Rate My Professor Lisa Henry

Lisa Henry is the Divisional Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Southern Methodist University in 1999, with a dissertation on "The Reconstruction and Revitalization of Tahitian Healing," along with an M.A. in Anthropology (1996), B.S. in Anthropology (1991), and B.A. in Psychology (1991) from the same institution. As an applied medical anthropologist, her research interests include food insecurity, particularly among college students, globalization and health, indigenous healing systems, biomedicine, healthcare delivery, and anthropology in public health, with regional specializations in the U.S. and Pacific Islands.

Henry has held positions at UNT since 2001, progressing from Lecturer to Assistant Professor (2002-2008), Associate Professor (2008-2015), Professor (2015-present), Department Chair (2011-2017 and 2020-2024), and Divisional Dean (2025-present). She has led over 30 research projects, including collaborations on physician assistants in American medicine and food security in North Texas. Her key publications include the book Experiences of Hunger and Food Insecurity in College (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020), and articles such as “Understanding Food Insecurity among College Students: Experience, Motivation, and Local Solutions” (Annals of Anthropological Practice, 2017), “Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Community Health Centers under the Affordable Care Act” (Human Organization, 2015), and “Deciding to Opt Out of Childhood Vaccination Mandates” (Public Health Nursing, 2008). She has secured grants from the North Texas Food Bank and UNT. Henry served as past-president of the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA) and received the Outstanding Online Teacher & Course Award from UNT in 2016, among various nominations for leadership and engagement awards. Her work has influenced university policies on student food insecurity and contributed to applied anthropology in public health.