Alum, faculty member and administrator Lynda Lisabeth named interim dean

Lynda Lisabeth named Interim Dean at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, featuring a portrait of Lynda Lisabeth.

June 12, 2025

Lynda Lisabeth, a distinguished scholar with years of experience as a faculty member, administrator and researcher, has been selected to serve as interim dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Her appointment, which is effective June 16 and will last until a permanent dean is appointed, was approved by the Board of Regents at its June 12 meeting.

Lisabeth will succeed F. DuBois Bowman, who announced last month he will become the president of Morehouse College, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics.

Lisabeth assumes the leadership role of a school that was ranked No. 2 in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools announced in April.

“I am deeply honored to be appointed interim dean of the School of Public Health during such a pivotal time for both the school and the broader field of public health,” Lisabeth said. “Having called this school my professional home for over 20 years, I feel truly fortunate to work alongside extraordinary faculty, staff and students whose dedication and leadership continue to inspire and advance our field.”

Lisabeth is a professor of Epidemiology and senior associate dean for faculty affairs in the School of Public Health and a research professor of neurology in the Medical School.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in statistics from the University of Michigan and went on to pursue a Master of Public Health degree in biostatistics from Michigan Public Health. After working in statistical and data analysis roles for health-focused organizations for several years, Lisabeth returned to Michigan Public Health to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology. 

She joined the Michigan Medicine Department of Neurology as a research investigator in 2003. She was promoted to research assistant professor in 2005, to research associate professor in 2011 and to research professor in 2015.

In 2006, Lisabeth was appointed an assistant professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health. She was promoted to associate professor, with tenure, in 2010 and to professor in 2015. She was interim chair of the Department of Epidemiology from February 2014 through August 2015. In 2018, she was promoted to senior associate dean for administration (later retitled to senior associate dean for faculty affairs).

Lisabeth studies the epidemiology of stroke in the United States with a focus on stroke health disparities in the Mexican American population. For more than 10 years, she has co-led the BASIC (Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi) project with Lewis Morgenstern, which last year was recognized with the prestigious Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. She has been involved in strategic planning efforts for the National Institute for Neurologic Disorders and Stroke surrounding the advancement of stroke research and the elimination of stroke disparities.

“Professor Lisabeth is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading scholars on stroke epidemiology and health disparities research,” said Provost Laurie McCauley. “She has a proven record as an exemplary administrator, scholar, teacher and mentor. I am confident she will lead the School of Public Health with vision and integrity, and I look forward to our work together.”

Listen to "Understanding stroke: 25-year study uncovers disparities & insights" on Spreaker.

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