Ex-Officio Member, Education Board Chair
Anthony J. Santella is Professor of Public Health and Director of the Master of Public Health at Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies. He specializes in infectious disease prevention and control and has interests in public health, global health, HIV/AIDS, STDs, viral hepatitis, dental public health, and COVID-19. His research helps improve the health and well-being of vulnerable communities including people who are living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, gender and sexual minorities, justice-involved persons, youth, and people experiencing homelessness. Anthony regularly provides analysis and commentary for national print, digital and broadcast media and has been featured by the New York Times, Forbes, Washington Post, LA Times, Boston Globe, New York Post, NY Daily News, NBC News, VOA, and Fox News, among others.
He holds several leadership positions including serving on the Board of Directors and Secretary of The HIV League, the New Haven-Fairfield Counties HIV Ryan White Planning Council (Executive Committee and Chair, Quality Improvement Committee), the Connecticut HIV Planning Consortium (Executive Committee and Chair, Needs Assessment Committee), and the Connecticut Viral Hepatitis Elimination Technical Advisory Committee. He also serves as an Editor for PLOS One. At the national level, Anthony is an active member with the American Public Health Association where he serves in leadership roles with the Joint Policy Committee and Education Board.
Anthony’s work has been recognized by the University of New Haven School of Health Sciences Distinguished Service Award (2022), the Long Island Ryan White HIV Planning Council Distinguished Provider of the Year (2020), the Hispanic Counseling Center Professional Achievement Award in Public Health (2019), the New York State Health Commissioner’s World AIDS Day Special Recognition Award (2018), and the Adelphi University Innovation in Health Literacy and Education Award (2017). He was also inducted into the Delta Omega Public Health National Honor Society (2005).
He earned a BS in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Connecticut, a MPH in Health Policy and Management from Emory University, a DrPH in Health Systems Management from Tulane University, and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Health Professions Pedagogy and Leadership from Hofstra University. Anthony is also a Master Certified Health Education Specialist through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.