Bethany Wexler Rainisch

Bethany Wexler Rainisch serves as Professor and Interim Department Chair in the Health Sciences Department at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), holding a PhD in Public Health from UCLA and MPH in Behavioral Science from Emory University.

Her academic foundation includes:

• PhD in Public Health, University of California Los Angeles (2012)
• MPH in Behavioral Science and Health Education, Emory University (2008)
• BA, University of California Berkeley (2003)

Dr. Rainisch's research centers on adolescent stress mechanisms, developmental trajectories, and biodemographic analysis. She leads the MATAspire Program—a SAMHSA-funded initiative delivering substance use prevention and mental health coping skills via web application to campus students—representing her third consecutive grant from this federal agency. Her work bridges public health theory with digital intervention strategies for youth populations.

As Principal Investigator on active SAMHSA grants, she oversees the MATAspire Program while teaching graduate-level Directed Comprehensive Studies (HSCI 697). She contributes to national standards as a Board member for the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), shaping accreditation frameworks for public health education programs.