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ESG 50 Anniversary Fellow Profile
KELLI MCCORMACK BROWN

Kelli McCormack Brown, PhD
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs

Georgia College and State University

Dr. Brown holds an Associate of Arts degree in dental was a Board of Director at one point, and then was elected
hygiene from Michael J. Owens Technical College as the first female president of ESG. This was quite an
(Toledo, OH), a Bachelor of Science in Public Health honor and a privilege to serve ESG in this role.
Services, and Master of Science and Education in Public
Health from the University of Toledo, and a Ph.D. in Whom were you most influenced by professionally?
Health Education from Southern Illinois University at How/Why?
Carbondale. Dr. Brown's research interests include
school and community partnerships, prevention [social] Hard to say who as there have been so many people during
marketing, and adolescent and youth health issues. my education and during my career that have influenced
me. Many probably do not have any idea that they
How did your involvement with your local Eta Sigma influenced me … as maybe our only real conversation was
Gamma begin? at a conference over lunch or at a reception … but it made
a difference. Some influenced me early on in my career
I was initiated as an ESG member in the Iota chapter at the choices and are no longer with us today. Some have been
University of Toledo, then became an ESG member of the long term mentors and friends who I have known for
Alpha Alpha chapter at Southern Illinois University at almost my whole career in higher education. I have been
Carbondale. My first faculty position was at Western influenced by all my students who in one way or another
Illinois University, home of the Pi chapter, where all gave me the strength and wisdom to seek administrative
faculty were engaged at some time or other with leadership so that I can make a difference in all students’
ESG. Robert Synovitz (one of the 3 founders of ESG) lives, not just the ones I personally know.
hired me and once I became a faculty I was immersed in
all things ESG. We attended annual national meetings What challenges do you think ESG as an organization
and would at times have a van full of students and faculty will face in the next decade?
travelling to a national meeting.
Like all organizations, ESG will need to stay nimble and
What led to your becoming involved in national level understand who their constituency is. I believe ESG has
leadership of ESG? evolved with the profession and with what the needs of
health education students are today and tomorrow. As
I was fortunate to have started as a faculty member at a long as the organization’s leaders stay true the mission and
place that was student-centered and placed value on continue to be innovative and entrepreneurial, ESG will
faculty’s service to such organizations, especially if that continue to be the place where young health education
service involved students. By nature of my role within the professionals can grow and gain leadership skills that will
health sciences department at Western Illinois University, allow them to be the generation of next health education
I believe it was expected that at some time you would be leaders.
involved with ESG at the national level in some way. I

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