UNC School of Public Health Adds To Dean's Leadership Team

Photograph of Barbara K. Rimer, DrPH

Barbara K. Rimer, DrPH, Dean of the School of Public Health

at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has added several faculty and staff members to her leadership team. Rimer became dean June 1.The additions are Peggy Leatt, PhD, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs; Edwin Fisher, PhD, chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education; Brenda Motsinger, MS, DrPH, Research Associate; and Ramona DuBose, BA, Director of Communications. Additionally, Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD, has taken on expanded responsibilities in his role as Associate Dean for Research.

“We are very fortunate in our School to have a strong, experienced group of nationally-recognized leaders working together to make our academic and research programs even more effective for our students, faculty and staff,” Rimer said. “Their leadership drives our research, teaching and service to the people in North Carolina and around the world who look to us to help protect and preserve their health.”

Photograph of Peggy Leatt, PhD

Peggy Leatt, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Administration, was chosen as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, succeeding Kerry Kilpatrick, PhD. Dr. Leatt will oversee the School’s academic programs, the Appointment, Promotions and Tenure committee, and the School’s representation on a number of university-wide committees and professional associations, including the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) and the College on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Over the next three years, Leatt will prepare self-study documentation for submission to CEPH and work to ensure that the School of Public Health meets the newly revised criteria for accreditation.

“Dr. Leatt is an ideal person to serve as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs,” Rimer said. “She has more than 20 years of academic experience and is committed to enhancing the quality of our already-distinguished academic program.”

Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD

Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD , who until recently also served as chair of the Department of Nutrition, will expand his longstanding role as Associate Dean for Research. Zeisel is Kenan Distinguished University Professor of Nutrition and Pediatrics as well as director of the UNC-Chapel Hill Clinical Nutrition Research Center.

As Associate Dean for Research, Zeisel oversees the Office of Research, which enhances the school-wide research infrastructure by providing support to faculty throughout the grant process. The Office of Research alerts faculty to new funding opportunities, administers an annual grant-writing workshop, offers grant preparation and editing services, and organizes special events focused on research, such as a public seminar entitled “Why Grants Fail” and the Conversational Living Room series, a forum for student and faculty discussions about research efforts.

Zeisel also chairs the Research Council, a group of faculty representatives that addresses research issues affecting the School of Public Health.

“Dr. Zeisel is a brilliant scientist and science strategist who has helped many junior faculty build successful research careers,” Rimer observed. “Federal support for research will probably decrease over the next few years. Dr. Zeisel’s efforts will be critical if we are to continue to be research leaders.”

Brenda Motsinger will begin her job Nov. 1. As Research Associate, Motsinger will work with the Dean and other School leaders on a variety of science projects and communicate with health experts both within and outside the university to analyze available data and generate reports and other documents for a variety of audiences. She also will write literature reviews and syntheses, help design and develop parts of grant proposals, analyze health information and communicate with health experts both within and outside the university. Working with other members of the Dean’s leadership team, she will plan and implement strategic initiatives designed to enhance the quality and reputation of the research and academic programs at the School of Public Health.

Motsinger joined the School from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, where she was Injury and Violence Prevention Branch Head of the Chronic Disease & Injury Section of the Division of Public Health. She also is a visiting scientist in the Behavioral Research Program at the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. A Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian, she has more than 25 years of experience in professional health care and public health, including public health practice and administration, personal health care services and research.

“I am so delighted that Brenda Motsinger will be joining us,” Rimer said. “She has an outstanding track record of leadership in North Carolina. Having her on our team will enable us to develop even closer working relationships with the public health community in our state.”

Photograph of Ramona DuBose

Ramona DuBose , as the School’s new Director of Communications, works with the dean to relay news about the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health, which U.S. News & World Report ranks as first among public universities. DuBose serves as the media contact for those seeking an expert in a particular public health issue and distributes information within the School, in the community and across the U.S., including news about major grant awards, research findings, and new programs and classes.

Working with Instructional and Information Systems, DuBose is managing the update and redesign of the School’s Web site. She and her staff also are responsible for overseeing the production of the School’s publications and for producing and distributing news releases related to School programs and the activities of faculty, staff and students. She is an experienced media trainer and crisis communicator. DuBose came to the School after spending 14 years in communications at what is now GlaxoSmithKline. Before that, she was a newspaper reporter and editor for the Raleigh Times, Wichita Eagle and Charlotte Observer newspapers.

“Ms. DuBose was a wonderful addition to our School,” Rimer said. “She comes with a terrific blend of experience both in journalism and the private sector.”

Other members of the Dean’s Leadership Team include: ” Associate Dean for Executive Education – Janet Porter, PhD ” Associate Dean for Global Health – Margaret “Peggy” Bentley, PhD ” Associate Dean for Students – Aundra Shields, JD ” Associate Dean for Administration – Rebecca Mabe, BSBA, MAC, CPA ” Associate Dean for External Affairs – Charlotte Parks, MA ” Director of Instructional and Information Systems (IIS) – Dave Potenziani, PhD ” Director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, Edward L. Baker, Jr., MD, MPH, MSc.

In addition, the School is searching for chairs of several departments, including Biostatistics, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Epidemiology and Nutrition.

Photograph of Edwin B. Fisher, PhD

Edwin B. Fisher, PhD , recently has been named chair of the Health Behavior and Health Education department after working at Washington University in St. Louis as a professor of Psychology, Medicine and Pediatrics. Fisher also serves as president of the Society of the Behavioral Medicine and national director of the Diabetes Initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Dr. Fisher has had a distinguished career as a teacher and scholar whose research has been notable for its breadth and depth,” Rimer said. “He is a national leader in health behavior, as shown by his recent election to President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. He has a strong track record of interdisciplinary collaboration, and he will strengthen further our connections to other schools within UNC and beyond. He is a great addition to our leadership team.”

Photograph of June Stevens, PhD, MS, RD

June Stevens, PhD, MS, RD , has been named interim chair of the Department of Nutrition. Dr. Stevens is a nutrition epidemiologist with a large research program focusing on the causes, consequences, and prevention of obesity in different populations. She has special interests in minority health, anthropometry, and physical activity. Through her work at the Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center, she has access to obesity-related information from several large, multi-center studies. Dr. Stevens is a member of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology, the North American Society for the Study of Obesity, the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) and the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Dr. Stevens is currently Vice President for Scientific Affairs of the IASO. She serves as a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the American Journal of Epidemiology, Obesity Research, and the International Journal of Obesity as well as several other journals.

For more information on the Carolina School of Public Health and its faculty, staff and students, please visit http://www.sph.unc.edu.

For further information please contact Director of Communications Ramona DuBose either by phone at 919-966-7467 or by e-mail at ramona_dubose@unc.edu.