Kelli Russell

Kelli Russell serves as a Teaching Assistant Professor and BS Public Health Program Director in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University's College of Health and Human Performance. With over a decade of public health field experience including HIV education, emergency preparedness leadership during Hurricanes Irene and Matthew, and H1N1 response coordination, she transitioned to academia in 2010. Her leadership extends to ECU's campus-wide lactation initiative and COVID-19 contact tracing operations managing 90+ personnel.

Her educational foundation includes:

• BS in Community Health (East Carolina University)
• Master of Public Health (East Carolina University)

Russell's research centers on eliminating health disparities through maternal and child health advocacy, emergency preparedness systems, and community-based interventions. She pioneered ten campus lactation spaces at ECU and focuses on rural health equity for marginalized populations, particularly in reproductive and pediatric healthcare access. Her work bridges academic theory with practical public health response frameworks.

Her publication portfolio demonstrates consistent focus on public health education innovation and maternal-child health systems. Recent works examine pandemic mental health impacts and MCH workforce development, while her 2017 textbook established community health education methodologies. This trajectory shows increasing specialization in training future public health professionals through evidence-based program design.

Accolades reflect her multifaceted impact:

• Robert L. Jones Teaching Award (2023)
• ECU Treasured Pirate (2022)
• College of Health and Human Performance Outstanding Professional Service Award (2021)
• Omicron Delta Kappa Inductee (2021)
• ECU Creed Award
• Ray Martinez Teaching Excellence Award
• BB&T Leadership Fellows Program (2017)
• Breastfeeding Friendly Awards (2017)

As BS Public Health Program Director, Russell mentors students while leading grant-funded initiatives including the $1.5M MCH-STEP program (2021-2026) and HEP P1rates project. Her grant portfolio targets maternal-child health workforce development and rural health equity through HRSA and university funding mechanisms.

Russell directs ECU's Maternal and Child Health Scholars program and previously managed the university's emergency contact tracing operation, demonstrating operational leadership in both academic and crisis-response environments.