SPH Faculty Members Named to Interim Leadership Positions

ATLANTA—School of Public Health faculty members with exemplary records of teaching, research and service have been named to interim leadership positions.

Associate Professor Roby Greenwald has been named interim Chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences, and Claire Spears has been named interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In addition, Professor Ruiyan Luo has agreed to serve as Interim MPH Program Director for the Department of Population Health Sciences, and Distinguished University Professor Dan Whitaker is overseeing faculty affairs on an interim basis.

“I am grateful to our faculty for their willingness to take on critical leadership roles as our school makes progress toward its strategic plan goals in instruction, research and community engagement,” said Dean Rodney Lyn. “They underscore the depth of talent and dedication that set our school apart.”

Greenwald, whose appointment is effective October 1, most recently served as MPH Program Director for the Department of Population Health Sciences and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Public Health. His research, which has been funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., focuses on measuring the ways in which air pollution influences human health.

He succeeds Professor Matt Hayat, who previously announced that he would return to the faculty full-time after completing his term as Chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences. During his time as chair, he supported the recruitment of several faculty members and facilitated collaboration within the SPH and across campus.

Also effective October 1, Professor Ruiyan Luo has agreed to serve as Interim MPH Program Director for the Department of Population Health Sciences. Luo has been with SPH since 2012 and represents the school as a member of the GSU Faculty Senate, serving on committees for academic programs, budget and nomination.

Spears, who assumed her interim role on July 1, has chaired the SPH’s Academic Affairs Committee, serves on its Research Committee and co-chaired the school’s Student Success Curriculum Committee. In her new role, she provides strategic oversight and management across academic affairs.

In addition, Dan Whitaker, who serves as Associate Dean for Research, has assumed oversight for faculty affairs on an interim basis, working closely with Associate Professor Lisa Casanova in her role as Faculty Development Associate.

Spears succeeds Professor Katherine Masyn, who led the school in key initiatives, including envisioning and establishing the Office of Applied Practice Experiences and Career Services and the school’s inaugural Faculty Development Associate position.