Yuba Gautam joins faculty at Virginia Tech Public Health Program

Yuba Gautam has recently joined Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a collegiate associate professor at the Virginia Tech Public Health Program.  

“Dr. Gautam brings a comprehensive background in public health and expertise in health behavior theory, program planning implementation and evaluation, placement and supervision of practicum students, and global health. The public health faculty and staff are looking forward to having Dr. Gautam as a colleague and feel fortunate to have successfully recruited such an outstanding colleague,” said Kerry Redican, professor of public health and director of the undergraduate public health program.  

In this position, Gautam will teach in the undergraduate and graduate public health programs, covering subjects like community health, program planning, health behavior, and introductory public health. Additionally, Gautam will aid in placing students in practicums so they can get hands-on experience and apply their knowledge from the classroom to practical situations.  

“Dr. Gautam is a wonderful addition to the department with his extensive teaching experience, as well as being a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). Yuba has already engaged with faculty on shared teaching, mentorship, and research interests and it will be exciting to see his contributions,” said Laura Hungerford, head of the Department of Population Health Sciences.  

The Virginia Tech Public Health Program is housed within the veterinary college’s Department of Population Health Sciences, focusing on One Health principles and rural/Appalachian health. One Health is the concept that human, animal, and environmental health are inherently linked. 

The program offers a bachelor of science degree in public health as well as a masters degree in public health (MPH), which can be combined with a DVM, MD, or other graduate degree offered by Virginia Tech. The Public Health Program prepares students for innovative careers by combining core public health training and cross-disciplinary practices.

"Public health is not just thinking about yourself, it's taking care of everybody else. We want our community, our society, our country to be healthy — it's the big picture. We want to make sure our policies are right, that people are eating well, and make sure that people are exercising in the broader system,” said Gautam.

Gautam earned his bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) at Mechnikov State Medical Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia and worked clinically in his native Nepal before moving to the United States to complete his M.S. in public health at Minnesota State University. Gautam earned his PhD at Southern Illinois University. Before coming to Virginia Tech, Gautam served as an associate professor of community health at Northern Michigan University.  

Written by Sarah Boudreau M.F.A. '21, a writer with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine