Dr. Gifty Akomea Key has two decades of experience as a scholar-practitioner. Gifty started her public health career with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 1999. After inspecting a plethora of NYC establishments, representing the Bureau in adjudication tribunals, interviewing with several media outlets, engaging in the mayor’s taskforce operations, and collaborating with federal agencies at national political conventions, she was selected as the sole representative in an international documentary series that highlighted environmental health in NYC.
Gifty was later promoted to Assistant Director of Staff Development and Training, where she was charged with the training activities of all new NYC health inspectors, and the food safety training of all restaurateurs operating within 5 boroughs of New York City.
After relocating to Pennsylvania and completing her doctoral degree, Dr. Key worked in different administrative and pedagogical roles in higher education, to include institutions such as Pierce College, Immaculata University, Saint Joseph’s University, and Montgomery County Community College.
A published author, Dr. Key has presented her research at national conferences on a plethora of topics to include the impact of constitutional laws on public health laws, collegiate recovery programs, the impact of substance use on mental health, harm reduction and the impact of COVID-19 on remote learning. Dr. Key went on to become the Coordinator and Faculty of the Public Health Program at Montgomery County Community College, where she secured 2 statewide grants focused on access for vulnerable communities and led the newly minted public health program to secure the national award of top 25 associate public health programs in the nation. After a few years, Dr. Key went on to build a new health science, public health and exercise science program at Cabrini University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Key comes from Chairing the Health and Exercise Sciences Department at Cabrini University.
- Ed.D. Doctorate in Educational Leadership,
- Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA – May 2015 Concentration in Higher Education (Public Health Education) Dissertation Title: The Effectiveness of NYC Public Health Policy Curriculum and Instruction on Increasing Business Owners’ Understanding of the Law Dissertation Chair: Dr. Cary Anderson, Provost and VP for Student Affairs
- M.S. Master of Science, Community Health,
- Long Island University – May 2007 Concentration in Health Management (Public Health) Thesis Title: Price vs. Pleasure: The Community’s Reaction to the Smoke-Free Air Act Thesis Chair: Dr. Enna Crosman, Director of Graduate Health Programs
- BS Bachelor of Science,
- University of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, NY – May 2000 Major: Allied Health, Minor: Psychology
My 20+ years in the field of public health has afforded me the tangible knowledge, along with valuable experiences, to make informing future health practitioners my primary goal. However, my ultimate goals for my students are to create a positive and respectful atmosphere, to foster a window world, which can utilize any learned information to relevant situations and cases, empowerment through the understanding of complex information, and the desire to make a difference in the field health.
I am committed to my students, my discipline, and the efficient pedagogy necessary to produce informed practitioners, scholars and researchers. While I realize that every student may not end up in a health career, at least each student can leave my class that more informed on how to manage their individual health and wellness, and for me, that is a win ten times over.
- Key, G. A., Doyle, J., Magrakvelidze, M., Mathur, V., Szelwach, C., Sheety, A., Cimakasky, J., & Cordes, J. (2022). Student Access to Virtual Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal on Innovation in Online Education, 7(2), 2023 regulated business
- Key, G.A. (2016, April). An examination of NYC’s public health policy education and its effectiveness on owners. American Institute for Policy Development in the Journal of Education and Human Development, Vol. 5, No. 1, Retrieved at www.jehdnet.com
- Higher Education Suicide Prevention Coalition (HESPC) @ Thomas Jefferson University – May 2023 Call to Action: The Creation of a Collegiate Recovery Program
- American Public Health Association National Conference – October 2021 Virtual Learning at Pennsylvania University During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- American Associations of Community Colleges – January 2020
- Workforce Development Institute, Promoting Rural Prosperity
- Mental Health, Addiction, Opioids, How Montgomery County Community College is Addressing it Head On
- American Public Health Association National Conference – November 2016 Blurred Lines: Constitutional Rights vs. Public Health Policies
- American Public Health Association – Member
- Pennsylvania Public Health Association – Member
- Academy Health – Member
- National Association of University Women – Member