Jodi Southerland

 

College of Public Health

Jodi Southerland

Jodi Southerland

Assistant Professor
Coordinator, Aging Studies and Public Health Certificate
Chair, TPHA Aging Section
Department of Community and Behavioral Health 
423-439-4309 / southerlanjl@etsu.edu
Lamb Hall 451

EDUCATION

DrPH, Community Health, East Tennessee State University, 2012
MA, Intercultural Studies, Biola University, 2003
BA, Intercultural Studies, Lee University, 2002

WHAT MENTORING MEANS TO ME

Mentoring, to me, starts with meeting students where they are and offering the kind of support they need in that moment, whether that’s talking through ideas, navigating next steps, or working toward specific goals. My approach is grounded in my work with aging and caregiving, so I encourage students to think about how their ideas connect to real-world systems, communities, and the people at the center of the work. I see mentoring as a two-way relationship. I’ve learned just as much from my students as I hope they’ve learned from me. I want to create a space where students feel supported, challenged, and able to grow into their own voice as they figure out how they want to show up in the world around them.

TOPICS I AM WILLING TO DISCUSS WITH STUDENTS

POPULATION AGING

AGE-FRIENDLY ECOSYSTEMS

  • Systems-level approaches to healthy aging
  • Building age-friendly communities
  • Age-friendly universities and public health systems
  • Grassroots and community-driven approaches

CAREGIVING

  • Caregiving for older adults
  • Caregiver burden and well-being
  • Community-based services and supports
  • National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers 

INTERESTS

Learn more about my interests by accessing my RWJF Culture of Health Leaders page and NCBI Bibliography.