Fran Close

Fran T Close

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR
EMAIL
PHONE
850-599-3053
OFFICE
Dist Learning - Public Health

 

Office Hours

Humphries Science Research Center, Room 209A
Monday:
9:00am-10am
Tuesday:
1:00pm-3:00pm
Wednesday:
1:00pm-2:00pm

Current Semester Schedule

PHC 6532 Current Issues in Women's Health Tuesday 9:00am-11:30am
PHC 6506 Planning and Evaluation of Health Programs Monday 3:00pm-5:30pm
PHC 6506DL Planning and Evaluation of Health Programs ONLINE
HSC 5091 Interprofessional Education II Monday and Wednesday 10:45am-11:35am


About Me


Fran T. Close, Ph.D., is a full Professor of Behavioral Science and Health Education and Assistant Director of Assessment in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences/Institute of Public Health at Florida A&M University. An accomplished public health researcher with a focus on community based participatory research in underserved communities, her research interests include racial disparity issues in Women’s Health and Maternal, Child and Infant Health.

Because of her outstanding work, Dr. Close was appointed by the State Surgeon General to the Intra-Agency Workgroup on Infant Mortality Prevention External Review Workgroup. She serves on the Capital Area Healthy Start workgroups that focus on maternal mental health and racial disparities. She is the Vice President of the Healthy Start MomCare Network Board of Directors for the state of Florida. Dr. Close is currently a Co-Investigator on the "Maternal and Child Health Disparities: An HBCU Partnership Initiative" funded by the Gates Foundation.

Dr. Close is a member of the Mental Health Council of the Big Bend, where she serves as the Chair of the ENGAGE committee which focuses on the stigma of mental health in the African American community. Dr. Close was an honoree featured in the 2022 Cherry Hall Alexander American History Calendar: “Black Health and Wellness”.

She holds a doctorate degree in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Florida A&M University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Florida State University.


Areas of Interest


  • Community Based Participatory Research
  • Women’s Reproductive Health
  • Maternal Infant and Child Health
  • Mental Health (Life Course)

Education


 
  • PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology
    Florida A&M University 1994
  • B.S. in Biological Science
    Florida State University

Work History


  • Full Professor 2015-Present
    Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL
  • Assistant Dean for Student Services 2007-2010
    Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL
  • Associate Professor 2006-2015
    Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL
  • Assistant Professor 2000-2006
    Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL
  • Visiting Professor 1999-2000

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate 1994-1998
    Florida State University


Academic Accomplishments


  •  Schales, J. T., Kiros, G.-E., Close, F. T. and Tawk, R. (2019). Cultural Competency-Related Content among Florida Colleges of Pharmacy Curricula. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 3(1), em00xx. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/
  • Becker, A., Tawk, R., Kiros, G., Suther, S., Hilliard, A., Gragg, R., Close, F. and Harris, C. M. (2021). Physician Training Related to Environmental Hazards Near Ash Superfund Sites. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 5(2), em0086. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/11096
  • Becker, A., Suther, S., Harris, C., Pawlowicz, G., Tucker, G., Dutton, M., Close, F., Hilliard, A., Gragg, R. Community-Based Participatory Research at Jacksonville, Florida Superfund Ash Site: Toxicology Training to Improve the Knowledge of the Lay Community Florida Public Health Review 2018, 15: pp. 61-74

Awards


  • Faculty of The Year-Institute of Public Health 2023
  • Cherry Hall Alexander American History Calendar: “Black Health and Wellness 2022
  • Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition Honoree- Angel Award 2018

Courses Taught At FAMU


  •  PHC 6703 Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology
  • PHC 6408 Principles of Behavioral Science and Health Education
  • PHC 6532 Current Issues in Women’s Health
  • PHC 6934 Topics in Public Health
  • PHC 6407 Individual Health Behaviors
  • PHC 6704 Applied Community Based Research Methods
  • PHC 6310 Environmental Toxicology for Health Science Professionals
  • PHC 6506 Planning and Evaluation of Health Programs
  • PHC 7714 Health Education Seminar
  • PHC 7715 Planning and Administration of Health Education & Health Promotion Programs
  • PHC 7750 Advanced Program Evaluation
  • PHA 4723 Introduction to Public Health in Pharmacy
  • PHA 3426 Physiological Chemistry and Drug Analysis
  • HSC 5091 Inter-professional Education II
  • PHC 6934DL Topics in Public Health
  • PHC 6310DL Environmental Toxicology for Health Sciences
  • PHC 6506DL Planning and Evaluation of Health Programs
  • PHC 6650DL Foundations of Public Health Ethics and Social Justice
  • PHC 6936DL Public Health Practice for Health Professionals I
  • PHC 6704DL Applied Community-Based Research Methods