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Meet the Dean

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Augusta University welcomed Teresa M. Waters, PhD, as the inaugural dean of the new School of Public Health. Waters, who began in her new role on Aug. 1, 2023, served at the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health as the chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy, Charles T. Wethington Jr. Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences and the Associate Dean for Research.

"I’m honored to serve as the inaugural dean at Augusta University’s proposed School of Public Health and thrilled to work with the exceptional faculty, staff and students who will call the School of Public Health home."

Contact Us

School of Public Health

1120 15th Street
Augusta, GA 30912

706-721-1104

School of Public Health Faculty and Staff

Dean's Administration

photo of JIE CHEN, PHD

JIE CHEN, PHD

  • Associate Dean
  • Academic and Student Affairs
  • Professor
  • Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology

jiechen@augusta.edu

photo of AARON JOHNSON, PHD

AARON JOHNSON, PHD

  • Associate Dean
  • Research and Community Engagement
  • Director
  • Institute for Public and Preventive Health
  • Professor
  • Social and Behavioral Health

jjohnson10@augusta.edu


Department of Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology

photo of SEJONG BAE, PHD

SEJONG BAE, PHD

  • Department Chair
  • Professor

sbae@augusta.edu

photo of STEVE COUGHLIN, PHD, MPH

STEVE COUGHLIN, PHD, MPH

  • Program Director
  • Epidemiology
  • Professor
  • Epidemiology

scoughlin@augusta.edu

photo of HAOCHING DING, PhD

HAOCHING DING, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Biostatistics

hading@augusta.edu

photo of KEVIN DOBBIN, PHD

KEVIN DOBBIN, PHD

  • Associate Professor
  • Biostatistics

kdobbin@augusta.edu

photo of PHILIPPE GAILLARD, PHD

PHILIPPE GAILLARD, PHD

  • Director
  • Statistical Consulting Center
  • Associate Professor
  • Biostatistics

pgaillard@augusta.edu

photo of SANTU GHOSH, PHD

SANTU GHOSH, PHD

  • Associate Professor
  • Biostatistics

sghosh@augusta.edu

photo of HANWEN HUANG, PHD

HANWEN HUANG, PHD

  • Associate Professor
  • Biostatistics

hhuang1@augusta.edu

photo of K.M. ISLAM, PHD

K.M. ISLAM, PHD

  • Professor
  • Epidemiology

kislam@augusta.edu

photo of BAN MAJEED, PHD, MPH

BAN MAJEED, PHD, MPH

  • Associate Professor
  • Epidemiology

bmajeed@augusta.edu

photo of LORRIANE ODHIAMBO, PHD, MPH

LORRIANE ODHIAMBO, PHD, MPH

  • Assistant Professor
  • Epidemiology

lodhiambo@augusta.edu

photo of IMRAN PARVEZ, PHD

IMRAN PARVEZ, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Biostatistics

iparvez@augusta.edu

photo of DUSTIN PLUTA, PHD

DUSTIN PLUTA, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Biostatistics

dpluta@augusta.edu

photo of YOON HO SEOL, PHD

YOON HO SEOL, PHD

  • Associate Professor
  • Public Health Informatics

yseol@augusta.edu

photo of KATHRYN SINHA, PHD

KATHRYN SINHA, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Biostatistics

kmcdona3@augusta.edu

photo of HONGYAN (NATHAN) XU, PHD

HONGYAN (NATHAN) XU, PHD

  • Program Director
  • Master of Science in Data Science
  • Professor
  • Genomics, Data Science, and Biostatistics

hxu@augusta.edu


Biostatistics and Epidemiology Emeritus Professors
photo of VARGHESE GEORGE, PHD

VARGHESE GEORGE, PHD

  • Professor and Chair Emeritus
photo of STEPHEN LOONEY, PHD

STEPHEN LOONEY, PHD

  • Professor Emeritus
photo of WILLIAM O. THOMPSON, PHD

WILLIAM O. THOMPSON, PHD

  • Professor Emeritus
photo of JENNIFER WALLER, PHD

JENNIFER WALLER, PHD

  • Professor Emerita

Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy

photo of GIANLUCA DE LEO, PHD, MBA

GIANLUCA DE LEO, PHD, MBA

  • Department Chair
  • Professor
  • Health Management/Digital Health

(706) 721-8792

gdeleo@augusta.edu

photo of RAPHAEL AGBALI, PHD, MPH

RAPHAEL AGBALI, PHD, MPH

  • Assistant Professor
  • Health Promotion

ragbali@augusta.edu

photo of BENJAMIN ANSA, PHD

BENJAMIN ANSA, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Chronic Disease Prevention and Control

bansa@augusta.edu

photo of ANDREW BALAS, MD, PHD

ANDREW BALAS, MD, PHD

  • Professor
  • Public Health Impact of Biomedical Research

andrew.balas@augusta.edu

photo of Catherine Clary, JD

Catherine Clary, JD

  • Director
  • Center for Rural Health
  • Assistant Professor

cclary@augusta.edu

photo of NICHOLAS COLGROVE, PHD

NICHOLAS COLGROVE, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Bioethics

ncolgrove@augusta.edu

photo of BIPLAB DATTA, PHD

BIPLAB DATTA, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Global Health and Health Disparities

bdatta@augusta.edu

photo of JEFFREY GORDON, PHD

JEFFREY GORDON, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Health Informatics

jefgordon@augusta.edu

photo of HUANG HUANG, PHD, LLB, LLM

HUANG HUANG, PHD, LLB, LLM

  • Assistant Professor
  • Health Services Administration

huhuang@augusta.edu

photo of VAHÉ HEBOYAN, PHD

VAHÉ HEBOYAN, PHD

  • Director
  • Health and Behavioral Economics Research Lab
  • Associate Professor
  • Health Economics and Policy

