Purdue adds 11 faculty in public health, equity push

Staff reports
·2 min read

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Eleven new faculty members at Purdue are part of a strategic hiring effort to expand the university's focus in public health and health equity, according to a recent announcement, while also diversifying the racial makeup of its faculty.

The new faculty members represent six departments in the colleges of Health and Human Sciences and Pharmacy and Libraries and School of Information Studies.

“This cadre of outstanding new Boilermaker faculty members will strengthen our growing public health impact and drive Purdue’s research, teaching and engagement excellence in public health and health equity,” said Marion Underwood, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, in the release.

The "cluster hire proposal," developed by Underwood, is part of a $75 million effort by the Equity Task Force and Purdue Board of Trustees was designed to bring diverse scholars to Purdue, said John Gates, Purdue vice provost for diversity and inclusion in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.

“Hiring these excellent scholars is a significant step in response to our call to become a more diverse campus. We know a more diverse faculty and student body lifts the research and learning enterprise of our entire university,” Gates said.

The 11 faculty members beginning their Boilermaker academic careers this fall are:

  • College of Health and Human Sciences/Department of Human Development and Family Studies: Paul Robbins (Duke University).

  • HHS/Nursing: Haocen Wang (Texas A&M University) and Soojung Jo (Arizona State University).

  • HHS/Nutrition Science: Patricia Wolf (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign).

  • HHS/Public Health: Shandey Malcolm (National Epidemiologist of Turks and Caicos), Carlos Mahaffey (Oklahoma State University), Afsan Bhadelia (Harvard School of Public Health) and Bukola Usidame (University of Michigan).

  • Libraries and School of Information Studies: Andrea Hayes (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences).

  • Pharmacy/Pharmacy Practice: Faria Chaudhry (St. Joseph Health System) and Michael Preston (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences).

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue adds 11 faculty in public health, equity push