Leading with Awareness Under Pressure

Dr. Alicia L. Battle is a public health educator, leadership development practitioner, and emotional intelligence scholar with 30 years of experience advancing health equity, cultivating leaders, and helping individuals, organizations, and communities achieve meaningful and sustainable success. Her work spans public health practice, workforce development, organizational effectiveness, and higher education leadership. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to creating opportunities that empower people to learn, lead, and thrive.

Dr. Battle currently serves as Assistant Dean for Public Health Programs and Assistant Professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, where she provides leadership for public health education, workforce development, and community engagement initiatives. In these roles, she collaborates with faculty, staff, students, and external partners to advance innovative approaches to teaching, leadership development, and population health. She also directs the New Hampshire Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program Office, leading statewide efforts to strengthen healthcare workforce pathways and expand access to care in rural and underserved communities.

A nationally recognized facilitator, speaker, and leadership educator, Dr. Battle has developed a distinctive approach to leadership grounded in emotional intelligence, resilience, well-being, and purpose-driven practice. Drawing upon three decades of experience in public health, healthcare, and higher education leadership, she regularly delivers keynote presentations, executive training sessions, leadership institutes, and professional development workshops for universities, healthcare organizations, professional associations, and community groups. Her work helps individuals and organizations strengthen self-awareness, empathy, communication, relationship management, and leadership effectiveness in ways that support both personal and organizational success.

Dr. Battle's scholarship and professional presentations have explored the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness, student success, persistence, resilience, well-being, and organizational performance. She has presented nationally and internationally on topics including emotional intelligence as a leadership tool, leadership resiliency, equity-minded leadership, organizational culture, and the development of healthy, high-performing teams. Through her research, teaching, consulting, and facilitation, she has become a respected voice on the role emotional intelligence plays in fostering effective leadership and positive organizational change.

Known for her collaborative and people-centered leadership style, Dr. Battle is passionate about helping both emerging and seasoned leaders strengthen their capacity to lead with purpose, authenticity, and impact. She believes that effective leadership begins with self-awareness and is strengthened through authentic relationships, empathy, and a commitment to continuous growth. Her ability to connect leadership theory with practical application has made her a trusted advisor, educator, facilitator, and mentor across a variety of professional settings.

Dr. Battle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Austin Peay State University, a Master of Science in Public and Community Health, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Education from Southern Illinois University. She remains actively engaged in professional and community service initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. For Dr. Battle, public health is more than a profession and leadership is more than a title; both represent opportunities to serve others, strengthen communities, and create pathways for lasting positive change.