Health Education Faculty and Staff
HESS Administrative Staff
Dwight Zier
HESS Department Administrator
Johnson Center 1150B
505-277-8173
d29zier@unm.edu
Dwight oversees the daily administrative functions of the department office. He serves as department liaison to central offices of the college and university.
Tina Felix
Coordinator, Education Support
Johnson Center 1150
505-277-5152
tfelix01@unm.edu
Tina receives all inquiries from potential undergraduate and graduate students and provides administrative support to allstudents and faculty.
Health Education Full-time Faculty
Magdalena Avila
Associate Professor
Program Coordinator
Office: Johnson Center 112C
Telephone: 505-277-8175
Email: avilam@unm.edu
Education: Dr.PH., University of California, Berkeley, MPH and MSW
Courses: Epidemiology, Advanced Multicultural Health and Community-based participatory research (CBPR Institute), Advanced Multicultural Health, Graduate Field Experience
Research: Community based participatory approach to research with Native American communities in the southwest, Native American/Tribal Community Health, role of health communication strategies with urban, rural and tribal communities., Community Engagement Research, social determinants of health and public health disparities.
Lorenda Belone
Associate Professor
Office: Johnson Center 112B
Telephone: 505-277-8175
Email: Ljoe@salud.unm.edu
Education: Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Courses: Research design, epidemiology, community health, community-based participatory research
Research: Community based participatory approach to research with Native American communities in the southwest, focusing on the role of health communication strategies for translational research that involves the community as participants in a two-way mutual learning situation to improve community health.
Angelica Boyle
Visiting Lecturer II
Office: Johnson Center 112A
Email: akozicki@unm.edu
Education: M.S., University of New Mexico
Courses: Personal Health Management, Consumer Health, Education for AIDS Prevention, Injury Prevention, Prevention of Substance Abuse, Foundations of Health Promotion, Introduction to Public & Community Health, Prevention Strategies in Community Health, Stress Management
Elias Duryea
Emeritus Professor
Email: duryea@unm.edu
Education: Ph.D., University of Nebraska
Christina Perry
HESS Department Chair
Associate Professor
Office: Johnson Center 1161
Telephone: 505-277-1983
Email: cperry2@unm.edu
Education: Ph.D., University of New Mexico, M.S., Southern Illinois University, B.S., Illinois State University
Courses: Health Behavior Theory, Program Planning & Evaluation
Research: The design and evaluation of theory-based public health assessments and interventions. Work has been applied to pediatric physical activity and snacking behaviors, food safety efficacy, adolescent spit tobacco use and college binge drinking.
Shixi Zhao
Assistant Professor
Office: Johnson Center 112D
Telephone: 505-277-8187
Email: shixizhao@unm.edu
Education: Ph.D., Texas A&M
Courses: Measurement and Evaluation, Grant Writing, Program Planning, and Health Behavior Theory for Health Promotion.
Research: Health behavior, social determinates of health, public health genomics, children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, cancer prevention, control and chronic diseases prevention.
Dr. Suzanne Williams
Lecturer III
Office: Johnson Center 1150E
Telephone: 505-277-3104
Email: sewilliams@unm.edu
Education: Ph.D., University of Kansas
Courses: Emotional Health and Interpersonal Relationships, Physical Activity and Aging, Stress Management, Death and Dying, Personal Health Management
Health Education Part-time Instructors
Ivy Vitanzos Cervantes
Email: icervantes@salud.unm.edu
Education: MD, University of the Philippines; MPH, University of New Mexico
Course: Measurement and Evaluation in Health Promotion
Meghann Dallin
Email: mdallin@unm.edu
Education: MPH, New Mexico State University
Courses: Program Planning & Evaluation, Personal Health Management, Foundations of Health Promotion
Jennifer Escajeda
Email: jescajed@unm.edu
Education: MPH, University of New Mexico
Courses: Foundations of Health Promotion, Introduction to Health Behavior Theory, Emotional Health and Interpersonal Relationships, Education for AIDS Prevention, Violence Prevention
Megan Merchant
Office: Johnson Center
Email: mamerch@unm.edu
Education: M.S., University of New Mexico
Courses: Stress Less, Sleep Better, Fundamentals of Human Sexuality, Conflict Mediation, Stress Management, and various PENP courses
Veronica Plaza
Email: veplaza@salud.unm.edu
Education: MD, University of Rosario, Argentina; MPH, University of New Mexico
Courses: Social Determinants and Multi-Cultural Health, Health Issues of Death and Dying
