Department of Public Health

The Department Office is located on the 5th Floor of the Student and Faculty Support (SF) building, Room 502.

Open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Dept. Phone: (510) 885-3481

Faculty

Professor

Oscar Wambuguh, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Associate Professors

Alina Engelman, Dr.P.H. University of California, Berkeley

Ryan Gamba, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Chandrakala Ganesh, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University

Nidhi Khosla, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University

Juleen Lam, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University

Arnab Mukherjea (Chair), Dr.P.H. University of California, Berkeley

Michael Stanton, Ph.D. Duke University

Assistant Professors

Lindsey Grubbs, Ph.D. Emory University

Andrew Kelly, Ph.D. Northwestern University

Nicholas Lam, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Maria Livaudais, Ph.D. University of New Mexico

Kelsi Perttula, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Michael Schmeltz, Dr.P.H. City University of New York, Graduate Center

Mary (Kristina) Wharton, Ph.D. Tulane University

Department Statement

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of public health and healthcare has never been more clear. Given the pervasive and systemic health inequities that influence the US healthcare and public health systems, the need to focus on health equity is also clear. The Department of Public Health is committed to training students to tackle the public health challenges of these critical moments. The Department of Public Health welcomes students interested in careers in this fast-growing and critical area.

Myriad social determinants influence the health and well-being of populations. Within a framework of social justice, it is imperative that disparities in preventable disease, disability, and death among vulnerable and disadvantaged populations be comprehensively understood and proactively addressed.  The Department stresses a critical and progressive approach to identifying root causes of adverse health, including the role of a dynamic physical and political environment and is committed to students engaging in the development of strategies to promote health equity from multiple levels and perspectives. 

Mission

Working together to improve the health of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, and beyond through teaching, research, and service.

Vision

We work for a future where:

The students in the Department of Public Health at Cal State East Bay are committed to tackling the health challenges facing the communities of the East Bay and California, to eliminating health disparities, and to creating resilient communities. The program students are change agents driving improvements in health across the East Bay.

The majors in the Department emphasizes public health and environmental health. Rooted in principles of solidarity, health equity, and social justice, the program values an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes teamwork, problem solving, adaptability, ethics and strong evidence-based practice.

The Department of Public Health is an active and integral part of both the University and the East Bay communities with strong relationships to community organizations, hospitals, medical centers, and health departments. The Department is a leader in the institutional focus of Cal State East Bay on health and health-related programs and is a critical part of the mission of Cal State East Bay. It is nationally-recognized for its innovations in pedagogy and curriculum, and its faculty are active in their respective fields of research with work appearing in a wide range of publications.

The Department’s alumni are leaders and pioneers in their fields and work across all sectors in health and public health. They are adaptable to the changing demands of their fields and are lifelong learners. They take pride in their alma mater and are active donors and volunteers  to the program, helping to build a resilient program that is a key part of the health of the East Bay and California.

About the Department

Faculty in the Department of Public Health are committed scholars and teachers who are passionate about health and bringing current issues into the classroom. They value interdisciplinarity and have backgrounds in public health, epidemiology, community health, law, political science, environmental health, biology, ethics, humanities, and the social sciences.

The Department emphasizes teamwork, real-world problem-solving, addressing health inequities, and the health effects of shifting physical, social, and political environments that impact human health. Rooted in principles of solidarity, health equity, and social justice, the program values an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes teamwork, problem solving, adaptability, ethics and strong evidence-based practice

The Department also emphasizes problem-based learning which is core to its approach. The Department’s goal is to help students develop critical thinking skills, team work, and strong problem-solving skills rooted in a population perspective.

Visit the Public Health website for more detailed information about the Department and advising.

Programs

• Health Sciences, B.S.
• Health Sciences, B.S.: Health Policy Concentration
• Public Health, B.S.

Courses

• PH 100 - First Year Seminar in Health Sciences
• PH 110 - Introduction to Health Systems & Social Determinants of Health
• PH 115 - Human Health and Wellness
• PH 130 - Health Humanities
• PH 206 - Public Health Informatics and Technology
• PH 250 - Health Disparities and Health Equity
• PH 270 - Investigating Disease Outbreaks and Epidemics
• PH 300 - Environmental Health
• PH 306 - Public Health Informatics: The Role of Data
• PH 310 - Community Engaged Health Promotion
• PH 315 - Public Health
• PH 323 - Plagues, Peoples, and Populations
• PH 325 - Health Care Payment Systems
• PH 327 - Genes and Human Health
• PH 330 - Epidemiology
• PH 335 - Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device Policy
• PH 340 - Climate Change, Health, and Equity
• PH 345 - Aging and Long Term Care
• PH 350 - Health Behavior and Health Education Theory
• PH 355 - Bioethics
• PH 360 - Health Law
• PH 362 - Environmental Health Policy
• PH 365 - Mental Health and Policy
• PH 370 - Health Economics and Public Policy
• PH 375 - Program Planning and Evaluation
• PH 380 - Health Regulation
• PH 385 - Vector Control
• PH 390 - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Communities and Health
• PH 398 - Internship
• PH 400 - Health Policy Research and Analysis
• PH 405 - Toxicology
• PH 410 - Qualitative Methods in the Health Sciences
• PH 415 - Introduction to Environmental Risk Assessment
• PH 420 - Occupational Health
• PH 423 - Homelessness, Urban Poverty, and Health
• PH 435 - Life Course Perspective on Health
• PH 440 - Global Health and Disability
• PH 445 - HIV/AIDS in a Global Context
• PH 450 - Health Communication
• PH 455 - Management and Employment Issues in the Health Professions
• PH 460 - Emergency Preparedness and Response
• PH 465 - Health Data and Information Management
• PH 470 - Health and The Built Environment
• PH 480 - State and Local Health Systems
• PH 485 - Applications of Research Methods in Public Health
• PH 490 - Independent Study
• PH 497 - Issues in Health Sciences
• PH 498 - Internship
• PH 499 - Capstone in Health Sciences
• PH 499B - Capstone in Public Health Interventions
• PH 499C - Capstone in Health Policy