Rodney Lyn

Dr. Rodney Lyn serves as Dean of the Georgia State University School of Public Health (appointed May 2021) and Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences. A Georgia State faculty member since 2007, he previously held leadership roles including Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (2012-2018), Senior Associate Dean (2018-2021), and Interim Dean (2019-2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, he co-led the university's campus-wide response efforts across testing, vaccinations, and data management.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies, Georgia State University (2008)
• M.S. in Exercise Science, Georgia State University (1997)
• B.A. in Biology and Physical Education, St. Andrews Presbyterian College (1995)

Dr. Lyn's research centers on chronic disease prevention with emphasis on physical activity, healthy eating, obesity, and cancer, with specialized focus on health equity and disparities. His expertise spans community-based interventions, social/behavioral sciences, and policy/system/environmental change approaches. He actively investigates social determinants of health and resilience in vulnerable populations, particularly refugees and low-income minority communities.

He directs an active research portfolio exceeding $16 million in federal/state/foundation funding, including:

• CDC-funded Community Health Workers for COVID-19 Response and Resilience (Fulton County partnership)
• CDC-supported Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (Morehouse School of Medicine collaboration)
• Healthcare Georgia Foundation-funded Georgia Childhood Obesity Prevention Program
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study on mortality disparities in Southern minority communities
• CDC-established Prevention Research Center focused on refugee health in Clarkston, GA

He previously served as Deputy Director for the NIH-supported GSU Center of Excellence on Health Disparities Research, overseeing its Health Disparities Fellowship program.

As Co-Principal Investigator of Georgia State's Prevention Research Center, he leads initiatives addressing refugee health and social determinants in Clarkston ('most diverse square mile in the U.S.'). His prior leadership of the NIH Center of Excellence on Health Disparities Research involved comprehensive oversight of research, fiscal, and fellowship programs.