A lifelong love of public health leads to professorship

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Maurica Bynum has been doing public health work her entire life – she just didn’t realize it.

Although she initially planned to major in accounting for her bachelor’s degree, Bynum changed course after realizing her passion for health had a name.

“I was trying to find something that tied together environmental issues and policy,” she said. “It wasn’t until a guest speaker visited one of my classes that I even heard the term ‘public health.’ That moment really changed everything for me.”

The Tidewater native brings that love of public health to the faculty of the Joint School of Public Health at Old Dominion 91����Ƶ and Norfolk 91����Ƶ 91����Ƶ, where she started as an assistant professor in the Spring 2025 semester. Based on the Norfolk 91����Ƶ campus, she teaches primarily in the MPH program there, although her position allows for work across both schools.

Her love of environmental health began even earlier than college, influenced by her parents, both of whom are environmental consultants.

“My parents were doing sediment and erosion control, testing water systems, and I was old enough to help out,” she said. “I learned how to do water testing and saw how important proper wastewater disposal is.”

She also gained experience in the private sector while still in high school, working in the family business alongside her father, bringing a real-world understanding of public health into her education.

After graduating from Virginia Wesleyan in 2016 with a degree in environmental studies, Bynum immediately entered the Master of Public Health program at EVMS, and then pursuing her Doctor of Public Health from East Carolina 91����Ƶ.

Staying close to her community in southeastern Virginia was important to her both personally and professionally since her graduation in May 2024.

“I see so much value in working in my own community,” she said. “I’m from Windsor, my family is in Franklin and Suffolk, and being here makes me feel good, like I’m giving back in a real way.”

Bynum’s real-world experiences, along with her understanding of regional public health, is a benefit to students, said Dr. Li-Wu Chen, founding dean and professor in the Joint School of Public Health.

“Dr. Bynum embodies the mission of the Joint School of Public Health by bringing knowledge, experience, and a passion for public health education,” Chen said. “Her journey reflects the power of public health to transform lives, not just for individuals, but for entire communities.”

Bynum spent six years working in environmental health with the Virginia Department of Health, serving multiple health districts including Western Tidewater, the Peninsula, and the Crater Health District. Most recently, she was responsible for food safety training and inspections across Western Tidewater covering Isle of Wight County, Southampton County, Franklin, and Suffolk.

But the call to be more involved in the hands-on aspects of public health in the communities led her back to academia, and the Joint School of Public Health, which now houses the MPH program after the integration of Eastern Virginia Medical School into the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion 91����Ƶ last July.

Her work experiences also informed her dissertation on racial and ethnic diversity in the public health workforce, specifically to address the needs of the environmental health workforce.

“I was often the only person of color in the environmental health office, even though we served diverse communities,” she said. “It’s so important for people to see someone who looks like them working in their community. A diverse workforce strengthens the entire community.”

Her research on the subject was recently with two additional chapters expected to be released soon. She will also be recognized for her work at the National Environmental Health Association in July.

For Bynum, public health isn’t just a career, it’s a calling that impacts every aspect of life, and she’s excited to share that knowledge with her students.

“From the water you drink in the morning to the food you eat at lunch, public health is everywhere,” she said. “It’s so important.”