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Melissa Tibbits, PhD

Melissa Tibbits, PhD

Faculty Highlight – Dr. Melissa Tibbits received her PhD in human development and family studies from the Pennsylvania State University. She joined the College of Public Health (COPH) faculty in 2009 as an assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health.

Dr. Tibbits currently teaches Public Health Program Evaluation, a concentration course for the Health Promotion MPH track, and Child and Adolescent Growth and Development, a concentration course for the Maternal and Child Health MPH track. She also provides guest lectures on these topics to other courses and centers within the COPH. Additionally, she serves as academic advisor for half a dozen students and as committee chair and committee member for several MPH capstone and doctoral students.

Dr. Tibbits’ research focuses on understanding the reasons children and adolescents develop in healthy and unhealthy ways, and utilizing that information to inform the development of preventive interventions focused on outcomes such as substance abuse, sexual health, and obesity. Additionally, she enjoys collaborating with community partners to evaluate existing interventions. She currently works with colleagues in the Departments of Health Promotion, Health Services Research and Administration, and Epidemiology to evaluate projects for the Nebraska Office of Probation Administration (Nebraska Juvenile Service Delivery Project), Building Healthy Futures (School-Based Health Centers), and the Douglas County Health Department (Community Transformation Grant and Lead Education Program).

Dr. Tibbits currently serves as a member of the COPH’s Evaluation and Research and Development committees. Outside of the COPH, she is a Project Extra Mile board member and a TeamMates mentor. Through her work, Dr. Tibbits aims to improve the lives of children and adolescents so that they are able to achieve mental and physical health and to make positive contributions to society.

Melissa Tibbits, PhD, is an assistant professor in the UNMC COPH Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health.

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