story by Homma Rafi
Director of Communications, School of Public Health
ATLANTA, Ga. —Monica Swahn, Distinguished University Professor in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University, has been named dean of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University (KSU), effective March 1.
Swahn previously was associate vice president for research and associate dean for research in Georgia State’s College of Health and Human Sciences. Prior to joining Georgia State, she spent 10 years in several positions within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including the Office of the Chief Science Officer.
“Dr. Swahn is an immensely talented and accomplished scholar and administrator. We are sad to see her go but recognize that this is an exciting career opportunity for her,” said Dr. Rodney Lyn, interim dean in the School of Public Health. “I am sure that Dr. Swahn will lead the Wellstar College to new heights. We wish her the very best and look forward to identifying opportunities to collaborate across institutions.”
Swahn will be the chief academic and administrative officer for the Wellstar College with responsibility for strategic planning, academic program development and fundraising. She will report to the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
“An internationally renowned scholar, Dr. Swahn’s experience and leadership in the area of research combined with her administrative knowledge, makes her the ideal person to lead the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services,” said KSU President Pamela Whitten. “I'm confident that her expertise and vision for the College will create even more opportunities for our students and faculty, and will further enhance our external partnerships.”
Swahn was a Fulbright Scholar for the sub-Saharan HIV program in Uganda and previously was the associate director for research for the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University. Her main research areas pertain to health risk behaviors and disparities among adolescents and young adults.
She is involved in several research projects, including examining the role of alcohol policies in homicide and suicide in the U.S., examining alcohol use and treatment outcomes for breast cancer among women in Nigeria, assessing the structural drivers of sexual violence among freshmen in Georgia and developing a social norms campaign to reduce and delay underage drinking and alcohol-related HIV transmissions in East Africa. Swahn has published more than 100 scientific reports and her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the CDC and the World Health Organization.
She holds a Ph.D. in epidemiology, a master’s degree in public health and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.