Emily Whitney

Emily Whitney is an Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Health Education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She holds a doctoral degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Her research focuses on veterans' health, underage drinking, college student well-being, and motivational interviewing. She has co-authored a seminal textbook on public health advocacy and published works on interdisciplinary collaboration in education and advocacy training programs. Whitney has led student advocacy initiatives, such as the Health Education Advocacy Experience, where students engage state policymakers on communicable disease funding and prevention.

Whitney’s academic contributions include co-authoring Be the Change: Putting Health Advocacy, Policy, and Community Organization into Practice in Public Health Education, which addresses structural racism and advocacy strategies. She also published on teacher socialization in professional learning communities and the impact of advocacy experiences on student development. Her work emphasizes bridging classroom learning with real-world policy engagement, fostering the next generation of health professionals.