Aug. 27, 2026
Leslie Hawley, PhD, will join the Department of Public Health as an associate teaching professor and director of public health curriculum, effective Sept. 1.
In this role, Hawley will oversee undergraduate and graduate studies and provide leadership for student- and curriculum-related accreditation activities. She succeeds Jenna Wintemberg, who recently became the College of Health Sciences’ associate dean for undergraduate studies.
“Dr. Hawley brings an exceptional combination of experience in higher education, teaching, research and evaluation, educational assessment, and public health practice,” said Julie Kapp, chair of the Department of Public Health.
Most recently, Hawley served as a senior research/data analyst with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, supporting statewide public health programs through data analysis, program evaluation, reporting, dashboard development and survey design. Previously, she spent seven years with the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, where she led research and evaluation initiatives focused on college access and student success.
Hawley earned a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, specializing in quantitative, qualitative and psychometric methods. As a research assistant professor at Nebraska, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics, research methods, evaluation, grant writing and multilevel modeling. Her scholarly work includes numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, research and evaluation grants, technical reports, and presentations to national and international audiences. She also was recognized as a Phi Delta Kappa International Emerging Leader.
“Dr. Hawley’s breadth of experience in education, assessment, evaluation, data-informed decision-making, and public health will be tremendous assets as we continue strengthening our undergraduate and graduate curricula,” Kapp said.
