Rhonda BeLue to head health management and policy department
Following a national search, Rhonda BeLue, Ph.D., has been named as the next chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy at Saint Louis University’s College for Public Health and Social Justice. Her appointment, at the rank of professor, is effective July 1, 2017.
“We are very fortunate to have a scholar of Dr. BeLue’s caliber and vision joining us to lead the department in our historical and transformational journey,” said Collins O. Airhihenbuwa, Ph.D., Dean of the College for Public Health and Social Justice.
A member of Penn State’s faculty for more than a decade, BeLue is a successful scholar in health services and policy research, with a focus on health disparities in domestic and global settings. With more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals, BeLue’s research centers around understanding the role of family in health and health care, chronic disease in low- and middle-income countries and immigrant health. She writes for both public health and health management audiences, seeking to use research to inform practice and policy.
BeLue brings considerable experience as a funded researcher. Currently, she is principal or co-principal investigator for several research grants, including a federally-funded intervention study to implement and evaluate a family and school-based obesity prevention program.
A noted researcher in global health, BeLue holds a Fulbright Research Award to study factors that influence diabetes management in Senegal. She currently serves as director of the Pan-University Network for Global Health, an academic organization that bridges researchers from more than 10 universities across the globe. BeLue teaches courses in population health management, consumer choices in health care and innovative methods applied to health services research, and mentors graduate and doctoral students, including through an international visiting scholars program at Penn State.
"Dr. BeLue’s career and experience in research, teaching and service has a distinct congruence with the mission of the department, our college and of Saint Louis University. She has a track record of leading community-academic partnerships that truly are a foundation for positive change."
Collins Airhihenbuwa, Dean of the College for Public Health and Social Justice
BeLue earned a Ph.D. in health policy analysis and management and a master’s degree in statistics with a minor in epidemiology from Cornell University. She received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
“I am excited to join the team at SLU's College for Public Health and Social Justice,” said BeLue. “I look forward to working with the talented faculty and staff in the Department of Health Management and Policy to train the next generation of health care leaders and conduct policy and practice relevant research to improve the health of our communities."
BeLue succeeds Keith Elder, Ph.D., who left Saint Louis University to become dean of the School of Public Health at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Associate Professor Kathleen N. Gillespie, Ph.D., is serving as interim chair.
“I would like to thank the Department of Health Management and Policy and the search committee, particularly Dr. Mario Schootman, associate dean for research, for conducting this very successful search,” said Airhihenbuwa. “The caliber of candidates we received was outstanding, which is testament to the reputation of the Department and of the University.”
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Published: February 1, 2017
CPHSJ Communications
About the Department of Health Management and Policy
Established in 1947, the Department of Health Management and Policy is among the oldest academic units of its type. It is home to the Master of Health Administration program, ranked in the top ten graduate programs for health care management by U.S. News & World Report.
It also offers a Master of Public Health degree in Health Management and Policy and an undergraduate major in Health Management. Its faculty have extensive industry experience and are nationally-known leaders in health management and policy research.
About the College for Public Health and Social Justice
The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.
Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the College offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health administration, applied behavior analysis, and criminology and criminal justice.