Raphael Florestal-Kevelier, assistant vice chancellor for student health and wellness at the University of Illinois Chicago, has been named president-elect of the American College Health Association. The American College Health Association has 750 higher education member institutions representing nearly 10,000 professional members who support students around the country.
Dr. Florestal-Kevelier is also a clinical assistant professor of community health sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois Chicago. Before coming to Chicago, he held health administration positions at Columbia University in New York and Emory University in Atlanta. Earlier, he was assistant director of residence life and housing operations at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. His research and practice pay attention to advancing health equity in university contexts, cultivating health-promoting campus environments, and the academic and social experiences of Black queer and transgender students.
“I feel both privileged and humbled, bearing a strong sense of responsibility to lead and join colleagues across the nation in our collective efforts to fiercely advocate for the health and well-being of our communities while continuing to cultivate a health-promoting campus alongside our faculty, staff and students here at the University of Illinois Chicago,” Dr. Florestal-Kevelier said. “Supporting student mental health and well-being are critical priorities across university and college campuses, particularly in a sociopolitical context where emergent injurious political actions pose threats to the health and well-being of some of our most marginalized communities on our campuses perpetuating and exacerbating health inequities.”
Dr. Florestal-Kevelier holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology and a master of public health degree in behavioral sciences and health education from Emory University. He earned a Ph.D. in counseling and student personnel services from the University of Georgia.
