Shawn Gerstenberger

Dean of the School of Public Health
Director of Environmental and Occupational Health Laboratory
Expertise: Lead Poisoning, Public Health

Biography

Shawn Gerstenberger is the dean of UNLV's School of Public Health.

Gerstenberger is an expert on childhood lead poisoning prevention and the impact of the environment on human health. His research includes ridding hot sauce, artificial turf, tuna, candy, and cookware of lead and other hazardous contaminants. 

He established the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program in Nevada in collaboration with the Southern Nevada Health District and the Nevada State Health Division. This effort has led to the development of screening protocols for children, a home visitation program, and a multiagency response to childhood lead poisoning cases. He is also the founder of the Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership and has multiple collaborative grants with local and statewide agencies, with current and past funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Education

  • P.h.D., Toxicology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • M.S., Toxicology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • B.S., Reclamation, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

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Shawn Gerstenberger In The News

K.L.A.S. T.V. 8 News Now
The school year is just getting started and big changes are already taking place at UNLV. As of this month, the university has officially become a smoke-free campus.
The Nevada Independent
More than a decade after advocates started pushing for the change, UNLV this month joined more than 2,000 universities nationwide in becoming a smoke-free campus.
K.T.N.V. T.V. ABC 13
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has announced that it will become a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus on Monday.
Las Vegas Review-Journal En Español
Starting Monday, UNLV students and staff are no longer allowed to smoke or vape indoors or outdoors.

Articles Featuring Shawn Gerstenberger

a female student sits in the grass by a tree reading a book
Campus News | September 1, 2022

A roundup of prominent news stories highlighting university pride, research, and community collaboration.