Dr. Linda Alexander has dedicated over 35 years to advancing public health through strategic leadership, collaborative partnerships, and a commitment to community engagement. Her career encompasses academia, federal agencies, and community organizations, significantly contributing to science, policy, and workforce development.
Originally a behavioral scientist, Dr. Alexander completed an NIH-funded post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology in the 1990s. She later became Director of the Minority Health Research Laboratory at the University of Maryland. In 2002, she joined the University of Kentucky as the inaugural Director of the Health Education through Extension Leadership (HEEL) project, where she played key roles with the Kentucky Cooperative Extension and collaborated with the Colleges of Agriculture and Medicine. Her commitment to community-engaged scholarship led her to co-found Colors of Promise, a breast cancer awareness initiative for women of color in Lexington, which aligns with the mission of the UK Markey Cancer Center.
Dr. Alexander’s academic contributions have been most prominent in tobacco-related health disparities. She was a founding member of the Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND) and served as Senior Volume Editor for the National Cancer Institute’s Monograph 22. In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted her TReND tobacco framework in its smoking cessation goals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Alexander was appointed to the West Virginia COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group, where she addressed the needs of rural, ethnic, and underserved populations. Her leadership also extends to the Board of Directors for Public Health Watch, an organization focused on environmental health and social justice, and the Arkansas Cancer Coalition, which targets cancer disparities in rural and Black communities.
Before transitioning to her current role, Dr. Alexander was a primary representative to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), serving as academic dean at two CEPH-accredited schools. She played a pivotal role in shaping public health education by fostering inclusive learning environments and advancing cultural competence.
Now, as Chief Academic Officer for ASPPH, she oversees education, accreditation, and workforce initiatives, working with national and global partners to enhance public health education. She also leads grant-funded initiatives, including a CDC project to establish national standards for infectious disease certification and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative to dismantle structural barriers in academic institutions.
Throughout her career, Dr. Linda Alexander has been a visionary leader, advocating for health equity, community engagement, and workforce development. Her legacy continues to shape the future of public health education, policy, and practice.
