David Washburn

David Washburn is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. His academic journey includes a Sc.D. and S.M. from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a B.A. in International Relations from Brown University. Prior to academia, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and held strategic healthcare planning roles at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and Stanford Health Care. He has secured over $8 million in research grants as Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, or Co-Investigator, including a major evaluation of Texas’ Medicaid Waiver program.

His research focuses on Health Policy and Management, Health Systems Administration, and Immigration and Health. Key areas of investigation include healthcare access disparities, pandemic response strategies, and rural health funding mechanisms. His work frequently addresses systemic inequities in treatment access and the interplay between policy and clinical outcomes.

• Education:
  • Sc.D., Global Health & Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2011)
  • S.M., Population & International Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2005)
  • B.A., International Relations, Brown University (1998)

Dr. Washburn’s publications reflect a commitment to addressing real-world challenges through rigorous analysis. Recent work examines vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers, telehealth adoption patterns, and social determinants of health behaviors in low-resource settings. His 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award from Texas A&M underscores his excellence in teaching.

• Awards:
  • 2022: Distinguished Achievement Award at Texas A&M
  • 2011: U.S. Presidential Management Fellow
  • 2007: Fulbright Scholar (Garcia Robles Program)

As MHA Program Director, he shapes future leaders in healthcare administration while maintaining active roles in grant-funded research. His current projects emphasize sustainable funding models for rural public health initiatives and evaluating Medicaid reforms. He collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across academic institutions and healthcare systems to translate research into actionable policy.