Joanne McGriff is the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the Rollins School of Public Health. She also serves as Assistant Research Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health at Rollins and as a core member of the Center for Global Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) at Emory University.
Joanne earned her MD degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (NY). After completing medical school, she gained expertise in clinical and community-based research by completing a National Research Service Award post-doctoral research fellowship in geriatric psychiatry. While working with a team of researchers and clinicians in the Laboratory of Personality and Development at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Joanne gained instruction and experience in research design, data analysis and managing study logistics.
Early on in her training, she also received an International Medicine Summer Fellowship to conduct medical development work in northern Haiti. As a descendent of Haitian parents and fluent in Haitian Creole, for Joanne, this fellowship served as a catalyst to her interest in rural community development and the social and environmental factors in developing countries that impact health. Joanne went on to complete her MPH from the University of Rochester Department of Community and Preventive Medicine and has since been active in several community, medical and WASH-related development projects in Haiti. From 2008-2012, Joanne worked as Executive Director of a nonprofit working in rural Haiti. Her work included providing leadership for more than 50 clinical and program staff members and management for several U.S.-based programmatic and resource development committees. She was also responsible for overseeing Haitian staff implementing a four-year USAID-PEPFAR grant in HIV prevention in rural Haiti.
Joanne has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications on infection prevention, WASH and maternal health issues in healthcare facilities.
As the inaugural Assistant Dean for DEI at Rollins, Joanne is responsible for ensuring that attention is paid to diversity in the selection of faculty, staff and students; encouraging attention to equity as key decisions are made with relevance to faculty, staff and students; and supporting the creation of a culture of inclusivity at RSPH. Within her capacity she leads the work of the Community and Diversity Committee, develops and executes the RSPH DEI plan, and serves as a liaison to the central university on issues related to DEI.
During Joanne’s DEI session, she will cover DEI terminology to level-set knowledge for attendees and discuss how to co-design with stakeholders and work with teams in a way that is fair and equitable (e.g., equity in having a voice, considering cultural history and team composition).
