Core faculty

Paula Lantz

BA Program Director; James B. Hudak Professor of Health Policy; Professor of Public Policy and Health Management & Policy; University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor

Paula Lantz is the James B. Hudak Professor of Health Policy and director of undergraduate programs at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She also is a University Professor of Diversity and Social Transformation and professor of health management and policy in the School of Public Health. Lantz, a social demographer/social epidemiologist, studies the role of public policy in improving population health and reducing social disparities in health. Lantz is currently engaged in research regarding abortion policy, housing policy, and on how COVID-19 continues to exacerbate existing social, economic, and health inequities in the United States. An elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the National Academy of Medicine, Lantz received an MA in sociology from Washington University, St. Louis, and an MS in epidemiology and PhD in sociology with a focus on social demography from the University of Wisconsin.

Educational background

  • PhD in sociology, University of Wisconsin, 1991
  • MS in epidemiology, University of Wisconsin, 1991
  • MA in sociology, Washington University, 1983
  • BA in sociology/English, St. Olaf College, 1981

Professional affiliations

  • National Academy of Social Insurance, elected member
  • National Academy of Medicine, elected member

Recent publications

Illustration of workers in a data center

Open online course

Fundamentals of Data Analytics in the Public Sector with R

Gain a foundational understanding of key terms and concepts in public administration and public policy while learning foundational programming techniques using the R programming language.
Take the course