John P. Elia

John P. Elia is the Associate Dean of the College of Health & Social Sciences at San Francisco State University (SFSU), a role he has held since 2016, following his tenure as Interim Associate Dean since 2014. He is also a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Health Education, where he has taught since 1987. His expertise spans the history of public health, sexuality education, and U.S. higher education.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degrees in History and Physical Education (Kinesiology) from SFSU
• Master’s in History from SFSU
• Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of American Education from UC Davis

Research & Publications: Elia’s research focuses on San Francisco’s public health history, school-based sexuality education, and historical/philosophical dimensions of U.S. higher education. He has co-edited five books and authored numerous scholarly articles in human sexuality and queer studies. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Homosexuality, a leading international peer-reviewed journal in sexuality studies.

Awards: Recipient of the prestigious Sarlo Award for Teaching Excellence (2010).

Teaching Specializations: Courses on U.S. public health history, contemporary sexuality, health in society, and 20th-century social movements.