Wiley Jenkins appointed chair of the Clemson Department of Public Health Sciences

Wiley Jenkins, Ph.D., has been appointed chair of the Clemson University Department of Public Health Sciences. His term began July 1.  

Jenkins joins Clemson and the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine where he served as interim chair of the Department of Population Science and Policy. Prior to his appointment as interim chair, he worked in the department as a professor and chief of epidemiology and biostatistics. He has served in faculty, research and administrative positions in the public health field for more than 30 years.

As chair, he plans to prioritize the goals of the University’s strategic plan, Clemson Elevate, and advance the College’s mission to build people and communities through excellence in research, teaching and service.

“Clemson’s Department of Public Health Sciences comprises a group of highly productive individuals, and I am eager to leverage my career experiences to help expand the Department’s extensive research portfolio and support our faculty as they train students to become knowledgeable, empathetic public health professionals,” said Jenkins.

After a competitive national search, CBSHS Dean Leslie Hossfeld, said Jenkins’ expertise and commitment to engaged learning, student success and reciprocal research that improves the quality of life of individuals across our state and nation make him an excellent fit for the role of department chair.

“The Department of Public Health Sciences is actively transforming lives across South Carolina and beyond through local, state and national health research initiatives, and I am confident Dr. Jenkins will build upon these successes to advance the University’s standing as a premier research institution,” said Hossfeld. “Dr. Jenkins is an accomplished scholar and leader in the public health field, and I am delighted he will join the Department and CBSHS in our mission to build people and communities.”

Jenkins earned a Ph.D. in public health from the University of Illinois Chicago. He earned a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from Blackburn College.

His research interests include infectious disease epidemiology and cancer disparities between rural and urban communities. Jenkins’ infectious disease research examines the integration of screening interventions in clinical settings as well as the evaluation of large-scale interventions on college campuses. His cancer research examines the differences in risk for rural and urban communities, mitigation of risk and the influence of infectious diseases. Additionally, as a veteran of the Army National Guard, Jenkins plans to work with veteran populations at Clemson to investigate rural veteran health.

The Department of Public Health Sciences is part of the University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.