This month, we're excited to spotlight LaShaune Johnson! Learn what inspired her to serve on the TSOPHE Board, the most rewarding part of her experience, and what she's excited about for the future of public health in Texas.

We asked, “What inspired you to serve on the TSOPHE Board?”

LaShaune Johnson: I am a medical sociologist by training, but I have spent much of my career teaching students preparing for careers in health sciences, public health and medicine.  I have been lucky to be able to use my culturally responsive evaluation skill, I got through the LEEAD program, to help students evaluate their public health work.  Before moving to the Houston area in 2026, I served as a founding faculty for the CEPH-accredited MPH program at Creighton University.  Here in Houston, I am a Clinical Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences.  In my role, I have been able to teach public health concepts in courses, and to help guide them through research projects that cover breast cancer survivorship, stress for informal cancer caregivers, mental health interventions with older adult refugees, perinatal mortality and community reticence to participate in Medical Legal Partnerships (MLPs).  All of these projects challenge students to use public health thinking to explore non-medical drivers of health and disparate outcomes.  Although I don’t have a formal appointment in a Public Health program at the moment, I wanted to stay engaged with other public health educators, and to have conversations about the non-traditional spaces where public health education can happen.  Our Board has people with really rich lived and work experience and I learn something new every time I talk to them!  

“What has been the most rewarding aspect of serving as Board?” 

LaShaune Johnson: As a relative newcomer to Texas (it will two years in August), the most rewarding part of being on the board has been witnessing how powerfully and creatively my fellow Board members have been able to support and promote the values and ethics of public health throughout the state.  I have also really enjoyed how much the Board members encourage each other–and of the broader TSOPHE membership–to share their knowledge and experiences at the conference and through webinars.  We have such a wealth of knowledge in our organization–we should be encouraged to toot our own horns!

“What are you most excited about for TSOPHE's future and its impact on public health in Texas?”  

LaShaune Johnson: I have an excitement, and a goal.  I am excited that TSOPHE, through its open call for webinars, through its training opportunities, and through its scholarships, is always working to build capacities of its members and works to offer opportunities for professional growth for practitioners at all career stages, and in all kinds of employment.  I have a goal to offer my own webinar before year’s end–I want to be a part of the conversation for this fast-growing and inclusive community.

Thanks for reading and stay connected with TSOPHE for more stories and updates!