 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
- 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
