BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University Bloomington has appointed Kurt M. Ribisl as dean of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B). He will assume the role March 1, 2026, succeeding Suresh Viswanathan, who has served as interim dean since July 2025 following the departure of David B. Allison.
Ribisl will join Indiana University following nearly three decades at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, he is the Jo Anne Earp Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and co-program leader for Cancer Prevention and Control at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
He has also directed multiple NIH-funded research centers, co-founded the national nonprofit Counter Tools, and served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. His research on tobacco control policy, health behavior, health equity, and the influence of marketing and retail environments has shaped national policy and public health practice.
“The School of Public Health-Bloomington is central to Indiana University’s mission to improve health and well-being for communities everywhere,” said David Reingold, IU Bloomington chancellor and executive vice president. “With Kurt’s leadership, the school is poised to broaden its impact—advancing innovation, fostering collaboration, and improving public health across Indiana and around the world.”
As dean, Ribisl will lead one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive schools of public health. He will strengthen the school’s reputation as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, advancing transformative teaching, cutting-edge research, and initiatives that improve health across Indiana and around the world. Ribisl will partner with faculty, students, and communities statewide and beyond to expand the school’s reach, secure new resources, and amplify its impact on public health.
“Kurt brings exceptional scholarly expertise and a proven record of leadership in public health,” said Rahul Shrivastav, IU Bloomington provost and executive vice chancellor. “His vision and strategic approach will strengthen the School of Public Health-Bloomington’s academic programs, expand its research impact, and position the school as a national and global leader in addressing the most pressing public health challenges.”
Ribisl is a leading expert in tobacco regulatory science, the sales and marketing of tobacco products, and the role of health behavior in shaping population health. He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, ranking among the top 1% by citations in his field and year in the Web of Science index in 2019, 2020, and 2022. His work has influenced national tobacco control regulations and community-based cancer prevention and control strategies. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“I am honored to join Indiana University and to lead the School of Public Health-Bloomington at such a pivotal moment for public health,” Ribisl said. “SPH-B has extraordinary talent and momentum, and I look forward to partnering with faculty, staff, students and community stakeholders to advance the school’s mission across Indiana and beyond.”
Ribisl earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University, with a cognate in public health. He holds a B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Wake Forest University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine’s Center for Research in Disease Prevention (now the Stanford Prevention Research Center), focusing on cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention.
Founded in 1946 and designated a school of public health in 2012, SPH-B is recognized for its interdisciplinary research, innovative academic programs and commitment to improving well-being locally and globally. The school enrolls more than 3,700 undergraduate and 450 graduate students, supported by nearly 375 faculty and staff across five departments: Applied Health Science, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kinesiology, and Health & Wellness Design. With research expenditures exceeding $26 million last year, SPH-B continues to expand its scholarly impact and global reach.