Cheryl Merzel
Cheryl Merzel
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Director of Doctor of Public Health Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Health Science and Practice
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Professional overview
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Cheryl Merzel has over 30 years’ experience in public health research, evaluation, program development, advocacy, and education. She is Director of the GPH Doctor of Public Health program. Previously, she served as the School’s MPH Program Director and as Director of Educational Advancement and Assessment. In addition to NYU, she has served on the public health faculty at a number of institutions including Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the City University of New York, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Merzel is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Merzel’s work focuses on the design and evaluation of community-based health promotion interventions and development of community capacity to engage in efforts to improve population health. Past areas of research include adolescent health, maternal and child health, and tobacco control. Her recent work involves developing approaches to support public health practitioners and communities in translating research to relevant, evidence-based practice. Dr. Merzel is committed to improving public health pedagogy through scholarship and innovative teaching practice.
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Education
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BA, Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NYMS, Jewish Education, Yeshiva University, New York, NYMPH, Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NYDrPH, Sociomedical Sciences/Political Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
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Honors and awards
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Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, Delta Beta Chapter (2016)Calderone Award for Junior Faculty Development, Columbia University (2000)Marissa de Castro Benton Dissertation Prize, Columbia University (1988)Alumni Scholarship, Columbia University (1987)
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Areas of research and study
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Community-based health promotionCommunity-based intervention design and evaluationCommunity-based participatory researchDissemination and Implementation of Evidence-based ProgramsPublic Health Pedagogy
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Publications
Publications
Advancing Pedagogies to Promote Mental Health and Interprofessional Education
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2023Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
9Issue
1Page(s)
3-4Pedagogy for Transformative Teaching and Learning
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2023Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
9Issue
4Page(s)
231-233Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on the Frontlines of Education
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
8Issue
3Page(s)
171-173Pedagogy in Health Promotion: Our Focus Is The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
8Issue
1Page(s)
3-5Pedagogy to Guide the Next 70 Years of SOPHE and 150 Years of American Public Health
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
8Issue
4Page(s)
243-245Realizing Promising Educational Practices in Academic Public Health: A Model for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
AbstractNeubauer, L. C., Merzel, C., Weist, E. M., Corvin, J. A., Forsman, A., Fraser, J., Henderson, H. L., Hinyard, L. J., Opacich, K. J., & Runnerstrom, M. G. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Frontiers in Public HealthVolume
9AbstractThis paper presents a conceptual framework and critical considerations for the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in academic public health. Academic education for public health has undergone significant transformation over the last two decades as the demand for responsive and innovative public health pedagogy and training for preparing graduates to deploy an increasing array of skills has grown. The authors suggest that the role of schools, administrators, faculty, and educational staff in developing promising practices for teaching and learning in public health involves an articulated conceptual framework to guide the development and dissemination of scholarly, pedagogical innovations. Building on seminal philosophical foundations of SoTL, the authors conceptualize SoTL from the foundational belief that knowing and learning are communal tasks and that faculty are both scholars and learners in the practice of education. The paper advocates for SoTL as a form of engaged practice and scholarly inquiry that exists in contextually rich, diverse educational environments that abounds with uncertainty. SoTL is guided by an educational philosophy, values, and learning theories that envision educators critically examining themselves, their teaching practice, scholarly literature, and students' learning to improve their teaching, enhance learning, and promote further inquiry. The authors suggest that SoTL involves the search for multiple forms of evidence and fosters dialogues on multiple interpretations and perspectives of the most promising practices of teaching and learning. The authors advocate for the term promising practices as an outcome of SoTL that supports and nurtures ongoing scientific discovery and knowledge generation, instead of supporting the search for best-ness in teaching and learning endeavors. SoTL should occur across formal, informal, and nonformal education.Forming the Future: Undergraduate Pedagogy in Health Promotion and Public Health
