Department of Health, Society, & Behavior

About the Department

The Department of Health, Society, & Behavior is comprised of a dynamic array of faculty with diverse backgrounds, such as health behavior, health services, epidemiology, demography, behavioral neuroscience, health communications, and public policy. Our core research interests and faculty expertise include the social determinants of health, etiology of health behavior related processes and outcomes, the dynamics of marginalized populations, community-based research and practice, the creation of theoretically-informed health interventions and their respective evaluation studies, health communication, and biobehavioral health.

Degrees and Programs Offered

We strive to train our students in theoretical perspectives at all levels of socio-ecological models, quantitative and qualitative research methodology, advanced research design and methodology, statistical methods, community-based approaches to research, and the ethical conduct of research. We also instill critical thinking in our students about how to tailor information to reach populations and to empower communities for social change. Our students are equipped to work in a variety of research and practice-based settings, including academic, governmental, community-based organizations at the local, regional and global levels to address the myriad complex public health problems existing in our world today.