Ellen Schafer

Ellen Schafer, PhD, MPH, MCHES, is an Associate Professor and MPH Graduate Program Director at Boise State University's School of Public and Population Health. She holds a PhD in Public Health (Community and Behavioral Health) from the University of Iowa (2015) and an MPH in Community Health Education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (2006). Her research focuses on social context and network influences on health behaviors, particularly in infant feeding and care. She previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Maternal and Child Health at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Schafer teaches health promotion, public health, and related courses. Her professional experience includes roles as Assistant Director of Student Health for Health Promotion at the University of Mississippi and as a health and wellness specialist with the Greater Southern Tier Board of Cooperative Educational Services, where she developed tobacco-free policies in K-12 schools. She is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).

Her academic journey includes a BA in Mathematics and a BS in Health Education K-12 from Ithaca College. She oversees the MPH program and directs health education initiatives, emphasizing community-based approaches to public health challenges.