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
7Issue
3Page(s)
167-168Looking to the Future: Reimagining Pedagogy in Health Promotion and Public Health
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
7Issue
2Page(s)
87-88Message From the Editor-in-Chief
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
7Issue
4Page(s)
295The Road to a New Normal: Reflecting on Pedagogy During a Pandemic
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
7Issue
1Page(s)
3-4Advancing Pedagogy in Health Promotion: Innovations in Student Participation, Place-Based Pedagogy, and Service Learning
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
6Issue
2Page(s)
83-84Message From the Editor-in-Chief
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
6Issue
3Page(s)
155Message From the Editor-in-Chief
Merzel, C. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
6Issue
1Page(s)
4-5Message From the Editor-in-Chief: Pedagogy for a Pandemic and Beyond
Merzel, C. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
6Issue
4Page(s)
231-232Pedagogical Scholarship in Public Health: A Call for Cultivating Learning Communities to Support Evidence-Based Education
AbstractMerzel, C., Halkitis, P., & Healton, C. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Public Health ReportsVolume
132Issue
6Page(s)
679-683AbstractPublic health education is experiencing record growth and transformation. The current emphasis on learning outcomes necessitates attention to creating and evaluating the best curricula and learning methods for helping public health students develop public health competencies. Schools and programs of public health would benefit from active engagement in pedagogical research and additional platforms to support dissemination and implementation of educational research findings. We reviewed current avenues for sharing public health educational research, curricula, and best teaching practices; we identified useful models from other health professions; and we offered suggestions for how the field of public health education can develop communities of learning devoted to supporting pedagogy. Our goal was to help advance an agenda of innovative evidence-based public health education, enabling schools and programs of public health to evaluate and measure success in meeting the current and future needs of the public health profession.Becoming a Professional: Online Discussion Boards as a Tool for Developing Professionalism among MPH Students
Merzel, C., & Goodman, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Pedagogy in Health PromotionVolume
2Issue
3Page(s)
154-160Smoking cessation among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
AbstractMerzel, C. R., Isasi, C. R., Strizich, G., Castañeda, S. F., Gellman, M., Maisonet Giachello, A. L., Lee, D. J., Penedo, F. J., Perreira, K. M., & Kaplan, R. C. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Preventive MedicineVolume
81Page(s)
412-419AbstractThis paper examines patterns of smoking cessation among Hispanics/Latinos with particular attention to gender, acculturation, and national background. Data are from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a population-based study of 16,415 non-institutionalized Hispanics/Latinos ages 18-74 from a stratified random sample of households in Chicago, Miami, the Bronx, and San Diego. Face-to-face interviews, in English or Spanish, were conducted from 2008 to 2011. Findings are based on 6398 participants who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Associations with smoking cessation outcomes were assessed in bivariate and multivariable analyses. Findings indicate that approximately equal proportions of men and women were former smokers. There was little difference by gender in socioeconomic characteristics associated with smoking cessation. Both men and women who lived in households with smokers were less likely to be abstinent. Multivariable analysis indicated that the likelihood of quitting varied by national background primarily among men, however, Puerto Rican and Cuban smokers of both genders were the least likely to successfully quit smoking. Among women, but not men, younger and more socially acculturated individuals had lower odds of sustaining cessation. Over 90% of female and male former smokers reported quitting on their own without cessation aids or therapy. The results suggest that many Hispanics/Latinos are self-motivated to quit and are able to do so without clinical assistance. Heterogeneity in smoking behaviors among Hispanics/Latinos should be taken into account when developing and delivering smoking cessation interventions and public health campaigns.Using the Interactive Systems Framework to Support a Quality Improvement Approach to Dissemination of Evidence-Based Strategies to Promote Early Detection of Breast Cancer: Planning a Comprehensive Dynamic Trial
AbstractRapkin, B. D., Weiss, E. S., Lounsbury, D. W., Thompson, H. S., Goodman, R. M., Schechter, C. B., Merzel, C., Shelton, R. C., Blank, A. E., Erb-Downward, J., Williams, A., Valera, P., & Padgett, D. K. (n.d.).Publication year
2012Journal title
American journal of community psychologyVolume
50Issue
3Page(s)
