Michele Pettit

Michele Pettit (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor in the Public Health & Community Health Education department at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Her work focuses on mental/emotional health, violence prevention, health equity, and spirituality integration in public health contexts. She teaches courses including Stress Management, Violence Prevention, and Mental Health Issues.

• PhD in Health Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
• MPH from University of Illinois at Springfield
• BS in Health Science/Community Health with Psychology minor from Truman State University
• Graduate Certificate in Christian Spirituality from Loyola University Chicago

Her research explores intersections between:

• Spirituality and social media coping strategies during crises
• Health equity and mental health risk factors
• Violence prevention education frameworks

Recent work analyzes pandemic-related mental health patterns and spiritual resilience through mixed-methods studies. She collaborates with institutional research teams on campus health surveys and behavioral interventions.

Publications address pandemic-era coping mechanisms (2024) and school violence prevention systems (2022), with presentations at American Public Health Association conferences. Her methodological approach combines psychosomatic analysis, resilience theory, and health behavior assessment tools.

Contact: mpettit@uwlax.edu | Phone: 608.785.6789