Dr. Sharon L. Telleen is a recognized figure in psychology education, having lent her breadth of knowledge to the University of Illinois at Chicago for more than 25 years. Retiring with the distinction of research associate professor emerita in the university’s School of Public Health in 2011, she formerly served the university in several related capacities, including as a research associate professor in the Institute for Health Research and Policy, faculty affiliate in the Division of Community and Prevention Research, and interim associate director of research in the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, among other roles. She first joined the academic institution in 1984. Prior to serving in academia, Dr. Telleen was a public schoolteacher for four years.
Impressively, Dr. Telleen was among the original faculty in the maternal and child public health training program, and she developed the Initial Illinois Medicaid Family Case Management System, which was part of the Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative. Moreover, she participated in the development of a state public health surveillance, named the Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Reporting System. Over the course of her career, Dr. Telleen authored the book “Transition from Welfare for Work: Challenges and Outcomes,” authored and co-authored over 70 different publications, and served as a reviewer of the Maternal and Child Health Journal and the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.
Drawing upon a Bachelor of Arts in education from Augustana College, Dr. Telleen subsequently continued her edification with a Master of Education and a Doctor of Philosophy, obtaining both degrees from the University of Maryland at College Park. Her dissertation discussed memory processing in children. In this regard, she broadened her reach by excelling as a graduate assistant and lecturer at her alma mater, as well as a lecturer of strategies for mainstreaming the developmentally disabled at DePaul University. A frequent presenter in her field as well, Dr. Telleen has conducted collaborative research through the American Public Health Association. Further, she has received numerous grants from such entities as the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Science Foundation, and she was honored in public health by Delta Omega. Dr. Telleen was also highlighted in The Wall Street Journal and Forbes magazine.
Looking toward the future, Dr. Telleen aims to continue mentoring, conducting research and writing in her areas of expertise. In addition, she would like to be more involved in public health initiatives, particularly in the realm of epidemiology. She attributes her success to the encouragement and support of her late husband, Philip, her two children Paul and Katherine, her four grandchildren and her parents.