Merrill Faculty Directory

Biography, Education and Training

• PhD, Brandeis University, Health Policy
• MS, Rutgers University, International Development/Urban Planning
• BS, University of Maryland, Business Management

Cindy J Wong is a lecturer at UCSC (since 2020) teaching with the Division of Social Sciences and Undergraduate Education. She was previously a visiting professor at Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) teaching graduate students in global/public health, international policy, statistics and data analysis, and adjunct faculty in international health systems at Simmons University.

As a health researcher, social scientist and consultant, she works with a diverse range of stakeholders, to design research and evaluation projects that improve systems, foster public health, and support the social, economic and integrative wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. 

Areas of study include: global and community studies, public and planetary health, ecosystems restoration, international governance, health policy and programs, social theory (the study of society and its components), complex problem-solving, design and systems thinking, participatory methods, community-based research, policy analysis and evaluation.

Special interest in: prevention strategies that address health issues arising from environmental degradation, and regenerative actions and solutions to bolster planetary health.

Courses taught (present and past)

• Global & Community Health Taskforce
• Global & Community Health Climate Resilience
• Planetary Health and Pandemics
• Academic Literacy and Ethos
• International Comparative Health Systems
• Global Public Health
• Introduction to Public Policy 
• Research Methods for Public Policy 
• Data Analysis for Public Policy 
• Global Perspectives on Health (Teaching Assistant)
• Research Methods for Planning (Teaching Assistant)