A Decade of Dedication: Celebrating Lynne Messer

Welcome to “A Decade of Dedication,” a new series that celebrates and honors the long-serving faculty, staff, and key partners who have contributed to the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health’s success.

Today, we honor Dr. Lynne Messer, Professor and Program Director of the Community Health PhD Program, whose commitment to the School began in September 2012. Hired as one of the PSU-based epidemiologists needed for the joint institution, Dr. Messer has been a foundational force, shaping the School’s academic governance, administrative structures, and research focus on health equity.

She intentionally held out for Portland, even after considering Oregon State University (OSU), because she wanted to be part of the vision for the joint SPH. Her journey is defined by a dedication to building a unique and equitable academic home for public health in Oregon.

Dr. Messer arrived at the School having earned her PhD in Epidemiology and an MPH in Health Behavior Health Education from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Before joining PSU, she served as an Assistant Research Professor and Research Scholar at the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research at Duke University and a postdoctoral fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency.

The central focus of her research has always been health inequities—disparities driven by social structure and systems of power. Much of her work has focused on pregnancy-related outcomes and the influence of area, residential, and environmental exposures. Thanks to the doctoral students she has mentored, her research interests continue to expand, which she finds exciting for the future.

Dr. Messer began her tenure while the institution was still part of the Oregon MPH, a collaboration between OHSU, PSU, and OSU. Her primary administrative and service efforts have been dedicated to establishing and refining the policies that govern the SPH and connecting the new School to the broader university.
 

Her critical administrative roles and service contributions include:

• Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs (Fall 2020 – 2022).
• Community Health PhD Program Director (January 2023 – present).
• Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee member and ex officio member (multiple terms between 2014 and 2022).
• Academic Personnel Committee member and chair (multiple terms, 2018–2023).

Though she doesn’t point to a single infrastructure project, the years she spent as Assistant Dean and Program Director were dedicated to contributing to, or revising, the School’s foundational infrastructure. As an SPH faculty member employed by PSU, she viewed her extensive University service—including as a Faculty Senate, Educational Policy, and Budget Committee member and currently as the Institutional Review Board Chair —as an opportunity to be an ambassador for the SPH. She answered questions, made connections with colleagues, and helped others understand the SPH structure.

For Dr. Messer, the most rewarding part of her 13+ years has been watching the School grow out of its infancy into a more mature version of itself, and getting to work with the new SPH faculty members. She is energized by the community that will continue to emerge because of their presence in our School.

Her vision for the future of SPH is to truly embrace being Oregon’s School of Public Health – to build off its strengths and serve the diverse needs of the state’s residents.
 

Her advice to current students and new faculty captures the essence of her contribution:

“Prepare to help create the School that you want to belong to. Bring your passion and your ideas for fostering antiracism, social justice, and health equity” She emphasizes that the SPH is uniquely positioned to embrace more equitable ways of engaging with students, staff, and communities. “Decide how you want to do that kind of work, then join us. We have donuts!”