Evans Appointed Chair of Health Promotion and Policy
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The School of Public Health and Health Sciences has announced the appointment of Professor Elizabeth Evans as Chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Policy effective September 1, 2026. Evans previously served in an interim capacity and as associate chair for the past year. She takes over the position from Sarah Goff.
“I am grateful for the leadership that Sarah Goff has provided the department and school during her tenure,” says Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz. “During that time, she moved along the implementation of the Master of Healthcare Administration degree, assisted in critical decision making associated with the undergraduate Public Health Sciences program, increasing transparency and distributing workloads in a more equitable manner, and mentored faculty in their acquisition of external grant funding. Liz is already acclimated to the work as a chair, having served as interim during Sarah’s sabbatical year. She will take the torch from Sarah and continue to move the department in their upward research trajectory.”
Evans joined the department in 2017. During this time, she’s been awarded multiple federally-funded grants, including multi-million-dollar awards through NIH’s Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) initiative. Her research examines how health care systems and public policies can better promote health and wellness among vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly for individuals at risk for opioid and other substance use disorders. Current lines of research focus on how the criminal justice system can impact health outcomes.
The department also announced several changes to its leadership structure. Associate Professor Laura Attanasio will assume the role of health policy and management program head, while Professor Susan Shaw will serve in a similar capacity for the community health education program. Associate Professor Daniel López-Cevallos has also been named acting graduate program director while Associate Professor Jennifer Whitehill serves on her Mid-Career Post-Tenure Fellowship for the 2026-27 academic year.