Dr. Wells appointed new chair for Department of Health Policy and Management

Rebecca Wells, Ph.D., begins her appointment as chair for the Department of Health Policy and Management and Professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, effective Jan. 15, 2013.

Most recently with the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Wells’ primary research interests are in health care and human service organizations and improving health services access for marginalized populations.

Dr. Wells’ research findings and publications have received numerous awards, including the John D. Thompson Young Investigator Award in 2006, annually awarded to one or two U.S. health services researchers based on potential for impact on the field as well as theoretical grounding, productivity, intellectual leadership and quality of journals in which they have published. She also received the “Best Publication Award” from the Mental Health Section of the American Sociological Association for “Team Leadership and Patient Outcomes in U.S. psychiatric treatment settings,” published in Social Science and Medicine in 2006.

Other awards include the Academy of Management Health Care Management Division Best Theory to Practice Award for “Tracing the evolution of pluralism in community-based coalitions” in 2004 and the Health Care Management Division’s Academy of Management annual national meeting Outstanding Reviewer in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

Dr. Wells received both her Ph.D. and M.H.S.A. from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, with a focus in health services organization and policy. She completed a B.A. in public and international affairs from Princeton University.