WU plays the PHEAL’d for a new public health professor

Professor Iroz-Elardo reviewing due dates with her public health class on Nov. 6, 2025. Photo by Mac Childers.

Following the retirement of professor Joyce Millen in spring 2025 and a steep increase in the number of students majoring in the program, there has been a growing demand for a new public health (PHEAL) professor.

A committee of PHEAL professors and students as well as two non-PHEAL professors is currently in an extensive screening process. After initial interviews with candidates, the committee has narrowed its options down to three. One such candidate, Mimi Ding, gave a presentation on Nov. 19. Should a candidate get hired, they would begin in fall 2026.

Per standard procedure, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the teacher-scholar model. That is, professors must maintain research in addition to their teaching. The extent to which one can mix them is especially valued, noted assistant professor of public health and Search Chair Nicole Iroz-Elardo. According to her, the next professor should ask themselves, “How can I incorporate undergrad students in [my studies]?”

It can be hard for new professors to be a generalist on a topic, Iroz-Elardo pointed out. While this is a key ingredient to a good professor, many new professors are hired straight from graduate school, having just spent years focusing on their specific research.

The search has come after last year’s attempted hiring failed. “That is to say, we could bring people to campus, we could evaluate them, but didn’t get the right kind of person for the role,” history professor Sammy Basu clarified. Hiring failures are somewhat common, as one occurred after another search by WU last year. In the interim, PHEAL has hired a visiting assistant professor.

This hiring underscores the growth of the young program. Over the last three years, the number of students majoring in public health has doubled to roughly 65, leaving Iroz-Elardo and Basu with a bit of a larger load on top of the hiring process. 

Since its founding in 2019 by Millen and Basu, the PHEAL program has been markedly interdisciplinary, emphasizing its connection to other programs. Around a quarter of PHEAL students double-major in environmental science alone. Other common pairings are anthropology and biology, which particularly serves students wishing to continue to medical school after graduation.

The hiring of Iroz-Elardo in fall 2022 continued that strategy. Despite being a PHEAL professor, her doctorate is actually in urban studies; at Willamette, she also teaches a class on urban health.

Iroz-Elardo and Basu both mentioned their vision for the program moving forward, gearing to offer both a B.A. and a B.S. in public health. This would lend itself well to the program’s “mixed-methods” teaching style, combining both the qualitative and quantitative. 

“The way to revive the liberal arts is to commit to applied approaches,” Basu stated. “Not just theory, but how does it play out? How does it solve problems?” Their goal is for students to have practical experiences through off-campus activities at the capstone level and before.

In the future, Iroz-Elardo sees the growth curve leveling out. She seeks to maintain a community-based approach, deepening connections with other programs and local groups. She added, “I just look forward to having another colleague!”