John Wiesman

John Wiesman is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He serves as Associate Dean for Practice and Director of the doctoral program in Public Health Executive Leadership. Previously, he held the role of Washington State Secretary of Health, leading pandemic response efforts during the initial 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. His career spans 30 years in governmental public health, including roles at four local health departments and the University of Washington.

Education:

• DrPH in Public Health Executive Leadership, UNC-Chapel Hill (2012)
• MPH in Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale University (1987)
• BA in Biology, Lawrence University (1983)

Research Interests: Focused on public health leadership, pandemic preparedness, health equity, and policy implementation. Notable achievements include raising the tobacco purchase age to 21, implementing gender X birth certificate options, and integrating tribal nations into state public health funding. Active in HIV/AIDS policy through roles with PACHA and PEPFAR.

Leadership & Grants: Teaches courses including HPM 730 (Leadership Strategies) and HPM 810 (Health Law Ethics). Leads Gillings' practice strategic plan implementation. Formerly co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under both Trump and Biden administrations.

Labs/Teams: Oversees the Gillings School's CDC public health preparedness center and Partnership Hubs initiatives connecting students with local health departments.