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John R. Finnegan Jr., PhD

Professor & Dean, School of Public Health; Assistant Vice President, Public Health
Division of Epidemiology & Community Health

Finnegan grew up in Minnesota and worked as a journalist until the late 1970s. While working on his PhD at the UMN, he joined the Minnesota Heart Health Program working as a media writer and producer under Henry Blackburn and Russell Luepker. In 1985, he joined the SPH faculty in Epidemiology and developed a research focus on media, campaigns and community-based interventions in public health. He served as SPH Interim Dean in 2004-05, becoming SPH Dean in 2005.

  • Ph.D. Mass Communication, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • M.A. Mass Communication, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • B.A. English, College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN

Research Interests:

Media communication and public health; community campaigns; social structure, the "Knowledge Gap" and health outcomes; digital information technology and its impact on public health; public health education and training.

Research Projects (5)

John R. Finnegan Jr.

Mailing Address:
SPH Dean's Office, Mayo Building
MMC 197, 420 Delaware St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone (Work): 625-1179

Email:

Selected Publications:


  1. Evashwick CJ, Begun JW, Finnegan JR (2013). Public health as a distinct profession: Has it arrived? Journal of Public Health Management & Practice 00(00), 1-8.

  2. Finnegan JR (2011 Jun). Global health: expanding on Minnesota’s public health legacy. MinnesotaHealthcareNews 9:6, 16-17; 19.

  3. Finnegan JR (2009 Aug). Public health on the front lines: Reframing and expanding the health reform discussion. Minnesota Physician, 23:5, 20-21.

  4. Maruyama G., Jones RJ, Finnegan JR (2009). An Urban agenda for urban universities: principles and experiences of an urban land-grant university. Metropolitan Universities Journal 20: 1, 75-100.

  5. Finnegan, JR and Viswanath, K. (2008). Communication theory and health behavior change: the media studies framework. In K. Glantz, et al (eds.) Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research and Practice, 4ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

  6. Finnegan JR (2007). Secular Social Change. In The International Encyclopedia of Communication, Wolfgang Donsbach (ed), New York: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.

  7. Viswanath K, Whitney R, Finnegan JR (2006). Social capital and health: civic engagement, community size, and recall of health messages. AJPH Aug;96(8):1456-61.

Professional Experience:

Dean, 2005 to Present


Assistant Vice President for Public Health


Interim Dean, 2004-05


Associate Dean for Research & Academic Affairs, 2003-2004


Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, 1998-2003

Honors:

Distinguished Career Award, APHA Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section, 2007.


Albert Justus Chesley Award for Distinguished Service to Public Health in Minnesota, 2012.

Full CV

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