VCU names new dean of School of Public Health
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has named the new dean of VCU School of Public Health, who will officially be appointed on Tuesday, July 1.
On Thursday, April 18, VCU announced Monica Swahn, Ph.D., as the new dean of the VCU School of Public Health, and according to the university, the Board of Visitors will officially consider the appointment at its next quarterly meeting.
“I am honored to join VCU and lead the School of Public Health at such a transformative time,” Swahn said. “Innovation is at the heart of VCU’s mission, and I am excited to help drive forward new ideas, technologies, and partnerships that address the most pressing public health challenges of our time. I look forward to working alongside the school’s exceptional faculty, dedicated staff, and inspiring students to strengthen our research, deepen community engagement, and expand our impact to advance health equity locally and globally.”
Swahn, the former dean and a professor at Wellstar College of Health and Human Services in Kennesaw State University in Georgia, will lead four departments as the new VCU School of Public Health dean.
According to the college, Swahn has been researching alcohol use, violence and HIV/AIDS in the United States, with a focus on how alcohol leads to other health issues like breast cancer.
Swahn was a Fulbright Scholar for the sub-Saharan HIV program at Makerere University in Uganda and consulting for organizations such as the United Nations Development Program, the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. She also served as the associate vice president for research at Georgia State University and associate dean for research for the College of Health and Human Sciences.
“Her visionary leadership and commitment to global public health make Dr. Swahn uniquely suited to lead the School of Public Health,” said Marlon Levy, M.D., senior vice president, VCU Health Sciences and CEO, VCU Health System. “I am confident that her community-centered approach to leading and researching is just what the school needs as it grows in the coming years.”
The college said Swahn received her B.S. in psychology, as well as her Ph.D. and M.P.H. in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh, and will succeed Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., the founding interim dean.
