Drexel FIRST Leadership Team and Staff

A multi-disciplinary leadership team is responsible for guiding, developing, and evaluating the effort and mentoring the Drexel First cohort of new faculty.

This group of academic leaders is composed of a team of principal investigators, core co-leads, co-investigators, and mentors who provide the Drexel FIRST cohort with essential expertise and guidance as they develop their research efforts and career pathways.

Principal Investigators

Ana Diez Roux, MD, PhD, MPH

Dean Emerita and Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology
Director of the Urban Health Collaborative
Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health

Laura Gitlin, PhD, FGSA, FAAN

Dean Emerita and Distinguished University Professor
Drexel College of Nursing and Health Professions

Drexel FIRST Core Co-Leads

Girija Kaimal, EdD

Co-Core Director, FIRST Evaluation Core
Assistant Dean for Special Research Initiatives, Interim Chair and Associate Professor, Creative Arts Department
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Jan Eberth, PhD, MSPH

Co-Core Director, FIRST Faculty Development Core
Professor and Chair
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dornsife School of Public Health

Yvonne Michael, ScD, SM

Co-Core Director, FIRST Faculty Development Core
Professor and Interim Chair, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dornsife School of Public Health

Drexel FIRST Co-Investigators

Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, FASPEN, FAAN, FGSA

Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Research
Department of Nutrition Sciences & Graduate Nursing
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Erin M. Horvat, PhD

Interim Dean
Senior Vice Provost, Faculty Advancement Professor
Drexel School of Education

Renee Moore, PhD

Research Professor; Director of Biostatistics Scientific Collaboration Center (BSC); and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dornsife School of Public Health

Brisa N. Sancheź, PhD

Endowed Professor of Biostatistics and Associate Dean for Research
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dornsife School of Public Health
Research Development Committee Chair

Drexel FIRST Committee Members

Mentoring Council

Jessica Chou, PHD, LPC, LMFT

Assistant Professor, Counseling and Family Therapy Department
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Brian Daly, PhD

Department Head and Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Drexel College of Arts and Sciences

Yvonne Michael, ScD, SM

Co-Core Director, FIRST Faculty Development Core
Professor and Interim Chair, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dornsife School of Public Health

Research Development Committee

Meera Nair Harhay, MD, MSCE

Associate Professor of Medicine
Drexel College of Medicine

Brian K. Lee, PhD

Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dornsife School of Public Health

Margaret Finley, PT, PhD

Associate Professor, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Department
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Professional Development Committee

Erin M. Horvat, PhD

Interim Dean
Senior Vice Provost, Faculty Advancement Professor
Drexel School of Education

Michele Kutzler, PhD

Associate Dean for Faculty, Professor of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology
Drexel College of Medicine

Glenn Williams, PT, PhD, ATC

Assistant Dean of Health Sciences, Chair of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Sponsorship Committee

Erin M. Horvat, PhD

Interim Dean
Senior Vice Provost, Faculty Advancement Professor
Drexel School of Education

Amy Carroll-Scott, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Community Health and Prevention, Community Health and Prevention
Dornsife School of Public Health

Jerry Fagliano, PhD, MPH

Clinical Professor and Chair
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Dornsife School of Public Health

Jan Eberth, PhD, MSPH

Co-Core Director, FIRST Faculty Development Core
Professor and Chair
Department of Health Policy and Management
Dornsife School of Public Health

Patti Zuzelo, EDD, RN, ACNS-BC, ANP-BC, CRNP, ANEF, FAAN

Chair and Clinical Professor, Department of Graduate Nursing
DNP Program Director
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Christian Jordal, PhD, LMFT, CST-S

Interim Chair and Professor, Department of Counseling and Family Therapy
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Kathleen Fisher, PhD, CRNP

Professor of Graduate Nursing, Nursing PhD, and Advanced Practice Nursing
College of Nursing and Health Professions

Principal Investigators

Drexel FIRST Core Co-Leads

Drexel FIRST Co-Investigators

Drexel FIRST Committee Members

Mentoring Council

Research Development Committee

Professional Development Committee

Sponsorship Committee

Drexel FIRST Mentors and Staff