Diana R Silver
Diana R Silver
Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs
Professor of Public Health Policy and Management
-
Professional overview
-
Dr. Diana Silver's research explores the impact of variation in the implementation, adoption and repeal of state and local public health policies on health outcomes, particularly alcohol consumption, motor vehicle crashes, tobacco use, and food safety. Some of her other work has examined variation in access to publicly funded services such as clinics, after-school programs, parks and playgrounds. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and several other funders.
Dr. Silver's work has been published in a variety of prominent journals, including the American Journal of Public Health, the American Journal of Health Promotion, Public Health, Tobacco Control, Journal of Safety Research, Social Science and Medicine, the American Journal of Evaluation, PLoS One, Journal of Community Health, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, International Journal of Equity in Health, Globalization and Health, Youth and Society, Public Administration Review and Policy Studies Journal. She is an associate editor for the American Journal of Health Promotion, and serves on the New York City Department of Health’s Health Advisory Committee. She began her career focused on the developing policies and programs that could address the epidemics of AIDS, substance abuse and violence in New York City, in such settings as schools, workplaces, jails, and homeless shelters.
Dr. Silver teaches undergraduate and master’s level courses at the School of Global Health, and trains doctoral students. In 2015, Dr. Silver received NYU’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the university’s highest honor for teaching excellence.
-
Education
-
BA, History, Bates College, Lewiston, MEMPH, Health Education, Hunter College, New York City, NYPhD, Public Administration, New York University, New York City, NY
-
Honors and awards
-
Distinguished Teaching Award, New York University (2015)Steinhardt Goddard Award (2011)Annual Award for Outstanding Evaluation, American Evaluation Association (2010)Public Affairs Resident Scholar, The Rockefeller Foundation (2007)
-
Areas of research and study
-
Access to HealthcareAlcohol, Tobacco and Driving PoliciesFood Safety PoliciesImplementation and Impact of Public Health RegulationsInjury PreventionNew York Department of Health and Mental HygienePublic Health LawPublic Health Policy
-
Publications
Publications
Setting an agenda for local action: The limits of expert opinion and community voice
AbstractSilver, D., Weitzman, B., & Brecher, C. (n.d.).Publication year
2002Journal title
Policy Studies JournalVolume
30Issue
3Page(s)
362-378AbstractMany social programs, funded by government or philanthropy, begin with efforts to improve local conditions with strategic planning. Mandated by funders, these processes aim to include the views of community residents and those with technical expertise. Program leaders are left to reconcile public and expert opinions in determining how to shape their programs. The experience of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Urban Health Initiative suggests that although consultation with experts and the public failed to reveal a clear assessment of the community's problems or their solutions, it did assist in engaging diverse groups. Despite this engagement, however, core leaders wielded substantial power in selecting the agenda.Health promotion in the city: A structured review of the literature on interventions to prevent heart disease, substance abuse, violence and HIV infection in US metropolitan areas, 1980-1995
AbstractFreudenberg, N., Silver, D., Carmona, J. M., Kass, D., Lancaster, B., & Speers, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2000Journal title
Journal of Urban HealthVolume
77Issue
3Page(s)
443-457AbstractTo achieve its national public health goals, the US must improve the health of low-income urban populations. To contribute to this process, this study reviewed published reports of health promotion interventions designed to prevent heart disease, HIV infection, substance abuse, and violence in US cities. The study's objectives were to describe the target populations, settings, and program characteristics of these interventions and to assess the extent to which these programs followed accepted principles for health promotion. Investigators searched five computerized databases and references of selected articles for articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 1980 and 1995. Selected articles listed as a main goal primary prevention of one of four index conditions; were carried out within a US city; included sufficient information to characterize the intervention; and organized at least 25% of its activities within a community setting. In general, programs reached a diverse population of low-income city residents in a variety of settings, employed multiple strategies, and recognized at least some of the principles of effective health promotion. Most programs reported a systematic evaluation. However, many programs did not involve participants in planning, intervene to change underlying social causes, last more than a year, or tailor for the subpopulations they targeted, limiting their potential effectiveness. Few programs addressed the unique characteristics of urban communities.Everyday heroes: A review of Something Better for My Children: The History and People of Head Start by Kay Mills
Silver, D. (n.d.).Publication year
1998Journal title
New York Times Book ReviewLetter: A way to cut out crime
Weitzman, B., & Silver, D. (n.d.). In New York Times (1–).Publication year
1997One method for assessing HIV/AIDS peer-education programs
AbstractHaignere, C. S., Freudenberg, N., Silver, D. R., Maslanka, H., & Kelley, J. T. (n.d.).Publication year
1997Journal title
Journal of Adolescent HealthVolume
21Issue
2Page(s)
76-79AbstractThis study offers a new evaluation methodology for peer-education programs. Peer educators' knowledge, self-esteem, peer pressure, and the number of friends, neighbors, and relatives given HIV/AIDS information were compared before and after training using self-administered questionnaires. Significant changes were observed in knowledge, peer pressure, self-efficacy, numbers of people given condoms, number of formal and informal HIV/AIDS presentations, and numbers of HIV/AIDS discussions with friends and neighbors.How black and Latino community organizations respond to the AIDS epidemic: a case study in one New York City neighborhood.
Freudenberg, N., Lee, J., & Silver, D. (n.d.).Publication year
1989Journal title
AIDS education and prevention : official publication of the International Society for AIDS EducationVolume
1Issue
1Page(s)
12-21