Janice Bowie, PhD, MPH, an expert in health disparities and community-based research methods, has been named director of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program.
A professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bowie’s research examines approaches that lead to the success and sustainability of community-based interventions and the implications of religion and spirituality for prevention and treatment. Bowie is also core faculty in the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions.
The Bloomberg School’s flexible, part-time DrPH program is designed for early- to mid-career public health professionals seeking leadership roles in domestic or international public health policy and practice positions, as well as in health services delivery settings. The program is delivered online and through onsite, intensive courses during summer and winter institutes, allowing students to advance their careers while pursuing their academic goals.
“Janice’s experience practicing community-based public health shapes her strong understanding of the needs and challenges of practitioners charged with translating research into practice and leadership,” says Bloomberg School Dean Ellen J. MacKenzie, PhD, MSc. “She knows how to advocate for resources to support the implementation of sound policies, services and programs.”
Bowie received her bachelor of science in Health Education from Shaw University and her MPH from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She received her PhD in 1997 from the Department of Health Policy and Management, at what was then known as the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.
Prior to joining Hopkins, Bowie spent over 15 years at Virginia’s Department of Health, where she held several positions, including director of the Division of Chronic Diseases. During her tenure, she oversaw a statewide cardiovascular risk-reduction program supported by a Health and Human Services block grant. She also led the establishment of Virginia’s first Office of Minority Health.
Bowie has a particular interest in using mixed methods and transdisciplinary collaborations to address social determinants of health and to reduce pervasive disparities. She has also advanced a research agenda exploring the intersection of religion and public health.
Bowie succeeds Sara Bennett, PhD, MPhil, who led the Bloomberg School’s DrPH program for the past five years and who is now director of the Health Systems Program in the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health. “Sara contributed to the successful redesign of the program’s curriculum and to strengthening the program’s foundation,” says MacKenzie. “The vision Janice brings to the role will build on this exceptional foundation, one that will continue to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to become effective public health leaders in today’s changing environment.”
As director of the Bloomberg School’s DrPH program, Bowie says it will be her priority to leverage the strength and size of the Bloomberg School. Tapping the School’s array of world-class departments and centers, the schoolwide program offers students the ability to focus on a variety of public health disciplines and will successfully equip the next generation of doctorally trained public health practitioners to be innovative and effective leaders in their fields. “I see this as an opportunity both to train public health practitioners to tackle the pressing public health issues of our time and to help maintain our institution as the leading school of public health,” says Bowie.
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