Welcome, New Department Chair Lyndie Forthofer

In August, we welcomed Dr. Melinda Forthofer as the new Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences. Dr. Forthofer received her PhD in Sociology and Health Behavior/Health Education from the University of Michigan. Previously, she served as the Director of the Institute for Families in Society, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Social Work, and Epidemiology Division Director in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of South Carolina. Before working at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Forthofer was on the faculty of the Department of Community and Family Health at the University of South Florida. She is currently researching the role of social factors in the promotion of health behaviors, particularly the role of social networks in physical activity. In her spare time, Dr. Forthofer trains her Labrador Retrievers for dog agility competitions, where she guides her dogs through obstacle courses that are judged based on speed and accuracy.

As the new Department Chair, Dr. Forthofer plans to expand the Department of Public Health Sciences’ portfolio of accredited programs and concentrations that meet current and emerging community needs and, in doing so, grow into an accredited school of public health. Within the next year, Dr. Forthofer plans to take several important steps toward developing a school of public health, including developing strategic plans for communications, curriculum development, and research, to include agendas for individual faculty and research teams.

Dr. Forthofer was attracted to the University of North Carolina Charlotte due to its vibrant, fast-growing environment and the interdisciplinary opportunities in the College of Health and Human Services. She is hoping to use her experience at public urban universities with fast-growing research portfolios to help the Department of Public Health Services grow and evolve.