2026 Teaching Faculty

Jeff Bender, DVM, MS, DACVPM, Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health; Director, USAID One Health Workforce Project; Director, Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH); Adjunct Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

Sean Buuck, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist, Foodborne, Waterborne, Vectorborne, and Zoonotic Diseases Section, Minnesota Department of Health

Melanie Firestone, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Craig W. Hedberg, PhD, Co-Director, Minnesota Integrated Food and Safety Center of Excellence; Interim Division Head, Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Lillian McDonald, MA, Managing Director, Twin Cities Public Television Inc. (PBS)

Tai J. Mendenhall, PhD, LMFT, Professor; Medical Family Therapist, Couple and Family Therapy Program; Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota

Stephanie Meyer, MPH, Epidemiology and Data Unit Supervisor, Covid-19 Section, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN

Cheryl Petersen-Kroeber, Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN

Carolyn Porta, PhD, MPH, MS, RN SANE-A, FAAN, FNAP, Associate Vice President, Clinical Affairs, Office of Academic and Clinical Affairs; Professor, Population Health Systems Cooperative, School of Nursing; Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology and Community Health; School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Doug Schultz, BA, Communications Specialist, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota

Lianne Siegel, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Allison Thrash, MPH, Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN

Melinda Wilkins, DVM, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota