OPHP&WD PERSONNEL
Jesse C. Bliss, MPH
Director,
Office of Public Health Practice
Native American Health Liaison,
School of Public Health
Biography
Mr. Bliss holds a BA in Psychology from La Sierra University and is an alumnus of Loma Linda University School of Public Health where he received his MPH in Global Health and received graduate certificates in health geoinformatics (GIS for public health) and humanitarian assistance. Since the mid 90s, he has passionately been involved in international service delivery and development work in the Pacific Islands, Central America, and East Africa. A faculty member in both the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and in Global Health at LLU, his commitment to culturally cognizant public health practice is evident in both his local and internationally focused activities.
Areas of Expertise and Interest
Emergency preparedness and response: he has just recently completed the development of a graduate certificate in this field.
Native American health and Tribal preparedness: He works directly with Tribes as well as through partnerships with NGOs and local county health departments to further disaster preparedness and enhance the environmental health capacity of Native Tribes.
Geographic information systems (GIS).
Areas of interest include cultural and language studies, infectious and communicable disease surveillance and prevention, and international food security/nutrition issues.
David T. Dyjack DrPH, CIH
Dean,
School of Public Health
Professor of Environmental Health
Biography
Dr. Dyjack received a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan; an MSPH in industrial hygiene from the University of Utah; and is a board certified industrial hygienist. He has provided management and leadership in varied public health activities since the mid-1980s. These efforts included management of grants and contracts for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Department of Labor; the Department of Defense and California Department of Health Services. Additionally, he has provided consultations to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Saudi Aramco, Exxon, and Texaco, among others. Dr. Dyjack is principal investigator for the school’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Regional Academic Center of Excellence in Environmental Health.
Areas of Expertise and Interest
Public health workforce capacity building, industrial hygiene, and emergency preparedness
Walleska I. Bliss, MPH
Faith Based Organization Program Manager,
Center for Public Health Preparedness
Biography
Ms. Bliss is an alumnus of Loma Linda University School of Public Health with an MPH in Global Health and a BSW from La Sierra University. Her public health experience includes overseas work with non-governmental organizations in Latin America and Africa. She has worked with government agencies to assess the psychosocial and environmental health factors affecting children and families. She is also experienced in working with vulnerable and marginalized populations such as the developmentally disabled and substance abusers, as well as mental health for counseling and rehabilitation services.
Areas of Expertise and Interest
Ms. Bliss's expertise and interests include public health preparedness for special needs populations. This includes developing and maintaining partnerships with faith- and community-based organizations for emergency preparedness and response planning.
Other interests include working internationally with underserved populations to improve quality of life and health practices involving communicable and infectious disease prevention, maternal-child health and nutrition, and research and writing.
Venice Brown, BSW
Interim Director
Continuing Professional Education
Biography
Ms. Brown oversees the CPE office of Loma Linda University School of Public Health under the Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development. She has a BSW from Southern Adventist University. She coordinates university conferences including Healthy People, Crisis and Risk Communication, Spirituality and Health, Grant Writing, and World AIDS Day. She also provides continuing education units via workshops and seminars for the University.
Angela Bennett Dyjack, MPH, REHS
Project Coordinator,
Center for Public Health Preparedness
Biography
Ms. Dyjack is an alumnus of the School of Public Health at LLU where she received her MPH in environmental health. Her undergraduate studies included biology and health science. She has more than 11 years of experience teaching environmental health courses and training environmental health professionals. She spent a year overseas training primary public health care providers in rural Southeast Asia. She also served as an environmental science project manager for more than three years at environmental consulting firms where she worked on projects including indoor air quality and industrial hygiene monitoring, environmental assessments, and disaster response planning.
Areas of Expertise and Interest
Preparedness planning, training and exercises (special focus on pandemic influenza); environmental health in developing countries
Jennifer Lopez, BS
Research Assistant,
Center for Public Health Preparedness
Biography
Ms. Lopez is an alumnus of La Sierra University, where she received a BS in biology. She has been involved in biological research studies locally and internationally. Fluent in Spanish, she has been involved with local community schools and centers, working with underserved groups to support quality of education, and promoting health awareness.
Areas of Expertise and Interest
Promoting health awareness and access to health care among underserved populations and integrating environmental health services to improve quality of life among these groups
Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman, MPH
Research Associate
Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development
Instructor of Health Geoinformatics (GIS)
Biography
Ms. Dotson-Newman has an MPH in environmental health from Loma Linda University School of Public Health and a BS in environmental science from DePaul University. While working on her master’s degree she conducted research on environmental health service delivery in Zambia and taught courses in environmental health and sciences at Zambia Adventist University.
Areas of Expertise and Interest
Public health practitioner interested in environmental and social justice issues, introductory concepts in GIS, and experience in environmental health service delivery research and meeting the needs of under-served communities
Norma Chora
Administrative Secretary
Biography
Coming Soon!
