SPH employee updates and announcements
Please join us in welcoming new members to the SPH team, congratulating employees on their new roles, and saying goodbye to another.
NEW MEMBERS
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences
Jennifer Lultschik, MD, MPH, recently joined the Department of OEHS as an assistant professor. Dr. Lultschik competed her residency in Occupational Medicine and her MPH from WVU in 2014. After graduation, she worked as a Board-Certified Occupational Medicine Physician in Erie, PA. She is a certified FAA Aviation Medical Examiner, a Medical Review Officer, and a FMCSA Medical Examiner. She has experience with worker’s compensation injuries, employment-related physicals and surveillance, and independent medical evaluations.
Office of Research
Michelle Tonkin joined the Office of Research this week as a grant resources specialist, providing post-award support to the SPH. Michelle comes to us with a background in accounting and grants management.
UPDATES
Injury Control Research Center
Tom Hulsey, ScD, has accepted an invitation from Rob Bossarte, PhD, director of the WVU Injury Control Research Center (ICRC), to serve as a member of their Executive Committee. In that role, Dr. Hulsey will participate in annual meetings with ICRC leadership and staff, provide guidance on ICRC initiatives and strategies for aligning ICRC-supported research, education and outreach efforts with other departmental initiatives. The WVU ICRC is recognized for its leadership in overdose and suicide prevention, motor vehicle injury prevention, intimate partner violence, adverse childhood experiences, traumatic brain injury, and other programs designed to reduce the burden associated with injury and violence in West Virginia and the surrounding region.
Office of Health Services Research
After serving as assistant director for several years, Adam Baus, PhD, MPH, MA, has assumed the role of director of the Office of Health Services Research, effective August 1. Cecil Pollard will be assuming the role of assistant director. Dr. Baus will continue to collaborate with OHSR’s rural health providers and other state partners to improve the lives and health of people of West Virginia.
Administrative Support
In an attempt to more effectively utilize our available resources, Beth Morrison has assumed all administrative responsibility for the department of HPML in addition to her administrative support role with SBHS. This change was effective as of as of July 30.
The Health Research Center (HRC) will receive primary support from Jessica Coffman, who currently serves as Program Manager.
DEPARTURES
Warren Eller, PhD, is leaving the School of Public Health and the Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership for a faculty appointment with the John Jay School of Criminal Justice in New York City. Dr. Eller has been offered the position of chair of their Department of Public Management. His last day with WVU is August 3. Dr. Eller’s presence in the school has been invaluable, and he will be missed. As a Morgantown native, WVU alumnus, and devotee of Appalachian culture, we wish him well on those country roads in Manhattan.