Newark, New Brunswick, & Blackwood, NJ
Professor
Division of Advanced Nursing Practice
Newark Health Sciences
SSB 1119A
Specialty: Social Epidemiology, Social & Structural DOH, Health & Nursing Education, Health Promotion Pedagogy, Culture & Health, Public Health, Global Health
Dr. William Kernan is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and social epidemiologist with over 25 years of experience developing community-based health promotion programs in the US and abroad. As a former US Peace Corps Child Survival Officer and UN World Food Program Health Monitoring Specialist, Dr. Kernan has a deep interest in population health, health equity, and cultural competence. Dr. Kernan’s early career experiences centered on food systems and maternal/child health initiatives, including micronutrient deficiency malnutrition, lactation education, oral rehydration, well-baby clinics, growth monitoring, and community/school gardens and orchards.
Dr. Kernan continued his education while working as the Director of Student Wellness/Health Education at both Vassar College and Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Kernan conducted research and published on the linkages between student health and learning, particularly among graduate health sciences students, including medical, nursing, and dental students. He has been a university faculty member for 25 years and specializes in courses that involve population health, health disparities, health education, health research methods, epidemiology, leadership, health policy, and health interventions. Dr. Kernan served two terms as the chairperson of the Department of Public Health at William Paterson University, where he was a tenured professor of public health.
Dr. Kernan’s most recent scholarly work is largely based upon community-based participatory research principles, with an emphasis on the translation of research to practice. Dr. Kernan has published in the areas of adjustment to breast cancer treatment, the linkages between learning and health, school nursing, and health promotion pedagogy. Dr. Kernan is the recipient of nearly 4 million dollars in applied research grants. He has designed several educational programs targeting prescription opioid and heroin use and has published several peer-reviewed research articles on the topics of health education and substance misuse prevention.
Health Education, Social Epidemiology, Population Health, Cultural Competence, Food Systems
Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ufIDOO8AAAAJ&hl=en