Christi M. Navarro, Ph.D., CPH, is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention within the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University (FIU). She earned her Ph.D. in Public Health (Health Promotion & Disease Prevention) and B.S. in Biological Sciences from FIU, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
As an innovative educator, Dr. Navarro specializes in bridging academic theory and public health practice through experiential learning, advanced asynchronous instructional design, and educational technology. Grounded in FIUâs vision for teaching excellence (integrating learning-centeredness, evidence-based practices, and inclusivity) she is an institutional leader in AI-resilient pedagogy, developing frameworks such as âThe Chef and the Ovenâ to guide students' critical inquiry and ethical AI application.
Her curriculum-driven scholarship includes co-authoring the custom digital textbook Leadership That Matters: Principles & Practice for Public Health and creating immersive environments like the capstone simulation and the 22-part Competency Spotlight series.
Dr. Navarroâs scholarship focuses on teaching innovation and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), with prior funded research spanning mental health literacy and health equity evaluation. She actively serves the public health profession as the elected Treasurer for the American Public Health Association (APHA) Mental Health Section and is a faculty inductee of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.
research interests
- Mental health literacy and stigma reduction - Women's health and well-being - Adolescent/young adult health and well-being - Health promotion and disease prevention - Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) - Pedagogical innovation - Asynchronous/online course design - AI-resilient pedagogy and generative AI in higher education - Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE)