497-517AbstractDissemination efforts must optimize interventions for new settings and populations. As such, dissemination research should incorporate principles of quality improvement. Comprehensive Dynamic Trial (CDT) designs examine how information gained during dissemination may be used to modify interventions and improve performance. Although CDT may offer distinct advantages over static designs, organizing the many necessary roles and activities is a significant challenge. In this article, we discuss use of the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation to systematically implement a CDT. Specifically, we describe "Bronx ACCESS", a program designed to disseminate evidence-based strategies to promote adherence to mammography guidelines. In Bronx ACCESS, the Intervention Delivery System will elicit information needed to adapt strategies to specific settings and circumstances. The Intervention Synthesis and Translation System will use this information to test changes to strategies through "embedded experiments". The Intervention Support System will build local capacities found to be necessary for intervention institutionalization. Simulation modeling will be used to integrate findings across systems. Results will inform on-going policy debate about interventions needed to promote population-level screening. More generally, this project is intended to advance understanding of research paradigms necessary to study dissemination.Identifying women at-risk for smoking resumption after pregnancy
AbstractMerzel, C., English, K., & Moon-Howard, J. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
Maternal and Child Health JournalVolume
14Issue
4Page(s)
600-611AbstractWhile prevalence of smoking during pregnancy has declined over the past two decades, maintenance of cessation after pregnancy remains an important public health challenge, particularly for women of color. This article reports on methods for improving detection of women at risk for smoking resumption after pregnancy through the use of an evidence-based smoking assessment instrument. The instrument was adapted for use by lay health workers in a community-based maternal and infant health program. A total of 276 primarily low-income Black and Hispanic pregnant and postnatal women enrolled in the program were screened for tobacco use in an initial assessment. Of these, 190 were reassessed an average of 2.7 months later. Assessments included measures of current and past smoking and risk factors associated with relapse. Bivariate differences by smoking status were analyzed. Seventeen percent of participants who would be classified as non-smokers using less sensitive screening questions were identified as former smokers and at-risk for resuming smoking. Twenty-two percent of former smokers resumed smoking by reassessment. Smoking resumption among former smokers was associated with having a partner and household members who smoked. Identification of former smokers is critical in order to prevent resumption of smoking after pregnancy and promote long-term maternal smoking cessation. Brief assessment instruments administered at multiple points in time during the prenatal and postnatal periods are an effective means of improving detection of women at risk for smoking resumption. Former smokers should be included in prenatal and postnatal tobacco education and counseling services.Translating public health knowledge into practice: Development of a lay health advisor perinatal tobacco cessation program
AbstractEnglish, K. C., Merzel, C., & Moon-Howard, J. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
Journal of Public Health Management and PracticeVolume
16Issue
3Page(s)
E9-E19AbstractThe value of lay health advisor (LHA) interventions as an effective approach toward ameliorating racial, ethnic and/socioeconomic health disparities has been noted by researchers and policy makers. Translating scientific knowledge to bring state-of-the-art health promotion/disease prevention innovation to underserved populations is critical for addressing these health disparities. This article examines the experiences of a community-academic partnership in designing, developing, and implementing an evidence-based, LHA-driven perinatal tobacco cessation program for low-income, predominately African American and Hispanic women. A multimethod process evaluation was conducted to analyze three essential domains of program implementation: (1) fit of the tobacco cessation program into the broader project context, (2) feasibility of program implementation, and (3) fidelity to program implementation protocols. Findings indicate that project partners have largely succeeded in integrating an evidence-based tobacco cessation program into a community-based maternal and infant health project. The successful implementation of this intervention appears to be attributable to the following two predominant factors: (1) the utilization of a scientifically validated tobacco cessation intervention model and (2) the emphasis on continuous LHA training and capacity development.Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among older children and adolescents with HIV: A qualitative study of psychosocial contexts
AbstractMerzel, C., VanDevanter, N., & Irvine, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2008Journal title
AIDS patient care and STDsVolume
22Issue
12Page(s)
977-987AbstractSurvival among perinatally infected children and youth with HIV has been greatly extended since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapies. Yet, adherence to HIV medication regimens is suboptimal and decreases as children reach adolescence. This paper reports on a qualitative study examining psychosocial factors associated with adherence among perinatally infected youth ages 10-16 years. The study was based on in-depth interviews with a sample of 30 caregivers participating in a comprehensive health care program in New York City serving families with HIV. A subsample comprising 14 caregivers of children ages 10 and above is the focus of this paper. The analysis identified a number of themes associated with the psychosocial context of managing adherence among older children. Maintaining adherence was an ongoing challenge and strategies evolved as children matured. Regimen fatigue and resistance to taking the medications were major challenges to maintaining adherence among the oldest children. In other cases, caregivers developed a kind of partnership with their child for administering the medications. Disclosure to the child of his or her HIV status was used as a strategy to promote adherence but seemed to be effective only under certain circumstances. Social support appeared to have an indirect influence on adherence, primarily by providing caregivers with temporary help when needed. Health care professionals were an important source of disclosure and adherence support for parents. The study illustrates the interplay of maturational issues with other contextual psychosocial factors as influences on adherence among older children and adolescents.Check out that body: A community awareness campaign in New York City
