Dr. Cara Eckhardt Appointed Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Success

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SPH) is pleased to announce that Dr. Cara L. Eckhardt has stepped into the newly established role of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Success, effective August 15th 2026. Dr. Eckhardt has been a faculty member at Portland State University since 2009 and has been an integral leader within our joint school since its inception. She brings extensive academic, leadership, and administrative experience to this position, having taught across both the undergraduate and doctoral levels, as well as serving as Program Director for the PhD Program in Community Health for eight years.

Dr. Eckhardt’s research has focused on the prevention of childhood obesity. Her research portfolio encompasses investigating the impact of maternal nutrition during pregnancy on childhood obesity risk and infant growth patterns, evaluating early screening methods for identifying at-risk children, and linking infant feeding practices to growth patterns and chronic disease risk. Dr. Eckhardt earned her Master of Public Health in Global Health from Emory University and her doctorate in Nutritional Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining PSU, She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C..

In her new leadership role, Dr. Eckhardt will focus on enhancing student support systems, strengthening undergraduate pathways, and fostering a thriving, unified academic community across both Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University.

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Eckhardt’s continued commitment to the SPH and congratulating her on this new appointment!