About the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity

The Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health houses seven interdisciplinary research centers and offers master of public health (MPH) and doctoral (PhD) degree programs, as well as many dual degree options for students.

Our unifying mission is to advance health, reduce preventable illness, and improve health equity through the application of research, teaching, service and practice that promotes quality of life within and across diverse population groups. 

  • Our passionate students leave their program prepared for a wide range of professional careers where they can change the world for the better.
  • Our esteemed faculty create engaging experiences for students in and outside of the classroom and lead research centers across the University of Michigan campus that study today’s most important health equity questions.
  • Our purpose-driven curriculum integrates theory, research, and practice through case studies, small group discussions, and hands-on experiences with community partners. 
  • Our impactful research uses multiple approaches and methods to examine the root causes of health inequity and apply findings to develop interventions and change policies.

Health Behavior & Health Equity At A Glance

  • 22 Tenure Track Faculty
  • 4  Research Faculty
  • 2 Clinical Faculty
  • 19 Faculty with Joint Appointments
  • 138 Students
  • 1,700 Alumni
  • 75 Staff
  • 7 Research Centers 

Our History

Our legacy began with the work of Mabel Rugen, one of the founding faculty members of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in 1941.The Department of Health Behavior & Health Education was established in 1975, and was renamed to the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity in 2024 to reflect the department’s increasing focus on issues of health equity in research, teaching and service. 

Our Approach

In the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity, equity is the key, overarching connective tissue of our department, and our faculty, students, and practitioners are committed to ensuring that everyone can reach their highest potential for health. Our approach to educating the next generation of public health professionals who will work on the world’s most pressing health equity issues includes:

Community Engagement

The Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity has some of the world’s leading experts in community engagement, a key component to developing appropriate solutions to inequities. By incorporating the perspectives and input of people with lived experience, whether members of a marginalized group or those who self-manage a chronic disease, researchers and practitioners can develop more effective approaches to health behavior challenges.

A Global/Local Approach

Whether Southfield, MI or South Africa, Health Behavior & Health Equity researchers and practitioners work with local stakeholders, setting collective agendas, and strategizing to address health problems. This often requires adaptability and engagement in multiple sectors beyond healthcare such as government, commerce, and transportation. The implementation of discoveries and best practices drawn from both global work can be helpful in multiple settings across the globe, including our own backyard. Maximizing the support of global health scholars is critical to their success in addition to finding ways to create additional opportunities for students passionate about global health.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The most effective solutions to complex public health problems often require interdisciplinary multi-stakeholder collaboration. Health Behavior & Health Equity is uniquely suited for interdisciplinary collaboration, with faculty from multiple disciplines, ranging from psychology to sociology to internal medicine and more.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are actively engaged in DE&I efforts within the department, school and University.  Current Health Behavior & Health Equity initiatives include:

  • DEI Health Behavior & Health Equity Collective. This group is made up of the following three committees:
    • Student DEI  Committee
    • Staff DEI Committee
    • Faculty DEI Committee

Contact  Jenny Crawford (jcrawfo@umich.edu) with questions about department DEI efforts and any of the opportunities listed here. 

Contact Information

Health Behavior & Health Equity Faculty and Staff Directory

E-mail: sph.hbhe.inquiries@umich.edu

Phone: 734-764-9494

Mail:

Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity
School of Public Health
University of Michigan
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029