Whitney Rice

Whitney S. Rice, DrPH, MPH is a Rollins Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. She serves as Director and Principal Investigator of the Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE), leading participatory and justice-oriented research on reproductive health policy and services. Her research examines social and structural determinants of sexual and reproductive health equity using mixed-methods approaches.

Education:

• BS, Georgia Institute of Technology
• MPH, Emory University
• DrPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Postdoctoral Research Traineeship, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr. Rice's research program investigates systemic barriers to reproductive healthcare access, health policy impacts on marginalized populations, and innovative methodologies for health equity research. She employs stakeholder-engaged approaches to translate findings into policy and practice, with particular expertise in abortion access, contraceptive equity, HIV prevention, and intersectional stigma.

Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on reproductive health policy evaluation, abortion access under restrictive laws, contraceptive decision-making, HIV prevention methodologies, and health equity frameworks. Research employs diverse methodologies including systematic reviews, discrete choice experiments, qualitative analyses, and national surveys.

Awards & Honors:

• 2019 Outstanding Young Professional Award (APHA SRH Section)
• Inaugural RSPH Faculty Leadership Award (2023)
• BSHES Distinguished Teaching Award (2024)

Dr. Rice teaches BSHES 540: Research Methods and leads the Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE), which conducts community-engaged reproductive health policy research across the U.S. South. She regularly provides expert commentary on reproductive health policy in national media.