Holly Nevarez, Ph.D., MPH, CHES

Holly Nevarez is a Professor in the Department of Public Health & Health Services Administration at California State University, Chico. Holly is an alumni of the program; she received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health Science with an option in Health Education. Upon graduation she returned to her home-state of Illinois and earned her MPH with a concentration in Community Health Administration from Benedictine University. Eventually she returned to the West Coast and received her doctorate in Public Health from Oregon State University. Holly’s previous work has helped her bring real life examples into her teaching. Before she became an professor, Holly worked for 12 years in hospital and clinical settings. She taught at both The Bryman School (Phoenix, AZ) and Oregon State University before coming to CSU, Chico. Dr. Nevarez strives to give her students hands-on experiences by providing service learning opportunities in her classes. As an example, she teaches students in Community Health about poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity by having them run the Harvest Food Drive for the local food bank each fall. Other community projects include an organ donor drive, several fitness and nutrition programs at local schools, and a social marketing project to gain school supplies for the local Boys & Girls club. In her time away from work Holly spends time with her three children, her husband, and family. She enjoys running and being outdoors. She recently completed her fifth marathon and is now looking forward to tackling a new fitness challenge.