Central Office

at Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health

The Region IV Public Health Training Center (R-IV PHTC) Central Office is located at the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) of Emory University in Atlanta, GA. In addition to organizing and supporting the work of the R-IV PHTC network, the Central Office addresses the training needs of the public health professionals in Georgia.

The mission of the RSPH of Emory University is to demonstrate excellence in the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge as it trains and supports future leaders in health promotion and disease prevention through organized community efforts around the world. From its inception, the RSPH has had deep-seated connections to the public health practice community. In addition to robust scientific backgrounds, many of its faculty gained their initial public health leadership reputations while serving in federal, state, district, and local public health agencies. Many faculty are considered icons in public health and have instilled in RSPH an unwavering belief that there must be integration between science and public health practice.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Bridging Academia and Practice
Distance-Based Training
Evaluation
In-Person Training
Partnership Development
Student Field Placements
Training and Workforce Development
Workforce Training Needs Assessment

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

Dynamic Education And Learning (DEAL)
This training series is designed for public health professionals who want to elevate the quality of the distance-based trainings they develop and deliver. The series runs in the spring and the fall. View the 2021 DEAL series»

Live and On-demand Webinars
We offer 90-minute online presentations with prominent public health leaders to introduce content areas and skills to participants. Search the training catalog for a webinar»

Pathways to Practice Field Placement Program
This program provides an opportunity for current public health students to gain practical experience working with seasoned public health practitioners (mentors) serving or working on behalf of underserved communities or populations.
Learn more »

Public Health Leadership Institute (PHLI)
PHLI is an annual co-hort based training for emerging leaders who work in governmental state, local, or tribal public health departments or tribal health organizations. Applications are due in July.
Learn more»

Public Health Practice Academy
The Public Health Practice Academy is a series of skills-based professional development workshops. The goal of the series is to provide public health professionals—especially those serving underserved populations and areas—with strategic skills that can be used in public health practice. Learn more»

Self-paced Learning Modules
These are interactive, online, on-demand courses that learners complete at their convenience and at their own pace. Current offerings include the Community Assessment series, the Public Health Reaching Across Sectors (PHRASES) series, and Leading Change in Informatics and Data Analysis.

KEY PARTNERS

Georgia Partners

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

Melissa (Moose) Alperin, EdD, MPH, MCHES

Principal Investigator/Project Director
malperi@emory.edu

Moose is the Principal Investigator/Project Director of the R-IV PHTC. She has 30 years of experience as a health educator and instructional design specialist in public health. In addition to the current role with the R-IV PHTC, Moose has been the Co-PI or Project Director on a number of training, workforce development, and public health practice initiatives including the Emory Public Health Training Center (PHTC), the Emory Center for Public Health Preparedness, Applied Public Health Informatics Curriculum Project, Evaluation of the Older Driver Safety Design Train-the-Trainer Workshop, and the Assessment of Immunization Training Needs and Educational Products and Programs for Medical Assistants. Moose is the Director of the Executive MPH program, the online MPH at RSPH, and has taught working public health professionals in the distance-based format for 20 years. She holds a faculty position in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education.

Laura M. Lloyd, MPH, MCHES

Associate Director
lmlloyd@emory.edu

Laura is the Associate Director of the R-IV PHTC and as such oversees all professional training programs for the public health workforce in the 8 southeastern states in HHS Region IV, including in-person skill-based trainings, online live and on-demand webinars, the regional Public Health Leadership Institute, self-paced modules and field placements. Laura is also the Associate Director of the Georgia Hurricane Response Hub, the Applied Practice Experience Advisor for the Executive MPH program, and the Director of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. Laura Lloyd has over 30 years of management experience in continuing professional education, program planning, applied practice experience advisement, workforce development and training, and health education in the university, nonprofit organization, and membership association settings.

Deanna Zhong, MPH, MCHES

Data Manager and Training Coordinator
deanna.zhong@emory.edu

Deanna joins the R-IV PHTC with experience updating and creating curricula for the Office of Respect at Emory University. With the R-IV PHTC, Deanna supports staff with training logistics, communications, and evaluation. She was previously a graduate assistant with the R-IV PHTC and is a graduate of the Rollins School of Public Health.

Elizabeth (Liz) Kidwell, MPH, CHES

Training Specialist and Field Placement Manager
elkidwell@emory.edu

Liz is the Training Specialist and Field Placement Manager with the R-IV PHTC and manages the Pathways to Practice Field Placement program, as well as the Public Health and Primary Care Leadership Institute and the Kentucky Public Health Emerging Leadership Institute. She also coordinates the R-IV PHTC podcast series. Liz joins the R-IV PHTC with experience working in multiple state health departments developing educational materials and providing training on various public health topics to community members, as well as working professionals.

Tara Poole

Communications Specialist
tfpoole@emory.edu

Tara has more than 25 years of corporate and freelance experience as a marketing communication and graphic design specialist across a variety of industries. She serves as a Communications Specialist supporting the Region IV Public Health Training Center and The Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance. Prior to Emory, she worked at Houston Healthcare as a Marketing Coordinator overseeing community relations and events. Her background also includes marketing and design work in construction, tourism, and automotive manufacturing. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of Georgia and has plans to obtain a master’s in health communication.

Sophia Lamb, MPH

Training Specialist
sophia.lamb@emory.edu

Sophia Lamb is a Training Specialist for the Region IV Public Health Training Center, as well as the Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance. Sophia received an MPH from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a BS from Clemson University. She has experience teaching English as a foreign language in Costa Rica and serving as an AmeriCorps Health Fellow in Berkeley, California. While a student at Rollins, she worked for the school’s student engagement team, as well as for a coalition of colleges and universities aimed at addressing climate change in the state of Georgia.