vheboyan@augusta.edu

photo of TRAN NGUYEN, DPH, MPH

TRAN NGUYEN, DPH, MPH

  • Associate Professor
  • Public Health Leadership and Informatics

trnguyen@augusta.edu

photo of JEANE SILVA, PHD, EdS, EdD, MPA, MB(ASCP)CM

JEANE SILVA, PHD, EdS, EdD, MPA, MB(ASCP)CM

  • Associate Professor
  • Molecular Diagnostics

jsilva@augusta.edu

photo of DUSTIN TRACY, PHD

DUSTIN TRACY, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Health Economics and Policy

jtracy@augusta.edu


Department of Community and Behavioral Health Sciences

photo of MICHAEL VITACCO, PHD

MICHAEL VITACCO, PHD

  • Interim Department Chair
  • Professor
  • Forensic Psychology

mvitacco@augusta.edu

photo of TEAL W. BENEVIDES, PHD, OTR/L, FAOTA

TEAL W. BENEVIDES, PHD, OTR/L, FAOTA

  • Associate Professor
  • Autism and Related Developmental Conditions

tbenevides@augusta.edu

photo of BRETT BURROWS, PHD

BRETT BURROWS, PHD

  • Assistant Professor

bburrows@augusta.edu

photo of DEBORAH JEHU, PHD

DEBORAH JEHU, PHD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Fall Prevention

djehu@augusta.edu

photo of ASHWINI PANDEY, PHD, MPH

ASHWINI PANDEY, PHD, MPH

  • Assistant Professor
  • Health Promotion and Behavior

ashpandey@augusta.edu

photo of NICOLE PERITORE, PHD

NICOLE PERITORE, PHD

  • Associate Professor
  • Health Promotion

nperitore@augusta.edu

photo of J. PAUL SEALE, MD

J. PAUL SEALE, MD

  • Professor
  • Social and Behavioral Health

jseale@augusta.edu

photo of JESSICA LYNN STEWART, PHD, MPH

JESSICA LYNN STEWART, PHD, MPH

  • Assistant Professor
  • Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities

jesstewart@augusta.edu

photo of LAUREN VON KLINGGRAEFF, PHD, MPH

LAUREN VON KLINGGRAEFF, PHD, MPH

  • Assistant Professor
  • Behavioral Health

lvonklinggraeff@augusta.edu


Research Staff

photo of YARA ABDELGAWAD, DPH, MPH

YARA ABDELGAWAD, DPH, MPH

  • Research Associate

yabdelgawad@augusta.edu

photo of WENDY BURNETT, PHD

WENDY BURNETT, PHD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

weburnett@augusta.edu

photo of NATALIA CANTET, PHD

NATALIA CANTET, PHD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

mcantet@augusta.edu

photo of SHERAJUM MONIRA FARIN, PHD

SHERAJUM MONIRA FARIN, PHD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

sfarin@augusta.edu

photo of KATHERINE HATCHER

KATHERINE HATCHER

  • Research Manager

khatcher@augusta.edu

photo of ZACH HOFFMAN

ZACH HOFFMAN

  • Research Associate

zhoffma1@augusta.edu

photo of JENNIFER JAREMSKI

JENNIFER JAREMSKI

  • Research Associate

jjaremski@augusta.edu

photo of CORBIN LUTIER

CORBIN LUTIER

  • Research Assistant

clutier@augusta.edu

photo of AMY SZOKA

AMY SZOKA

  • Project Coordinator

aszoka@augusta.edu

photo of CHRISTOPHER TURNER

CHRISTOPHER TURNER

  • Systems Analyst

chrturner@augusta.edu

photo of SEAN WHEELIN

SEAN WHEELIN

  • Grant Development Specialist

swheelin@augusta.edu

photo of KIT WOOTTEN

KIT WOOTTEN

  • Public Health Analyst

rwootten@augusta.edu

 

Administrative Staff

photo of COURTNEY BENTLEY

COURTNEY BENTLEY

  • Business Operations Specialist

cobentley@augusta.edu

photo of SHANNON DAYTON

SHANNON DAYTON

  • Administrative Assistant

sdayton@augusta.edu

photo of KIMBERLY DYCHES

KIMBERLY DYCHES

  • Program Coordinator

kidyches@augusta.edu

photo of SARAH JANE ELLAISSI SMITH

SARAH JANE ELLAISSI SMITH

  • Administrative Assistant

sellaissi@augusta.edu

photo of STEPHEN FIELDS

STEPHEN FIELDS

  • Program Coordinator

stfields@augusta.edu

photo of NICOLE JENKINS

NICOLE JENKINS

  • Administrative Assistant

njenkins1@augusta.edu

photo of RAY LEBLANC, PHD

RAY LEBLANC, PHD

  • Accreditation Assessment Manager

rleblanc@augusta.edu

photo of SHEILA MAY

SHEILA MAY

  • Business Manager

shmay@augusta.edu

photo of SHEILA MAYS

SHEILA MAYS

  • Assistant to the Dean

smays@augusta.edu

photo of NICHOLAS TARVER

NICHOLAS TARVER

  • Manager of Financial Operations

ntarver@augusta.edu

photo of ALEXA VERO

ALEXA VERO

  • Student Engagement and Success Advisor

AVERO@augusta.edu

photo of BOBBIE WILLCOX

BOBBIE WILLCOX

  • Director of Finance and Administration

bwillcox@augusta.edu


 

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