overview

• Kelli Russell is a Teaching Assistant Professor and current BS Public Health Program Director for the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University (ECU). Ms. Russell earned her BS in Community Health and Master of Public Health from ECU. She began her career working in HIV education before moving into the Health Education Supervisor role at a local health department. Shortly after, the Health Education division assumed the duties of emergency preparedness planning and Kelli promoted to Human Services Planner overseeing health education, promotion, and emergency preparedness. In this role, her major responsibilities included all hazard response planning, serving as public information officer, dissemination and execution of the Strategic National Stockpile in response to H1N1, implementation of protocol for several natural disasters including Hurricane's Irene and Matthew, and conducting multiple Community Health Needs Assessments. After a decade of service in the field, Kelli transitioned to ECU where she has taught eight different courses, served as advisor and mentor, and served on a variety of committees. Additionally, Ms. Russell has served on the Chancellor's Committee for the Status of Women and Co-Chair of the student organization Preconception Educating Pirates. In 2018 Ms. Russell assumed the role of Program Director and began serving as liaison among faculty and students, maintaining program records, initiating curriculum changes and advocating for the educational needs of BS Public Health students and prospective majors. In Spring of 2020, Ms. Russell was asked to serve ECU in a unique role: COVID Contact Tracing Coordinator. Major responsibilities have included coordination, direction, and management of over 90 individuals performing tracing on the University's behalf while working with various units to protect the health and safety of our campus and beyond. Kelli is the 2021 ECU College of Health and Human Performance Outstanding Professional Service Award recipient, a member of ECU's Forty Under 40, UNC Board of Governor's Distinguished Professor for Teaching nominee, and has received the ECU Creed Award alongside the Ray Martinez Teaching Excellence Award. Ms. Russell takes pride in her efforts to establish and maintain ten designated lactation spaces and multiuse breast pumps on ECU's campus serving employees, students, and visitors.