Dr. Solis Winters earned her PhD in Health Policy, Population & Data Science from the University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health. She will be teaching HS 250 Epidemiology and Research Methods in the fall. Her primary research focuses on health and nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to age 2.
In her spare time, Dr. Winters enjoys traveling and cheering on her favorite women’s soccer teams, Bay FC and USWNT. She has a passion for baking but is also interested in finding the best cafes and restaurants that Richmond has to offer.
Dr. Winters is excited to join the web as 2 of her 3 brothers are Spider alumni. Stop by Richmond Hall to say hi this fall.
Dr. Hemali Oza earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia, after completing both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in environmental science and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, she spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Emory, where her research focused on climate resilience, wastewater surveillance for infectious disease monitoring, and science communication.
This fall, Dr. Oza will be teaching HS 101 Global Health. She brings expertise in microbiology, epidemiological analysis, scale development, and community engagement.
Outside the classroom, Dr. Oza enjoys painting, puzzles, puns, and the occasional late-night Taco Bell run. She’s new to Richmond and on the hunt for the best coffee spots and vegetarian friendly restaurants—feel free to share your favorites!
A healthcare internship in Nepal helped Sanskriti Basnyat deepen her commitment to a future as a doctor grounded in compassion and cultural understanding.
Jeremy Hoffman, adjunct lecturer of health studies, was selected as a 2025 honoree for the de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health. The program is the first of its kind to recognize and elevate leaders changing the face of public health in creative and innovative ways.
Rick Mayes, professor of health policy, chaired a research panel on "Privatization, Regulation, and Health Care Markets," and shared his research on a "Medicare at 60" panel at the 2025 American Political Science Association Conference.
Kathryn Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, was selected to serve as a Senior Research Fellow with the Earth Systems Governance Project of Future Earth that is hosted by Uppsala University in Sweden.
Margaret Tait, assistant professor of health studies, presented her research "Considering Catholic Health Care: Exploring Perceptions of Trust and Discrimination in Religiously Affiliated Health Systems" at the 2025 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Sciences Conference.
Richmond has once again been named to The Princeton Review’s list of “Best Value Colleges” for 2025. Richmond has been included on this list since 2013.
University of Richmond is ranked No. 5 in the top small schools’ category among Peace Corps’ 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list.
Mailing address:
Department of Health Studies
Richmond Hall, Suite G21
114 UR Drive
Richmond, VA 23173
Phone: (804) 662-3034
Department Chair: Dr. Rick Mayes
Academic Administrative Coordinator: Stephanie Fillman