Engaging and Preparing Health Education and Promotion Professionals

Keely Rees, PhD, MCHES, has joined the College of Public Health (CPH) at the University of Kentucky as the new Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Advancement. With a strong passion for professional development and mentorship, she is dedicated to creating an environment where faculty and staff feel supported. In this role, Dr. Rees will focus on strengthening professional growth opportunities through mentorship, leadership training, and strategic initiatives that enhance career advancement. By working closely with the Dean’s team, she aims to align policies and resources that foster a collaborative workplace while ensuring faculty and staff have the tools needed to excel.

Before joining CPH, Dr. Rees spent over two decades at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where she led programs in public health education and healthcare administration. She also taught at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the University of New Mexico. She earned her Ph.D. in Community Health Education from the University of New Mexico, an M.S. in Exercise Physiology and Health Behavior from South Dakota State University, and a B.A. in Health Education from the University of Minnesota Morris.

Dr. Bensley is a professor of public health at Western Michigan University. He has numerous years of experience working with populations through grant-funded program development, implementation, evaluation, and research related activities. He has served as the Project Director on 275 externally funded contracts, totaling over $16 million, most of which support the development and implementation of technology-based behavior change programming. Over the past year, Dr. Bensley has been heavily involved with COVID-19 related activities, including serving on university academic planning, back to work, and contingency planning committees; coordinating student contact tracing; sponsoring the COVID Student Coalition; serving as PI on a CDC mask wearing surveillance project; volunteering at a COVID vaccine clinic; and leading the project described in this presentation.

Rebekah Bensley will be receiving her BS in Public Health and Sociology spring 2021. She is the previous president of the Gamma Mu Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma and current student representative for the Great Lakes Chapter of SOPHE.

Jessica Graber is a recent Public Health graduate from Western Michigan University currently working in WMU's Office of Health Promotion and Education to prevent sexual violence among WMU's campus. Her roles include being a program coordinator for Gentlemen United, an organization that supports men against sexual violence, as well as a campaign advisor, and the current coordinator for a bystander intervention program. She has also partnered as the social media advisor for WMU's student COVID coalition. She is working to network, connect, educate, and improve the wellbeing of the campus community."

Zena Hamdan is an adjunct professor of Public Health at Capella University. Her research interests focus on health and educational disparities among minority groups. In addition, Dr. Hamdan serves as a doctoral committee member and as a mentor at Capella.

Amy Wotring is an assistant professor of Public Health at Indiana State University. Her research interests focus on aging, organ donation, death and dying, college health, and stress management. Dr. Wotring is very active with the Alzheimer's Association in Terre Haute, Indiana. She serves as the Team Retention Committee Chair. Dr. Wotring is very passionate about teaching and loves serving in the community.

Dr. Gwendolyn Francavillo is an experienced, tenured Associate Professor and Department Chair of Health and Human Performance at Marymount University (near Washington, DC). She has taught and conducted research at universities for 22 years with expertise in wellness, stress management, holistic techniques, sexuality, global health, and public health ethics. She has an interactive teaching approach to make any topic fun and engaging! One of Dr. Francavillo?s professional endeavors is to establish an interest among her students in research methods and theoretical foundation. Her true passions are teaching yoga to varied populations for over 20 years (which she feels can change people?s lives and create world peace!), traveling, and photography of life around us. Dr. Francavillo has a PhD and Master?s degree in Public Health, and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. She has received funding, published findings, and presented at national conferences. Dr. Francavillo feels her calling is to help others embrace positivity, feel empowered to take responsibility for their own health, and be the best selves they can be