Assistant Director for Public Health Practice - Assistant Clinical Professor
University of New England
Portland, Maine, United States
Kristina Stewart, MPH, DrPH(c) is an Assistant Clinical Professor and the Assistant Director for Public Health Practice in the Graduate Programs in Public Health at the University of New England (UNE). She leads the Applied Practice Experience (APE) curriculum and integrates interprofessional education, community engagement, and practice-based learning across the MPH program. Her teaching portfolio includes applied practice, practicum planning, and interprofessional simulation, with a strong focus on preparing students for real-world public health challenges through collaboration, systems thinking, and experiential learning.
Kristina’s practice and research center on substance use, harm reduction, and infectious disease prevention, particularly within rural and underserved communities. Her doctoral research, Homelessness and Hepatitis C Prevalence Among People with Substance Use History in Maine, examines how social determinants of health—including housing instability—shape infection risk and health outcomes. She actively mentors students working on substance use, HIV/HCV prevention, and rural health initiatives across Maine and New England.
Beyond the classroom, Kristina coordinates program-wide service initiatives that connect students to meaningful volunteer opportunities addressing homelessness, food insecurity, and behavioral health. She also serves on multiple community teams, including harm-reduction collaborations with correctional facilities and local health partners, and advises MPH students completing community-centered projects through the Rural Immersion Institute of the North in Alaska.
Committed to advancing public health education, Kristina contributes to UNE’s CEPH reaccreditation efforts, supports faculty development initiatives, and presents nationally at meetings including APHA, SOPHE, and other interdisciplinary conferences. A first-generation college student and lifelong advocate for equitable access to care, she brings a practice-grounded, compassionate, and justice-oriented perspective to her teaching, scholarship, and service.
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Thursday, April 23, 2026
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM PST