LEAP Faculty
Dr. Karen McDonnell
Karen A. McDonnell, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. Her most recent work includes collaborations to develop and test a community-centered FGM/C prevention project, evaluating the National Domestic Violence Hotline/loveisrespect Helpline, taking a public health approach to gender-based violence, and evaluating multi- systems changes in the Clinical Translational Science Institute with Children’s National and GWU. For more information, click here.
Dr. Monica Ruiz
Monica S. Ruiz, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health and The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Her current research focuses on examining the epidemic impact of policy change on HIV infection and linkage to care outcomes – including utilization of syringe exchange, addiction treatment, and other harm reduction services -- in the District of Columbia. For more information, click here.
Dr. Tamara Henry
Dr. Tamara A. Henry, Ed.D, serves as a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health. She currently teaches at the undergraduate and graduate level. To date, she has received 2 awards from GW for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Public Health. Dr. Henry conducted the Maternal Child Health needs assessment (2014) for the DC-DOH Community Health Administration and more recently designed and implemented a substance use disorder curriculum for the DC Department of Corrections/ CTF male/female inmates from 2015-2018. As well, she designed and implemented a Social Determinants of Health curriculum to address the opioid crisis for the Maryland Department of Health (2019). For more information, click here.
Dr. Sara Wilensky
Dr. Wilensky, JD, PhD, focuses on financing, access and health care needs of the medically underserved, with an emphasis on issues relating to Medicaid. She pursued a law degree, clerked for a federal judge, and worked briefly at a law firm, before becoming a member of the GW health policy faculty in 2002. Dr. Wilensky is the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education. In this role, she oversees programming and development for all of SPH's undergraduate offerings, including our three majors and four minors. In addition, she works with partners across the university to improve the experience for SPH's undergraduate students. For more information, click here.