Julie Willems Van Dijk, RN, PhD

In September 2009, Julie Willems Van Dijk joined the Population Health Institute of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health as community engagement specialist after nearly a decade as the chief health officer in the Marathon County Health Department in Wausau, Wisconsin. Relying on sound public health science, Van Dijk worked with community stakeholders, public officials and the media on a range of health interventions, from getting bike and pedestrian paths built, to addressing alcohol abuse, to creating a public health emergency plan. During her tenure as chief health officer, Van Dijk also helped to dramatically reduce Marathon County’s smoking rate. In her new role with the Population Health Institute, Van Dijk has the opportunity to work with an RWJF-funded program, Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH), where she will be instrumental in translating public health policy research into community action.