The health policy and management department at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is continually growing in an effort to meet the growing needs of its students and research initiatives. This quarter, the department welcomes two new faculty members: Justin Blackburn, PhD, as assistant professor and Marion Greene, PhD, as visiting research assistant professor. Additionally, the Fairbanks School of Public Health welcomes a new director of alumni programs, Zoe Owens, who will assist with alumni relations.
Health Policy and Management Department Continues to Grow
Justin Blackburn, PhD
Dr. Blackburn brings a research focus primarily on leveraging large administrative data sets to evaluate public health policy and outcomes at the state, local, and national level. He has experience collaborating with state and local public health agencies, and has applied methodologically innovative approaches to evaluating important public health topics, including dental health services and outcomes, long-term care policy and outcomes, Medicaid and CHIP coverage, and measuring health care quality.
In his role, Dr. Blackburn will collaborate with faculty in the IU Center for Aging Research on the OPTIMISTIC Project, which is designed to reduce hospitalizations among nursing home residents. He will strive to increase the department’s footprint in Medicaid and CHIP policy research and will develop a doctoral seminar in health policy for this fall. He eventually plans to teach a research methods course.
Joining the department from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dr. Blackburn was previously an assistant professor of outcomes research in the Department of Health Care Organization & Policy. He holds a MPH in epidemiology from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health.
Marion Greene, PhD
Dr. Greene previously served as a public health research analyst in the HPM department. As the department’s new visiting research assistant professor, she will continue her behavioral health research, focusing on addiction issues and the opioid epidemic. More specifically, Dr. Greene's interests include assessing trends in opioid use and physicians’ prescribing patterns, progression from prescription opioids to illicit opioids; and identifying patients who are at high risk for developing addiction. In addition to research, she will continue her collaboration with state agencies and remain involved with students, teaching one course a year.
Dr. Greene received her PhD in epidemiology from the Fairbanks School of Public Health and her MPH in epidemiology and behavioral health sciences from Indiana University.
Zoe Owens
Zoe Owens started in February at the IU Alumni Association as the new director of alumni programs for the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Having served most recently as the director of constituent relations for the alumni association at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and in several positions in SIU’s admissions office, Owens has a wealth of experience.
She describes herself as an innovative strategic planner, an energizing, culture-focused coach and mentor, and a collaborative team member. In this new role, Owens will provide programs and services for health policy and management alumni, as well as alumni of the Fairbanks School of Public Health at large.