2023 Conference Program Book

Joe Smyser, PhD, MSPH CEO, The Public Good Projects

PGP is led by CEO Dr. Joe Smyser who holds a PhD and masters in global public health, and has worked at the intersection of public health, media, and technology throughout his career. He has designed the core strategies for several of the United States’ largest social and behavior change programs; for the US CDC and FDA, Kaiser Permanente, Rockefeller Foundation and CDC Foundation, among others. During Dr. Smyser’s tenure, PGP has served as the primary health communications partner for Facebook (Meta), Tumblr, Twitter, and Tik Tok. PGP has, dutifully and often behind the scenes, been among those chiefly responsible for serving the global public accurate and timely health information. Dr. Smyser conducted his postdoctoral training at the US CDC. He is a member of the Education Advisory Board of Rutger’s University, and the Forbes Nonprofit Council. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed studies and white papers regarding various aspects of health communications. Dr. Smyser is a highly sought after speaker, participating in forums such as Aspen Ideas, SXSW, World Vaccine Congress, and American Public Health Association. He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

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