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Scott Alsbrook (left), instructor in our Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and Dr. Dirk Haselow, associate professor in our Department of Epidemiology, are among the new members of the College’s faculty this semester.
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health welcomed four new faculty members this semester.
Melissa Yandell, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program.
Dirk Haselow, MD, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology.
Scott Alsobrook, MS, is an instructor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences.
Meg Gorvin, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).
Yandell, a graduate of the college’s MHA program, says her desire to help her community influenced her desire to become a public health professional.
“After graduating from Cabot High School, I knew I wanted to make a difference for my neighbors and the community,” she said. “Community means so much to me. I could not have chosen a better field to fulfill my passion to serve others.”
Prior to joining the college, Yandell worked for Baptist Health, where she was the administrative manager of the graduate and medical education programs.
Dr. Melissa Yandell is among the college’s new faculty members this semester.
Yandell says he wants to be someone students trust to voice their opinions about the MHA program.
“I teach several classes as well as help with the administrative management of the program by being a liaison between the faculty and the student association,” she said. “I also have a leadership role in our recruiting efforts. One of my primary goals is to do my part to help the program maintain a standard of excellence and maintain its longstanding accreditation.”
Hazelow is a native of Owen, Wisconsin, who was introduced to public health as a youth thanks to seeing his mother change the lives of the people she worked with.
“My mother was a public health nurse,” he said. “She often showed me how much of a positive impact she was making in 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, I didn’t know at the time that you could be a public health doctor. But after learning this – I knew public health was right for me, just like it was for my mother.
Haselow, a graduate of the UAMS College of Medicine, also does clinical work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health. When asked why he accepted the faculty role at the college, Haselow cited the opportunity to teach and shape Arkansas’ future epidemiologists.
“I teach epi 1 and infectious disease epidemiology,” he said. “I am excited to also be an advisor to our MD/MPH students. One of the things I strive to do is to improve the relationship and collaboration between the college and the UAMS Colleges of Medicine and Nursing.”
Alsobrook, a UCA graduate, comes to 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 is what sparked his desire to become a public health professional.
“My hometown of North Little Rock is a very diverse place,” Alsbrook said. “Yet it was apparent to me that the way health issues affect different groups in this city varies greatly. The application of public health principles is absolutely necessary to level the playing field and improve the health of people in any community.”
The role in building future public health professionals and the opportunity to conduct useful research was an ideal opportunity for Alsobrook.
“I teach GIS in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences,” he said. “My previous education and experience were a natural fit for this role. I am excited to educate more students about the use of GIS for public health. I am also excited to start my research career. Innovative research has the potential to impact entire communities and change lives in the future.”