UNT Health College of Public Health expands faculty with the appointment of alumna Dr. Carla Pezzia
September 4, 2025 • News
By: Maya McMillian
The College of Public Health (CPH) at UNT Health Fort Worth welcomes fellow alum Dr. Carla Pezzia as the newest assistant professor on the Population and Community Health team.
Dr. Pezzia earned her Master of Public Health from the College of Public Health (previously School of Public Health) after earning her bachelors from the University of North Texas. Although she is a native Houstonian, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has always served as home. Following her time in the UNT System, she transitioned to The University of Texas at San Antonio for her PhD in Anthropology.
Just before her return to the CPH, she served as a tenured faculty member at the University of Dallas for 11 years in both the Department of Human and Social Sciences and the Department of Biology.
Her research combines both anthropology and public health backgrounds. Adopting a community-based approach, the new professor intends to collaborate with numerous community organizations to develop and enhance culturally-informed programs and policy to reduce health disparities and promote wellbeing.
Dr. Pezzia will be teaching Theoretical Foundations of Individual and Community Health as well as co-facilitating the Master of Public Health Practice Experience.
“What I’d really like for students to appreciate as they take any of my courses is that learning is not confined to the classroom,” says the assistant professor. “I want students to make connections between class material and what they experience in their personal lives or observe in their communities.”
When asked about what she looks forward to in her new role, Dr. Pezzia says she is really excited to help current students develop their own understanding of what it means to be a public health professional.
“My experience here as a student played such an important role in shaping how I understand public health. It also played a role in how I work toward equitable and sustainable change which promotes health for myself and the people I work with.”
As referenced in IMPACT 2030, the college’s hope for forthcoming graduates is ensuring they are equipped with the tools to work effectively with communities, recognizing and honoring their knowledge and expertise.
“We’re always happy to welcome alumni back,” says Dr. Shafik Dharamsi, CPH dean. “And Dr. Pezzia’s experiences are valuable to our students’ development through community-centeredness in high-impact educational practices like the MPH Practice Experience. We are so fortunate to have her on the team.”
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