Suzanne Maman Named Associate Dean for Global Health
July 28, 2020
Gillings School of Global Public Health
Suzanne Maman
Suzanne Maman, professor in the health behavior department at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, has been named associate dean for global health, effective Sept. 1. The associate dean for global health is the chief global leader and liaison for the Gillings School, responsible for evolving global strategy and global health initiatives.
Maman succeeds Margaret (Peggy) Bentley, Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition. Bentley served 17 years in this role and one of her greatest legacies will be the widespread adoption of a concept and guiding principle that she brought to all global activities at the Gillings School: the interconnectivity of global and local.
Since joining the Gillings School in 2005, Maman has proven to be a dedicated faculty member, recognized for her research, mentoring of students, teaching and service. She is vice-chair of the department of health behavior. She will continue her faculty appointment as professor of health behavior, while co-leading the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program’s global health concentration that she helped develop. She also will serve as the UNC faculty director at the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center.
Maman is a national and international leader in global health research, practice and education, whose work for the past 20 years has focused on the intersection of intimate partner violence and HIV/AIDS. She has collaborated for decades with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other governmental health agencies and educational institutions globally to advance this work.
“Dr. Maman is a highly-skilled, experienced and ethical global health leader with a proven ability to make a difference in the lives and health of the communities she has worked with worldwide,” said dean of the Gillings School and Alumni Distinguished Professor. “Her experience, global networks and inclusive approach to leadership will help us advance our goal to promote health and reduce inequities in the more than 60 countries we are working in.”
Bentley agreed. “She is the consummate, visionary team player, and that is exactly what is needed to meet pressing challenges for the health of people in North Carolina and around the world. This important leadership role for Gillings and UNC is in the most capable hands I can imagine. I am absolutely delighted that Dr. Maman will succeed me as associate dean for global health.”
In her new role, Maman will work closely with colleagues within the Gillings School’s Research, Innovation and Global Solutions unit to integrate global initiatives into innovation, entrepreneurship and research that support domestic and international students. Her work will also expand into key research centers, institutes and organizations throughout UNC, the Triangle, the U.S., and the world, including but not limited to UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Disease (IGHID) and the Gillings School’s Water Institute at UNC.
“I am excited to step into the role of associate dean for global health at Gillings,” said Maman. “As a faculty member, my global work has benefited in so many ways from the high-quality faculty colleagues and students that we have at Gillings. I love being part of the UNC global community. Peggy has laid a strong foundation for our global programs at Gillings. I am honored to serve as the next associate dean to continue to support and grow our vision for global health research, education, partnerships and leadership at Gillings, across campus and around the world.”
Maman earned a bachelor of science degree in human ecology from Cornell University, and a master of health science degree and a doctorate in international health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
For more information on this appointment, please visit the Gillings School’s website.