Shannon Monnat
Professor, Sociology Department
Lerner Chair in Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Director and Senior Research Associate, Center for Policy Research
426 Eggers Hall
315.443.2692 | smmonnat@syr.edu
Shannon Monnat is the Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion and Population Health and director of the Center for Policy Research. She is also a professor of sociology. Monnat is a rural demographer and population health scholar who conducts research on demographic and geographic trends and differences in heath and mortality, with a specific interest in rural health and health disparities.
She is a leading national expert on structural and spatial determinants of drug overdose. Her most recent research has focused on geographic differences in COVID-19 experiences and impacts. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book chapters, research briefs and reports, and has presented her research to numerous public, academic and policy audiences, including the United Nations, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academy of Sciences, the Aspen Institute, the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy and at congressional briefings.
Monnat has been the PI or co-Investigator on over $10 million in external research funding, including from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Justice, United States Department of Agriculture, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute for New Economic Thinking.
As Lerner Chair, Monnat oversees the center’s research mission and directs related activities.
Rebekah Lewis
Director, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Rebekah Lewis is the director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. She is a senior-level program evaluation specialist with more than 15 years of experience in health and higher education settings. In her prior role at the Ottawa University Heart Institute, she provided program evaluation and qualitative research expertise for a variety of women’s cardiovascular disease prevention projects at the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre.
Previously, she served as the program evaluation lead for health professions in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University and held positions as a course lecturer and research associate at McGill and the University of California’s Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health.
Her work has been featured in the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, Contraception, and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, among other publications. Her current research focuses on improving primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among high-risk women.
She received a master of public health from Boston University School of Public Health in 2001.
Casey Collins
Digital/Social Media Specialist, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
426 Eggers Hall
315.443.3114 | ccolli37@syr.edu
Casey Collins holds a B.S. in business administration from SUNY Brockport and a certification in web design and development from MCC. With a background in digital marketing and graphic and web design, Casey brings a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving digital landscape. Her enthusiasm lies in crafting compelling brand strategies, increasing brand awareness, and executing innovative marketing campaigns. Casey will be writing, editing, and updating digital information and platforms that support The Monday Campaigns and Lerner Center programing and research initiatives.
Vicente Cuevas
Undergraduate Student Engagement Manager, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
426 Eggers Hall
vcuevas@syr.edu
Vicente Cuevas oversees the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of campus-specific engagement programs. He will organize impactful events, such as the annual social impact investigation competition (Shark Tank) with SU Blackstone Launchpad, and collaborate with faculty, campus centers and field experts on undergraduate class presentations. Additionally, Vicente will manage the organization and execution of a professional seminar series in the Maxwell School and develop and execute summer course programming.
Alyssa Kirk
Communications Specialist, Center for Policy Research
Communications Specialist, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
426 Eggers Hall
315.443.9929 | amkirk@syr.edu