Keely Rees MS, PhD, MCHES® » BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Biographical Info

Dr. Keely Rees is Professor in the Department of Health Education and Health Promotion at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, serves as the Director of the undergraduate Public Health – Community Health Education program and the Academic Director of the Master’s of Science in Health Care Administration for the collaborative degree with the UW – Extension, Continuing Education, Outreach & E-Learning. Keely’s research and teaching has focused on numerous issues in the health field for over 20 years. Her research has focused on prenatal care, exercise prescription and behaviors during and after pregnancy, social support for pre-conception and prenatal nutrition, tobacco use during pregnancy, and sexuality education and advocacy for young children, teens, and parents, and schools as community outreach for nutrition/exercise. Dr. Rees has been working with collaborative projects with Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and Global Partners of Gundersen Health System to provide education and advocacy with Native American youth and leaders.  Keely teaches health policy & advocacy, motivational interviewing,  grantseeking, and women’s health courses, trainings, and workshops in university, hospital, schools, and locally.  Keely has taught internationally with other universities, researchers, and organizations identifying ways to better prepare health educators in the field in Ireland, Spain and Costa Rica.

Keely was inducted into the Gamma Delta Chapter at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1999 as a professional member, and started serving as a co-faculty sponsor at SIUE and continued to serve after moving to the Beta Phi Chapter in 2003 at UWL. She served on the National Board as an At-Large member from 2001-2004, and is excited to be back serving as President.

She lives in La Crosse with her husband Curt, and two kids Gavin and Harper, and they can be found skiing, fishing, traveling and enjoying all seasons in Wisconsin.