Golden named vice chair of Department of Health Behavior
September 8, 2020
Dr. Shelley Golden
Shelley Golden, PhD, associate professor of health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, was named vice chair for academic affairs in the School’s Department of Health Behavior. The appointment became effective September 1.
In this role, Golden will work closely with the chair, academic affairs staff and concentration/program directors to ensure effective operations of the department’s training programs. She succeeds Suzanne Maman, PhD, who recently was named the School’s new associate dean for global health.
Golden earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 and went on to earn a doctoral degree in public policy from UNC in 2013. She first joined the health behavior department as a lecturer in 2003 and later returned as an assistant professor in 2013. Her research focus is assessing the role that economic and social welfare public policies have on health-related behaviors, with a particular emphasis on tobacco and alcohol use.
Golden currently teaches Understanding Public Health Issues (SPHG 713) and Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations of Health Behavior (HBEH 816). During her time at UNC, she also has taught Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health (HBEH 600) and an elective course focused on social determinants of health. She also has served as the faculty mentor for six Capstone teams. She currently leads the department’s doctoral admissions committee and is involved in curriculum development through the departmental doctoral advisory committee. Golden also is a member of the School’s MPH core curriculum team and comprehensive exams committee. She is a founding member of the Health Behavior Equity Task Force.
“I am very excited that Dr. Golden will join our leadership team,” said health behavior chair Kurt M. Ribisl, PhD. “She is an outstanding scientist and excellent mentor to our students. She knows our curriculum and program intimately and will help us navigate the development of a new BSPH program in Community and Global Health. Her leadership will continue to move our department forward as we grow and enhance our academic programs across the Gillings School.”
“I have had the honor and privilege of teaching all of the master’s and doctoral students in our department,” Golden shared. “I am inspired by their passion for improving health and appreciative of their demands for equity-focused systems change. By serving the department as the next vice chair of academic affairs, I look forward to supporting the mentorship and growth of the next generation of health behavior practitioners and researchers. I am so fortunate to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Maman, who I consider an incredible role model for steady leadership through major transitions and uncertain times.”
Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomms@unc.edu.
