A seasoned public health leader with more than 20 years of experience at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Leslie Ann Dauphin, Ph.D. joins the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College this fall. As a faculty member in the Political Determinants of Health department, Dr. Dauphin is teaching our Social, Mental, and Behavioral Health course to our first year master and doctoral cohorts, bringing her deep expertise in public health leadership, workforce development, and mentorship to our students.
Dr. Dauphin recently retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she served as the founding director of the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce. In this role, she oversaw programs that strengthen public health agencies across the United States through grants and workforce development, including CDC’s flagship fellowship, the Epidemic Intelligence Service, and its largest fellowship program, the Public Health Associates Program.
She began her career as a science teacher and has maintained a lifelong passion for mentoring early-career professionals and executives. Trained as a microbiologist, Dr. Dauphin conducted laboratory research involving bioterrorism threat agents and co-founded CDC’s Laboratory Leadership Service, a national fellowship designed to prepare future public health laboratory leaders.
Drawing on her years at the CDC, Dr. Dauphin brings her acumen in leading public health programs, advancing workforce capacity, and fostering partnerships to strengthen the health of communities nationwide. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University and her B.S. in Biology from Fayetteville State University.
In addition to her public health leadership, Dr. Dauphin is a decorated U.S. Army veteran, having received both the National Defense Service Medal and the Southwest Asia Service Medal for her service during the First Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm.
We are honored to welcome Dr. Dauphin to the Meharry School of Global Health and look forward to the knowledge, mentorship, and inspiration she will bring to our students and community.
