Rebecca Parkin, PhD, MPH

Rebecca Tyrrell Parkin (formerly Zagraniski) is Associate Dean for Research and Public Health Practice and a Professor in both the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

In a career focused on putting cutting-edge science to work improving human health and the environment, Professor Parkin pursues two passions - conducting research and making science relevant and useful to communities. "My commitment to prevention and population approaches, and my fascination with learning from others' views and knowledge, are what drew me into public health," she says. "Once I discovered the field and all that it offered, there was no question that I had found my professional home."

As Associate Dean for Research and Public Health Practice, Dr. Parkin holds a position that is unique among schools of public health, one that highlights the School of Public Health and Health Services’ commitment to evidence-based work with public health agencies and communities. Dr. Parkin also maintains a half-time teaching and research schedule, bringing her extensive field and research experiences into the classroom to illustrate fundamental public health principles, theories and issues. Prior to joining the School, Dr. Parkin was Assistant Commissioner of Occupational and Environmental Health in the New Jersey Department of Health, one of the top three state-level positions in the public health arena.

Education

Bachelor of Arts (Sociology), Cornell University, 1970

Master of Public Heath (Environmental Health), Yale University, 1977

Doctor of Philosophy (Epidemiology), Yale University, 1982

Post-doctoral Fellowship, Yale University, National Cancer Institute (1982-83)

Mid-career Fellow in Science, Technology, and Policy, Princeton University (1993-94)

Research

Dr. Parkin's main research interests are environmental health risk perception and communication, environmental epidemiology, microbial risk assessment, drinking water contaminants, risk management and community-based research.

Community Service

The theme of service -- to the public, to students, to professional organizations and to communities -- runs through Dr. Parkin's career. In the field, she has worked with citizens wrestling with challenging environmental health issues, applying lessons learned in that capacity to her service on numerous boards and committees. Dr. Parkin has provided expertise primarily to the National Research Council, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Institute of Medicine, focusing her attention on drinking water contaminants, airborne particulates, microbial risk assessment, water conservation, and immunization safety, among other issues. As well, she has been the American Public Health Association's liaison to the National Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. In the post-9/11 environment, Professor Parkin has served on the U.S. GAO's expert panel on wastewater security; the Oak Ridge Affiliated Universities' Weapons of Mass Destruction Interagency Event Team; and the Arlington, Virginia Division of Public Health's Emergency Preparedness Planning Committee.