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David Hoffman Serves Maria and the people of New York State
David Hoffman
Adjunct Instructor, Sociology Department
The fact that both David Hoffman’s wife Susan, ’76 and mother-in-law Carolyn, ’73 are nursing graduates of Maria College wasn’t the only reason he started teaching there. But it was one of them.
“I really enjoy teaching,” David said, “and Maria is a wonderful environment to teach where I feel like I can make a difference. It is a very special place for people to learn and grow, and I’ve appreciated the opportunity to be a small part of such a great place.”
Since 1994, David has been an adjunct faculty member teaching in the sociology department, and currently, he’s designing a new course: Medical Sociology.
Along with his service to Maria, David has been named Director of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control for the Office of Long-Term Care at the New York State Department of Health. Most recently, he served as the director of the Bureau of Chronic Disease Services in the Center for Community Health within the Office of Public Health.
As part of his new role, Mr. Hoffman will oversee the development of the New York State Plan to address Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, accounts for a huge burden to families and the long-term care systems across New York.
Dave began his public health career as a division director at the Albany County Health Department, and has served in a number of capacities since joining the department in 1993. His numerous other responsibilities include representing the department at the Geriatric Mental Health Planning Council, working as Clinical Associate Professor at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health, and serving as Chair of the National Policy Committee of National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, Expert Consultant to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC), and co-chair of the Research to Prevention (R2P) Coalition in Washington. He has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the “Partners in Public Health Improvement Honor Award” for 2005, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors “President’s Award for Advocacy” in 2006, and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors “Award for Outstanding Leadership” in 2009. Additionally, his work has been cited by Trust for America’s Health, a national healthcare policy organization.
He earned a BA from the University of New Haven and a master’s degree from Springfield College, and his life experience fits in perfectly with Maria’s diverse student population.
“My work in public health and public policy, as well as the research I’ve been involved with, give me a wealth of both current scientific information and real world examples to illustrate the theories and importance of sociology as a science,” David reflected. “Sociology as a topic also offers the opportunity to appreciate each student’s life experience as a contribution to collective learning.”
He can’t say enough about his experience at Maria. “Maria College is a place where high quality academics are mixed with a compassionate approach to mentoring students—the combination is unbeatable.”
Posted in Faculty Profiles
