Abazeed named officer
APHA member Ali Abazeed, MPH, MPP, was appointed chief public health officer for the city of Detroit in March. Abazeed previously served as chief public health officer for the Dearborn Department of Public Health in Michigan, where he was the department's founding director.
Maman named chair
APHA member Suzanne Maman, PhD, was named chair and Jo Anne L. Earp Distinguished Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health in March. Maman has served the university since 2005, most recently as professor in the Department of Health Behavior.
Nadeau named dean
APHA member Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, was named dean of the University of California-Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health in March. Previously, Nadeau served as the John Rock Professor of Climate and Population Studies and chair of the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is slated to begin her new role in July.
Scalise appointed officer
APHA member Danny Scalise II, MPH, MBA, CEPH, was appointed administrative officer for Washington state's Spokane Regional Health District in March. Scalise formerly served as director of Burke County Public Health in North Carolina. He has also served as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Brown named director
Joe Brown, PhD, MPhil, was named director of the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Health in March. Brown had served as interim director of the institute since January 2025. He also serves as a professor in the school's Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
Cheng named chair
Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, MMSc, was named chair of the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. In her new role, Cheng will lead strategic clinical, research and educational initiatives for the department.
Crockett named director
Xavier Crockett, MS, was named director of Virginia's Central Shenandoah Health District in March. Most recently, Crockett served as director of Mesa County Public Health in Colorado. His work also includes over a decade of service with the American Red Cross.
Foo recognized
Mary Anne Foo, MPH, was inducted into the University of California-Irvine Fielding School of Public Health Alumni Hall of Fame in February. Foo, founder and executive director of the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, was recognized for her role in addressing the needs of underserved populations.
Hanna recognized
Mona Hanna, MD, MPH, was named to Time magazine's 100 most influential people in health list in March. Hanna is the founder of Rx Kids and associate dean for public health at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. Hanna was recognized for Rx Kid's mission to improve the health of birthing people and their infants in Michigan.
Huang awarded
Philip Huang, MD, MPH, received the American Medical Association's Award for Outstanding Government Service in February. Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, was recognized for his work to strengthen the public health infrastructure, address chronic disease and modernize health information systems.
Jeffries appointed director
Carrie Jeffries, DNP, MPH, was appointed director of West Virginia's Rural Health Transformation Program by the state's Department of Health in February. Jeffries will lead the new program's initiatives to modernize rural health care and improve access to services.
Kaur named health officer
Parveen Kaur, MD, was named health officer of the Pasadena Public Health Department in California in February. Kaur had served as acting health officer for the department since 2023.
Steensma appointed
Joseph Steensma, EdD, MPH, MA, was appointed the inaugural E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Professor at Washington University in February. Steensma was recognized for his leadership and entrepreneurship to advance public health.
Tounkara appointed
Mamadou Tounkara, MD, MPH, MSW, was appointed public health administrator and executive director for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in Illinois in February. Tounkara had served as deputy administrator for the health district since June.
Zulliger appointed
Rose Zulliger, PhD, MPH, was appointed director of technical services and innovation at Malaria Consortium in March. Most recently, Zulliger has been a consultant with GiveWell, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and the World Health Organization's African Regional Office. She also spent a decade at federal health agencies focused on global health initiatives.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
