Please visit my LinkedIn Profile HERE.
Adjunct Faculty, University of Washington School of Public Health (Seattle WA 2010-present)
Health Educator, Seattle Children's Hospital (Seattle WA 2020-present)
Training Manager, Cardea Services (Seattle, WA 2014-2019)
Health Educator, Public Health Seattle & King County, HIV/STD Program (Seattle, WA 2011-2014)
Family Planning Program Trainer, Public Health - Seattle & King County (Federal Way, WA 2008-2011)
Training Program Specialist, I-TECH (Seattle, WA 2007-2008)
Middle School Teacher, Mercer Island School District (Mercer Island, WA 2001-2005)
US Peace Corps Education & Community Health Volunteer (Ponpisai, Thailand 1999-2001)
Instructor, Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CT & MD 1997, 1998, 2002)
EDUCATION
Master of Public Health, Community Oriented Public Health Practice, University of Washington (Seattle, WA 2007)
Bachelor of Science, Elementary & Special Education, University of Delaware (Newark, DE 1998)
PUBLICATIONS
Adjunct Faculty, University of Washington School of Public Health (Seattle WA 2010-present)
- Instructs Community Development class for COPHP first-year MPH students, introducing them to concepts of community organizing, health, and evaluation using problem-based learning (PBL)
- Supervises, instructs, mentors, and evaluates multiple graduate students for practicum work experiences and capstone projects
- Facilitates 2020 Northwest Public Health-Primary Care Leadership Institute, focusing on the intersection of public health and primary care, using a health equity focus, problem-based learning, and an understanding of the life course perspective to frame leadership development
Health Educator, Seattle Children's Hospital (Seattle WA 2020-present)
- Develops and evaluates patient education strategies and resources for families and patients.
- Implements best practices in health literacy to help families better understand their child's condition and encourage greater involvement in treatment and care
Training Manager, Cardea Services (Seattle, WA 2014-2019)
- Managed the Washington Personal Responsibility Education Program (WA PREP), providing training and technical assistance to over 150 facilitators of 15 evidence-based teen pregnancy and HIV/STD prevention curricula across Washington State, to foster safe, supportive environments for diverse youth, focusing on trauma, LGBTQ youth, and special needs inclusion
- Trained over 200 health teachers as Exemplary Sexual Health Education (ESHE) Master Trainer, co-created Advanced Sex Ed Teacher Training, reviewed curriculum using CDC’s SHECAT, and provided technical assistance to school districts on safe and supportive environments, healthy relationships, and state law and policy for Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- Trained over 300 teachers on Positive Prevention Plus sexual health curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school, and special education teachers throughout California
- Served as Lead Trainer for continuing medical and nursing education, coordinated online and in-person educational experiences, managed partner relationships, and drafted original e-Learning module: Biomedical Prevention of HIV (ART, PEP and PrEP) in the course HIV Care and Sexual Health Assessment for American Indian and Alaska Native Patients
Health Educator, Public Health Seattle & King County, HIV/STD Program (Seattle, WA 2011-2014)
- Managed multi-media health and wellness social marketing campaign We Are 1 and HIV testing campaign for MSM and TransSM called Find Your Frequency in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties
- Facilitated community stakeholders meetings and produced bilingual video PSA promoting HIV testing for National Latino AIDS Awareness Day to air on local Spanish language television and radio
- Facilitated needs assessment and community organizing among multiple organizations serving Seattle’s LGBTQ community
Family Planning Program Trainer, Public Health - Seattle & King County (Federal Way, WA 2008-2011)
- Trained over 300 teachers on sexual health education law, theory, practice to create safe and supportive environments, using curricula: FLASH, KNOW HIV, and Great Body Shop
- Wrote lesson plans for High School FLASH sexuality education curriculum
- Managed education, outreach, social media, and website redesign for TeenClinic.com and Teen Clinic Facebook page
- Evaluated sexual health curricula for medical accuracy for WA Department of Health and OSPI
- Taught human sexuality lessons to over 5,000 youth in schools, community settings, and juvenile detention
Training Program Specialist, I-TECH (Seattle, WA 2007-2008)
- Wrote or revised ten national HIV in-service curricula for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and counselors in Vietnam, Botswana, Namibia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Guyana on topics including palliative care, ART, HIV counseling and testing, and pharmacy
Middle School Teacher, Mercer Island School District (Mercer Island, WA 2001-2005)
- Elected Department Chair for Science and appointed as District Health Lead
- Led district health committee to develop first-in-district, comprehensive K-12 health policy
- Planned and implemented learner-centered instruction for science, language arts, and social studies, differentiating instruction for gifted and talented, Section 504 accommodations, and students with special needs
US Peace Corps Education & Community Health Volunteer (Ponpisai, Thailand 1999-2001)
- Planned and implemented a 12-week competency-based training for 28 Peace Corps trainees
- Designed and executed 18 teacher trainings for over 1,000 elementary school teachers about health, student-centered teaching techniques, and English language in 10 provinces across Thailand
- Modeled, co-planned, and evaluated student-centered lessons in all subjects at 8 schools with 25 teachers and 750 students focusing on rural child health, HIV prevention, and drug education
Instructor, Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CT & MD 1997, 1998, 2002)
- Designed and implemented differentiated instruction for academically gifted 5th and 6th graders in summer classes: Science and Engineering, United Nations & Advanced Geography, and Dynamic Earth Processes
EDUCATION
Master of Public Health, Community Oriented Public Health Practice, University of Washington (Seattle, WA 2007)
Bachelor of Science, Elementary & Special Education, University of Delaware (Newark, DE 1998)
PUBLICATIONS
- Niessen B, Gilmore K. The handbooks. In: Hagopian A, Nicola B, eds. Experiential Teaching for Public Health Practice. Vol. 1. Potomac, MD: Bentham Science; 2017.
- Reis B, Aby C, Casey E, Gerber A, Kesler K, Lewis M, Millman R, Niessen B, et al. High School FLASH: Family Life and Sexual Health, Grades 9-12, 2nd Ed. Seattle, WA: Public Health – Seattle & King County; 2011.