June 17, 2008

Iman Hakim, MBBCh, PhD, MPH, a national leader in health promotion, prevention and education, has been appointed dean of The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (MEZCOPH) .  A professor of public health and noted research scientist, Dr. Hakim has served as interim dean of the college since June of 2007.

The appointment, which takes effect July 1, 2008, was announced following a national search, during which four finalists participated in campus visits and public forums.

Dr. Hakim has also served as director of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health’s Division of Health Promotion Sciences and as director of the family and child health concentration.  She also is a member of the Arizona Cancer Center and the UA Sarver Heart Center, both Centers of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine.  She holds joint appointments in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.  Before joining the UA, she was an associate professor at the National Research Center in Cairo, Egypt.  Dr. Hakim’s research interests include cancer and nutrition; women, maternal and child health; alternative medicine; genetic and molecular epidemiology; tobacco use and cardiovascular disease.  Her current research is focused on the chemoprevention effects of tea consumption, with studies on green tea and lung cancer, high tea consumption and smoking-related oxidative stress, as well as green tea and weight gain prevention among women with breast cancer.

 “We are extremely pleased Dr. Hakim has accepted this important role at The University of Arizona,” said Meredith Hay, PhD, UA executive vice president and provost.  “Health promotion and disease prevention remain very critical concerns for our state, and this college serves a key role in providing statewide public health educational and outreach services.  Dr. Hakim is an excellent administrator, educator and research scientist, and has performed an exceptional job as interim dean.  Her outstanding talents and skills will enable her to lead the college to the next level of achievement and academic excellence.”

Dr. Hakim said, “I look forward to leading the outstanding faculty, academic professionals, staff and students of the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.  I also plan to collaborate closely with UA leadership throughout the campus, as well as with health professionals and community leaders throughout the state.  My goal is to continue to expand our education programs and research and service projects to Phoenix, statewide and globally.  This is important as we seek to improve health among all populations by translating health research and discoveries to communities to achieve health promotion and eradicate health disparities.”

Dr. Hakim received her MBBCh (an MD equivalent) from the College of Medicine at Cairo University, Egypt, where she also completed a pediatric residency.  She received her doctorate in child health and nutrition from the Ain-Shams University in Cairo and her master of public health degree from the UA.

Congratulations, Dean Hakim!

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Established by the Arizona Board of Regents in January 2000, The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is the only college of public health in the twelve-state Mountain/Pacific region.  Its mission is to promote the health of individuals and communities with a special emphasis on diverse populations and the Southwest.  Programs concentrate on the reduction of health disparities, the development and maintenance of healthy communities and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

AHSC press release received on June 17, 2008 from:

George Humphrey, (520) 626-7301