Newsmakers

Natalie McGill

Allison named fellow of Gerontological Society of America

APHA member David Allison, PhD, in July was named a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America in the group’s Biological Sciences Section. Allison is an associate dean for science at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Public Health.

Gable named associate dean at Michigan law school

APHA member Lance Gable, JD, MPH, in June was named an associate dean for academic affairs at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Gable previously served as an interim associate dean since June 2013 and as a senior fellow at the Centers for Law and the Public’s Health.

Wendel named associate dean at Kentucky school

APHA member Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA, in June was named associate dean for public health practice and associate professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. Wendel previously served as director of the Center for Community Health Development at Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health.

Buehler named Philadelphia’s health commissioner

James Buehler, MD, in June was appointed the city of Philadelphia’s new health commissioner. Buehler is a professor at Drexel University’s School of Public Health’s Department of Health Management. He previously served as a senior scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service.

Coderre appointed senior advisor at SAMHSA

Tom Coderre in August began his new role as senior advisor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Coderre, who will work on issues such as substance abuse prevention and treatment, previously served as chief of staff to Rhode Island Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed. Coderre is also a former board chair for the Rhode Island Communities for Addiction Recovery Efforts.

Dion named senior fellow at policy research group

Robin Dion, MA, in July was named a senior fellow for Mathematica Policy Research. Dion directs the Parents and Children Together and the Marriage Local Evaluation and Cross-Site Project for the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.

Haywood named new president of biology research group

Joseph Haywood, PhD, in July became the new president of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. He has previously served as the federation’s vice president for science policy and as chair of its animal care and experimentation and public affairs committees. Haywood is the professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, as well as the university’s assistant vice president for regulatory affairs.

Kaplan named new chief science officer

Robert Kaplan, PhD, MA, in May was named the new chief science officer for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Kaplan previously served as director of the National Institutes of Health’s Office for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and as NIH’s associate director for behavioral and social sciences. In his new role, Kaplan will provide science-based guidance for the agency’s research.

Newman named endowed chair at Pittsburgh school

Anne Newman, MD, MPH, in June was named the first Katherine M. Detre endowed chair of population health science at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Newman is chair of the school’s Department of Epidemiology and director of the school’s Center for Aging and Population Health. The endowed chair position was named for Detre, founder of the School of Public Health’s Epidemiology Data Center.

Three local health departments receive NACCHO honor

The National Association of County and City Health Officials awarded three local health departments of varying sizes the Local Health Department of the Year Award. The Chicago Department of Public Health in Chicago was honored for its policy work in reducing youth use of menthol-flavored cigarettes. The Macon County Health Department in Franklin, North Carolina, was awarded for establishing a policy regulating tobacco use outdoors. The Whatcom County Health Department in Bellingham, Washington, received an award for providing housing and support services to homeless veterans.