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New faculty
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Scott Alsbrook (left), a lecturer in our Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and Dr. Dirk Haslow, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, are new faculty members to the college this semester.
| The Fay W. Bozeman School of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences welcomes four new faculty members this semester.
Dr. Melissa Yandell is an assistant professor in the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program in the Department of Health Policy and Management.
Dirk Haselow, MD, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology.
Scott Alsbrook, MS, is a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences.
Dr. Meg Govan is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).
Yandel, an alumna of the college’s MHA program, said her desire to help her community influenced her drive to become a public health professional.
“After graduating from Cabot High School, I knew I wanted to make a difference in my neighborhood and community,” she said. “Community means a lot to me. I couldn’t find a better area to fulfill my passion for serving others.”
Prior to joining the College, Yandell worked at Baptist Health where he served as administrative leader of graduate and medical education programs.
Dr. Melissa Yandel is one of the new faculty members in the college this semester.
Yandell said she wants to be someone students trust to voice their opinions about the MHA program.
“I teach several classes and help with the administration of the program by serving as the faculty liaison to the student government,” she said. “I also play a leading role in our recruiting efforts. One of my primary goals is to do my part to help the program maintain its standards of excellence and maintain its long-term accreditation.”
Haslow, a native of Irving, Wisconsin, was introduced to public health at a young age by watching his mom make a difference in the lives of the people she worked with.
“My mother was a public health nurse,” he said. “She often showed me what a positive impact she had on the community and how much she loved her job. I admired that about her. But I also knew I wanted to be a scientist or a doctor. However, at the time, I didn’t Knowing that you could be a public health physician. But once I learned that, I knew public health was a perfect fit for me, just like my mom.”
Haslow is an alumnus of the University of Alabama School of Medicine and also holds clinical appointments at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health. When asked why he accepted a faculty position at the college, Haslow cited the opportunity to teach and shape Arkansas’ future epidemiologists.
“I’m teaching Epi 1 and infectious disease epidemiology,” he said. “I am excited to serve as an advisor to our MD/MPH students. One of the things I am eager to do is improve the relationship and collaboration between the College and the UAMS School of Medicine and Nursing.”
Alsbrook, a UCA alumnus, joins UAMS after serving as a senior geographic information systems (GIS) analyst for the Arkansas Department of Health. Seeing the detrimental social determinants of health in North Little Rock sparked his desire to become a public health professional.
“My hometown of North Little Rock is a very diverse place,” Allsbrook said. “However, it is clear to me that there are huge differences in the way health issues affect different groups in the city. There is a huge need to implement public health principles to level the playing field and improve the health of people in every community.”
For Alsobruck, playing a role in training future public health professionals and being able to conduct useful research is an ideal opportunity.
“I teach GIS in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences,” he said. “My previous education and experience are a perfect fit for this role. I am excited to educate more students on how to use GIS to advance public health. I am also excited to begin my research career. Innovative research has the potential to impact entire communities and change lives in the future.” “