Arnold School of Public Health University of South Carolina
Dr. Mary Jones currently serves as the Director of Workforce Development and Adjunct Faculty at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health in the Department of Health Promotion Education and Behavior. She has worked in the field of Public Health and Healthcare for more than 15 years.
She has worked specifically on minority health research over the last 13 years. Her research and public health experiences include obesity, diabetes, and heart disease prevention, community engagement and organizing, nutrition, health policy, program evaluation, and health equity. In other professional capacities, Dr. Jones works towards coalition development and sustainability and fosters collaborations for the translation of research into public health and health care practice via training and education. She has also served as a Health Educator for Prisma Health for 10 years and is certified through Emory University in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Healthy Lifestyles Coach. As a faculty member at USC, she has taught or currently teaches: Applied Aspects of Human Nutrition; Nutrition and Food Systems Capstone; University 101; Race, Equity and Health; and Perspectives in Public Health.
Dr. Jones is a US Air Force Veteran and serves her community in multiple capacities. Dr. Jones serves as a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Community Health Alignment and also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the SC Breast and Cervical Cancer and Early Detection. She is also a proud member of the Richland County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (the first African American public service sorority). Additionally, Dr. Jones serves on the Health and Wellness Ministry at First Northeast Baptist Church and serves on the school improvement council in the Richland 2 school district. Dr. Jones has been active with Wholespire at the state and local chapter levels since 2012. In her spare time, Dr. Jones enjoys spending time with family, cooking, traveling, being physically active, and gardening.