Jean O'Connor
Affiliated Professor
Adjunct Professor
Adjunct or Visiting, Health Policy and Management
Adjunct or Visiting, Behavioral/Social/Health Educ
Affiliate, Executive MPH
Jean C. O'Connor, JD, MPH, DrPH, FACHE is an adjunct professor at Rollins where she teaches students how to develop and implement law and policy changes to address public challenges. In her other work, she is also a Part-Time Associate Professor at the University of Georgia College of Public Health and the Director of the Health Sector at Econometrica Inc where she works with governments and organizations to improve the health of populations. She has worked at other major consulting firms since 2018. Before that, she spent almost 20 years in state and federal public health policy and leadership roles, including at CDC and in senior executive roles in two state health departments and a Governor’s Office. She is a member of the Bar in Georgia and Oregon, a Project Management Professional, and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She serves on several public health non-profit boards, including Heluna Health and the Georgia Council for Recovery. She is passionate about advancing public health practice and education and has received multiple honors and awards for her contributions. In 2022, she was named as an Emory Medalist for her outstanding service and impact in the field of public health. In 2024, UGA College of Public Health students honored her with a faculty award for her teaching. She earned her Doctor of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Executive. She is a proud triple Eagle, and earned her Juris Doctor, Master of Public Health, and Bachelor of Science in Human Biology all from Emory University.
Areas of Interest
- Global Health
- Health Policy
- Implementation Science
- Non-communicable Diseases
- Public Health Leadership
- Public Health Policy
- Public Health Preparedness and Response
Education
- MPH 2001, Rollins School of Public Health
- BS 1998, Emory College of Arts and Sciences
- JD 2001, Emory University School of Law
- DrPH 2009, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Courses Taught
- PRS 561D: PH Advocacy Capstone I
Affiliations & Activities
Board of Directors, Heluna Health / Public Health Foundation Enterprises (2013–present)
Chair, Governance Committee, Heluna Health (2019-present)
Board of Directors, Georgia Primary Care Association (2019-2020)
Board Member, American Diabetes Association (national) (2019-2020)
Board Member, Georgians for a Healthy Future (2018–2020)
Chair, Program Strategy Committee, Heluna Health (2015–2019)
Committee Member, Governance Committee, Heluna Health (2018-2019)
President, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (2017–2018)
President-Elect, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (2016–2017)
Board of Directors, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (2014–2018)
Immediate Past President, Rollins School of Public Health Alumni Board (2009–2010)
President, Rollins School of Public Health Alumni Board (2008–2009)
President-Elect, Rollins School of Public Health Alumni Board (2007–2008)
Secretary, Rollins School of Public Health Alumni Board (2005–2006)
Board Member, Georgia Women’s Policy Group (2004–2007)
Founding Board Member and Treasurer, Public Health Law Association (2002–2008)
Publications
- O’Connor JC. , 2017, Chronic disease prevention as an adaptive leadership problem, Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association, ,
- Gentili M, Serban N, O’Connor JC, Swann J. , 2017, Quantifying disparities in accessibility and availability of pediatric primary care across multiple states with implications for targeted interventions, Journal of Health Services Research, ,
- O’Connor J, Gutelius B, Girard K, Hastings D, Longoria L. , 2013, Paying for prevention: A critical opportunity for public health. , J of Law Med Ethics., 41 Suppl, 69-72
- O'Connor JC, Matthews G, 2011, State Laws, Informational Privacy, and the Public’s Health , American Journal of Public Health , 101(10), 1845-1850
- Chriqui J, O’Connor JC, Chaloupka , 2011, What Gets Measured, Gets Changed: Evaluating Law and Policy for Maximum Impact, American Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, 39(s1), 21-26
- Chriqui J, Ribisl K, Wallace R, Williams R, O’Connor JC, el Arculli R. , 2008, A comprehensive review of state laws governing Internet and other delivery sales of cigarettes in the U.S.A. , Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 10(2), 253-265
- O’Connor JC, MacNeil A, Chriqui J, H Bates, M Tynan, Eidson SKS. , 2008, Judicial decision-making, the public’s health, and state preemption of local tobacco ordinances., Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 36(2), 403-12
- O’Connor JC, Chriqui J, McBride D. , 2006, Finding Lasting Legal Solutions to the Dual Epidemics of Methamphetamine Production and Use, North Dakota Law Review, 82, 1165
- Berg CJ, Thrasher JF, O’Connor JC, Haardofer R, Kegler MC. , 1945, Reactions to smoke-free policies and messaging strategies in support and opposition: A comparison of Southerners and Non-Southerners in the US. , Health Policy and Behavior Review, ,