AbstractBleakley, A., Merzel, C., Messeri, P., Gift, T., Kevin Malotte, C., Middlestadt, S., & VanDevanter, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2008Journal title
Journal of Primary PreventionVolume
29Issue
4Page(s)
331-339AbstractThe authors evaluate the effectiveness of the small media campaign in raising community awareness about the importance of going for a health check up. Data were collected over time from 535 respondents ages 15-30 years using cross-sectional surveys in two low-income, predominantly African-American communities in New York city. Regression analyses indicated campaign material recognition at 15 months was significantly higher in the intervention community relative to the comparison community. There were no significant changes in social norms, attitudes, or beliefs. Media campaigns aimed at adolescents and young adults on a community-wide level are an effective means of gaining material recognition. Editors' Strategic Implications: This research illustrates the effect of a public health media campaign on awareness, but it also serves as a reminder to public health officials that awareness is not necessarily sufficient to promote attitudinal or behavioral health changes.Making the connections: Community capacity for tobacco control in an Urban African American Community
AbstractMerzel, C., Moon-Howard, J., Dickerson, D., Ramjohn, D., & VanDevanter, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2008Journal title
American journal of community psychologyVolume
41Issue
1Page(s)
74-88AbstractDeveloping community capacity to improve health is a cornerstone of community-based public health. The concept of community capacity reflects numerous facets and dimensions of community life and can have different meanings in different contexts. This paper explores how members of one community identify and interpret key aspects of their community's capacity to limit the availability and use of tobacco products. Particular attention is given to examining the interrelationship between various dimensions of community capacity in order to better understand the processes by which communities are able to mobilize for social change. The study is based on qualitative analysis of 19 in-depth interviews with key informants representing a variety of community sectors in Harlem, New York City. Findings indicate that the community is viewed as rich in human and social resources. A strong sense of community identity and connectedness underlies this reserve and serves as a catalyst for action.Developing and Sustaining Community—Academic Partnerships: Lessons From Downstate New York Healthy Start
AbstractMerzel, C., Burrus, G., Davis, J., Moses, N., Rumley, S., & Walters, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2007Journal title
Health promotion practiceVolume
8Issue
4Page(s)
375-383AbstractPartnering with communities is a critical aspect of contemporary health promotion. Linkages between universities and communities are particularly significant, given the prominence of academic institutions in channeling grants. This article describes the collaboration between a school of public health and several community-based organizations on a maternal and infant health grant project. The partnership serves as a model for ways in which a university and community organizations can interrelate and interact. Central lessons include the significance of sharing values and goals, the benefit of drawing on the different strengths of each partner, the gap created by the university's institutional focus on research rather than service and advocacy, and the strains created by power inequities and distribution of funds. A key element of the partnership's success is the emphasis on capacity building and colearning. The project demonstrates the potential of employing community—academic partnerships as a valuable mechanism for implementing community-based health promotion programs.A community-based intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents: The gonorrhea community action project
AbstractVanDevanter, N. L., Messeri, P., Middlestadt, S. E., Bleakley, A., Merzel, C. R., Hogben, M., Ledsky, R., Malotte, C. K., Cohall, R. M., Gift, T. L., & St. Lawrence, J. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
American journal of public healthVolume
95Issue
2Page(s)
331-337AbstractObjectives. We evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents. Methods. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years, recruited from community-based organizations in 2 different communities, were randomized into either a 3-session intervention or a control condition. We estimated outcomes from 3-month follow-up data using logistic and ordinary least squares regression. Results. Female intervention participants were significantly more likely than female control participants to have scheduled a health care appointment (odds ratio [OR]=3.04), undergone a checkup (OR=2.87), and discussed with friends or family members the importance of undergoing a checkup (OR=4.5). There were no differences between male intervention and male control participants in terms of outcomes. Conclusions. This theory-driven, community-based group intervention significantly increased preventive health care seeking among female adolescents. Further research is needed, however, to identify interventions that will produce successful outcomes among male adolescents.