Who We Are

Daniel L. Bibeau, PhD, CHC

Professor and Faculty Trainer | dlbibeau@uncg.edu

Dan Bibeau is a professor in the Department of Public Health Education at UNCG. He is a co-author of the seminal paper cited in more than 4000 scholarly articles titled An Ecological Perspective on Health Promotion Programs that changed the way we look at what influences behavior beyond individual, psychological factors. He also co-authored Adding Health Education Specialists to Your Practice in the American Academy of Family Physician’s journal Family Practice Management.

Dan has conducted over 200 trainings for healthcare professionals, teachers, public health professionals, and business leaders. He was a lead researcher in the CITIES Stroke Project in partnership with Novant Health and Cone Health and was the Founding Executive Director of the Wellness Council of North Carolina. As the co-Director and a Certified Health Coach, Dan continues to partner with UNCG employees to help them reach their health and well-being goals.

Regina McCoy, MPH, MCHES, NBC-HWC

Professor and Faculty Trainer | rlmccoy@uncg.edu

Regina McCoy is a professor in the Department of Public Health Education at UNCG with over 20-years of academic teaching, scholarship and practice in community engagement grounded in the socio-ecological approach. As a co-Director of the UNCG Health Coach Training Center she provides consultation and training on person-centered care, and competency-based assessment of health educators and coach practitioners.

In addition to receiving national recognition for making significant contributions to the health education field, Regina is also credentialed as a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and one of the first professional coaches to earn the new credential: National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) through the collaboration between the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and the International Consortium for Health & Wellness Coaching (ICHWC). Several of her invited presentations, journal articles and textbook chapters have focused on her CBPR efforts to enhance the wellbeing of communities. Regina considers her coaching sessions with clients as her heart-time job because she can support people along their path to personal fulfillment.

Thayle Heggie, MPH, CHES, NBC-HWC

Project Director | tjheggie@uncg.edu

Thayle Heggie is a recent graduate of the Masters of Public Health program with UNCG. She graduated with a B.S. in Sports Medicine from Guilford College where she was a two-sport athlete and athletic trainer. Prior to starting the MPH program, she worked in higher education for 17 years in various roles, including mentoring, counseling and consulting with students, staff, and faculty. Thayle is a nationally certified health coach and is also credentialed as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). As a graduate student, she worked as a research assistant with the Institute to Promote Athlete Health & Wellness (IPAHW). Thayle has a passion for health education and the intersection of how our spaces impact our overall well-being. She enjoys connecting with people and empowering them with her ability to relate and communicate, ensuring they feel heard and supported.

Jada Green

Graduate Assistant | jagreen5@uncg.edu

Jada Green is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Education with a concentration in Community Health Education. Currently, Jada is a first year Master of Public Health Candidate working as a graduate assistant with the health coaching team. She has experience with community outreach, clinical research and program planning/implementation. She has developed an interest in bringing a community health perspective to the clinical realm of healthcare. As a health educator, Jada will continue her passion of advocating for vulnerable and underserved populations to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their health goals.

Thessalonica Hillman

Graduate Assistant | tshillman@uncg.edu

Thessalonica Hillman is a graduate assistant within the health coaching program and a first-year MPH student. In December 2020, she graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a BS in Pharmaceutical Science. She has clinical laboratory experience that plays a key role in public health. Upon graduation, she plans to implement health wellness and coaching into her research interests that include chronic health disease management and prevention.

GracieLee Weaver, PhD, CHES, NBC-HWC

Research Associate and Faculty Trainer | gmweaver@uncg.edu

GracieLee is a health coach, advocate, researcher and educator. She was trained and certified as a health coach in 2013. Since then, she has been providing health coaching services to UNCG employees through HealthyUNCG. She also previously worked for Wake Forest University in the Office of Wellbeing where she provided health coaching services for faculty, staff, and students. GracieLee sees health coaching as an opportunity to support her clients with guided self-reflection, goal setting, and accountability.

Scarlett B. Ruppert, MPH, CHES, NBC-HWC

Health Coaching Consultant

Scarlett Ruppert is currently serving the Oklahoma State University community as the Coordinator of Employee Wellness. Prior to receiving her Master’s in Public Health Program with UNCG, Scarlett received her B.S. in Exercise Science at Winthrop University. She has experience educating and programming for student and employee populations regarding physical activity, healthy eating, weight loss, and mental health/mindfulness. In addition to being a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach(NBC-HWC), Scarlett is credentialed as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Scarlett has a passion for health education, disease prevention, and wellness programming.

Maurine Crouch, MPH, CHES, CHC

Health Coaching Consultant

Maurine Crouch finished her Masters of Public Health at UNCG in 2019. As a graduate assistant with the UNCG Health Coaching program, she developed an interest in health behavior and public health communication. She has worked in health education and research, and has a passion for harm reduction, mental & emotional health, and holistic approaches. Additionally, she assists with reviewing health coach materials for UNCG Health Coaching.

Khristian Curry, MPH, CHES, CHC

Health Coaching Consultant

Khristian is currently serving the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control as the Provider Engagement Coordinator within the Division of Diabetes and Heart Disease Management. Prior to receiving her Master’s in Public Health Program with UNCG, Khristian received her B.A. in Communications at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has experience in community engagement and outreach in under-resourced communities. Khristian has a passion for health equity, maternal health, and food justice.

Aleyah Brown, MPH, CHES, NBC-HWC

Health Coaching Consultant | anbrown5@uncg.edu

Aleyah Brown currently serves as a Tobacco Treatment Specialist at the Durham County Department of Public Health. She is a graduate of the UNCG Health Coaching’s Post-Bacc Certificate program and recently received her Master’s of Public Health from UNCG in 2020. She is also a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach through the NBHWC as well as a credentialed Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She graduated with her undergraduate degree with a BS in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health from East Carolina University in 2017.

Crystal Dixon, MPH, MCHES, NBC-HWC

Health Coaching Consultant

Crystal Ellis Dixon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has over ten years of experience of providing diabetes education in underserved communities across North Carolina. Crystal is credentialed as a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and is a certified Lay Leader in Stanford University’s Living Healthy with Diabetes and Chronic Disease curricula. She has educated over 100 community residents in chronic disease self-management and has been successful in empowering community residents to achieve personal health goals. Her expertise in community mobilization, program planning, and successful recruiting rates has helped bridge the gap between healthcare providers and the community, which has helped to improve the medical compliance of the underserved population. In addition to her contributions to a local coalition being recognized internationally as a model for diabetes management, she has also contributed to research funded by the National Institutes of Health, co-authored journal articles and presented research at local and national organizations, including the American Public Health Association. Crystal’s innate ability to build rapport, provide support, and empower individuals to achieve health goals makes health coaching a rewarding opportunity to continue to help others achieve their goals.