By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University today announced that Monica Swahn, Ph.D., has been named dean of the VCU School of Public Health, effective July 1, 2025. The Board of Visitors will officially consider the appointment at its next quarterly meeting.

Swahn comes to VCU from Kennesaw State University, where she served as dean and professor in the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services.

As dean, Swahn will lead four departments, including 48 faculty representing six graduate programs in downtown Richmond, Virginia.

“Her visionary leadership and commitment to global public health make Dr. Swahn uniquely suited to lead the School of Public Health,” said Marlon Levy, M.D., senior vice president, VCU Health Sciences and CEO, VCU Health System. “I am confident that her community-centered approach to leading and researching is just what the school needs as it grows in the coming years.” 

With an impressive track record of groundbreaking, community-engaged research, Swahn is a distinguished leader in the field of global public health. Her research examines the structural drivers of alcohol use, violence and HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and globally, with a particular emphasis on how alcohol exacerbates health disparities, including chronic diseases like breast cancer. She has received numerous accolades, including the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement in 2019.

Throughout her career, Swahn has contributed significantly to global health initiatives, serving as a Fulbright Scholar for the sub-Saharan HIV program at Makerere University in Uganda and consulting for organizations such as the United Nations Development Program, the World Health Organization, and the Pan American Health Organization. Swahn has held leadership roles, including associate vice president for research at Georgia State University and associate dean for research for the College of Health and Human Sciences. Prior to academia, she spent nearly a decade at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a health scientist and epidemiologist in multiple divisions.

“I am honored to join VCU and lead the School of Public Health at such a transformative time,” Swahn said. “Innovation is at the heart of VCU’s mission, and I am excited to help drive forward new ideas, technologies, and partnerships that address the most pressing public health challenges of our time. I look forward to working alongside the school’s exceptional faculty, dedicated staff, and inspiring students to strengthen our research, deepen community engagement, and expand our impact to advance health equity locally and globally.”

Swahn received her Ph.D. and M.P.H. in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she also earned her B.S. in psychology.

She will succeed Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., founding interim dean.