Professor Profiles: Dr. Tia Warrick
Updated: 4 days ago
Juniata College's Dr. Tia Warrick explains how she teaches students to look beyond the numbers and consider the communities that the data represents.
SHECP kicks off its new series, "Professor Profiles," with a Q&A with Dr. Tia Warrick of Juniata College. We spoke to Dr. Warrick about how data is more than just a statistic, how it can be used to provide more equitable care, and how, ultimately, data tells a story.
Dr. Tia Warrick serves as Public Health Director and Assistant Professor of Biology at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. She teaches undergraduate and MPH-level courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health practice. Her work is centered on helping students see data not just as numbers, but as a powerful tool to understand and improve the lives of individuals and communities, particularly those most impacted by health inequities.
What classes do you teach, and how do they connect to issues of poverty, inequality, or social justice?
I teach Biostatistics, Public Health, and Community Health Advocacy,* and at the core of all of these courses is one central idea: data tells a story. In Community Health Advocacy, students move beyond the classroom to think critically about real community challenges, connecting policy, lived experience, and evidence. Across all courses, we explore how social determinants like income, environment, and access to care directly shape health outcomes, and how understanding those relationships is the first step toward meaningful change.
How do you bring real-world experiences or case studies into your teaching?
I prioritize giving students experiences that feel real and relevant. Whether they are working with public health datasets or examining case studies tied to community health issues, I push them to ask not just what the data shows, but why it matters. For example, students might identify disparities in a community dataset and then develop an advocacy strategy or intervention, bridging the gap between analysis and action. That moment when they realize they can use their skills to influence real outcomes is incredibly powerful.
What do you hope students take away from your courses beyond the classroom?
Beyond technical skills, I want students to leave my courses with confidence in their ability to think critically, ask better questions, and communicate insights clearly. They learn how to approach complex problems with both analytical rigor and empathy. Understanding bias, questioning assumptions, and recognizing the human impact behind data are skills that prepare them not just for careers, but for leadership.
Can you share a little about your current research or projects?
My work focuses on population-level health outcomes and how data can be used to inform more equitable care delivery. I am particularly interested in how different types of data come together to tell a more complete story about disparities, and how that information can be translated into better decisions and better outcomes.
What drew me to this work was recognizing how consistently disparities appear across different datasets and settings. It became clear that these patterns are not random, and that understanding them is essential if we want to create change. That realization continues to shape both my research and how I teach, because I want students to see that they have a role in addressing these challenges.
If you could see one mindset shift or “aha” moment happen for every student in your class, what would it be?
I want every student to have the moment where they realize that data represents real people and real lives. Once that clicks, everything changes. Their analysis becomes more thoughtful, their questions become deeper, and their work becomes more meaningful. That shift is what transforms learning into impact.
What advice would you give students beginning their poverty studies internship?
Be open, be present, and be willing to learn from every interaction. The most meaningful lessons will not always come from structured tasks, but from conversations and observations. Take time to understand the communities you are working with and reflect on how your academic knowledge connects to what you are seeing in real time. That connection is where growth happens.
*Community Health Advocacy is a Connections course at Juniata College. "In a Connections course (3 credits), students consider a common topic through two ways of knowing that are quite different from one another. Connections courses are designed specifically to be team-taught by two faculty from disciplines intellectually distant from one another: chemistry and art, politics and geology, finance and literature, for example." Learn more about the components of the Juniata College Curriculum >>