Cheryl Merzel

Director of Doctor of Public Health Program

Clinical Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Health Science and Practice

Professional overview

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. 

Education

BA, Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY

MS, Jewish Education, Yeshiva University, New York, NY

MPH, Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY

DrPH, Sociomedical Sciences/Political Science, Columbia University, New York, NY

Honors and awards

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)

Areas of research and study

Community-based health promotion

Community-based intervention design and evaluation

Community-based participatory research

Dissemination and Implementation of Evidence-based Programs

Public Health Pedagogy

Publications

Publications

Advancing Pedagogies to Promote Mental Health and Interprofessional Education

Pedagogy for Transformative Teaching and Learning

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on the Frontlines of Education

Pedagogy in Health Promotion: Our Focus Is The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Pedagogy to Guide the Next 70 Years of SOPHE and 150 Years of American Public Health

Realizing Promising Educational Practices in Academic Public Health: A Model for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Forming the Future: Undergraduate Pedagogy in Health Promotion and Public Health

Looking to the Future: Reimagining Pedagogy in Health Promotion and Public Health

Message From the Editor-in-Chief

The Road to a New Normal: Reflecting on Pedagogy During a Pandemic

Advancing Pedagogy in Health Promotion: Innovations in Student Participation, Place-Based Pedagogy, and Service Learning

Message From the Editor-in-Chief

Message From the Editor-in-Chief

Message From the Editor-in-Chief: Pedagogy for a Pandemic and Beyond

Pedagogical Scholarship in Public Health: A Call for Cultivating Learning Communities to Support Evidence-Based Education

Merzel, C., Halkitis, P., & Healton, C. (n.d.).

Publication year

2017

Journal title

Public Health Reports

Volume

132

Issue

6

Page(s)

679-683

10.1177/0033354917733745

Abstract

Abstract

Public 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

Smoking cessation among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

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

Identifying women at-risk for smoking resumption after pregnancy

Merzel, C., English, K., & Moon-Howard, J. (n.d.).

Publication year

2010

Journal title

Maternal and Child Health Journal

Volume

14

Issue

4

Page(s)

600-611

10.1007/s10995-009-0502-1

Abstract

Abstract

While 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

English, K. C., Merzel, C., & Moon-Howard, J. (n.d.).

Publication year

2010

Journal title

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice

Volume

16

Issue

3

Page(s)

E9-E19

10.1097/PHH.0b013e3181af6387

Abstract

Abstract

The 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

Check out that body: A community awareness campaign in New York City

Making the connections: Community capacity for tobacco control in an Urban African American Community

Merzel, C., Moon-Howard, J., Dickerson, D., Ramjohn, D., & VanDevanter, N. (n.d.).

Publication year

2008

Journal title

American journal of community psychology

Volume

41

Issue

1

Page(s)

74-88

10.1007/s10464-007-9155-7

Abstract

Abstract

Developing 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

A community-based intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents: The gonorrhea community action project