Elizabeth French

Elizabeth French, MA, serves as the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds an adjunct academic role as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior. She leads cross-unit initiatives, including strategic planning (e.g., SPH2020), development of the Gillings MPH Core curriculum, and accreditation reporting. Her administrative roles include coordinating the Dean's Council and Practice Advisory Committee, while also fostering external partnerships.

With a MA in English (UNC-Chapel Hill, 1994) and BA in English and History (West Virginia University, 1986), French bridges academic and practical domains. Her research focuses on health care delivery, health communication, policy, and patient advocacy. She has spearheaded national patient advocacy conferences, co-edited Patient Advocacy for Health Care Quality, and guest-edited a journal issue on patient advocacy.

French advises initiatives, teaches graduate courses on patient advocacy, and chairs the School's Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. Her work emphasizes translating advocacy principles into actionable healthcare reforms.