Dr. Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah has been involved in the field of public health for much of her career, tackling such global challenges as HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health.
Now, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health is recognizing and honoring her with the 2023 ASPPH Early Career Teaching Excellence Award for her most recent work as a clinical associate professor at the Georgia State University School of Public Health, a role she has held since August 2017.
“I think it evolved naturally,” said Armstrong-Mensah, who is also the lead faculty member for the school’s Ghana study abroad program, referring to her focus on public health. “I started out in my country of origin, which is Ghana. When I finished my master’s, I started to work right away, and I got a job doing work in rural water supply and sanitation. And that right there is a global public health issue. Thus, I found myself by default working in public health. It gives me lots of satisfaction.” 
Dr. Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah
She said her work has covered public health matters such as global health, HIV/AIDS, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, and girls’ education.
“Public health is very crucial today as it was several years ago,” Armstrong-Mensah said. “Public health seeks to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life. These are things we’ve experienced throughout our life. I don’t know that there’s been a point in time in history where we haven’t concerned ourselves with any of these.”
Her career has involved extensive work with health organizations, such as roles as a health scientist for the Center for Global Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) evaluation fellow at the CDC National Center for Environmental Health; a capacity-building and training consultant for the CDC; and a national program officer for the United Nations World Food Program.
In academia, she taught as an instructor in the Emory University Center for Human Health and assistant professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine, where she designed the Master of Public Health Global Health Track.
