Tonni Oberly, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Health Behavior and Health Promotion
Biography
Tonni's research focuses on the intersections of place and health, especially in maternal and child health outcomes. She brings practical public health experience working at the local state, and national level in program development and management, research and public health policy. She joined Ohio State faculty in 2025.
Education
- PhD
- City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University, 2023
- MPH
- Health Behavior and Health Promotion, The Ohio State University, 2016
- BS
- Biology, Emory University, 2013
- BA
- Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Emory University, 2013
Research interests
Place-based initiatives, maternal and child health, health equity
Select publications
- Oberly, T., & Reece, J. (2023). Planning History From the Lions’ Perspective: Reclaiming Black Agency in Planning History. Journal of the American Planning Association, 89(4), 487-504.
- Oberly, T. (2022). Applying a disaster recovery framework to racism as a public health crisis: From theory to practice. Journal of Urban Affairs, 46(10), 2009–2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2139712
- Oberly, T., Reece, J., & Graham, L. A Framework to Address Maternal and Child Health Inequities as a Place-Based Issue.
- Oberly, Tonni PhD, MPH; Singh, Simone R. PhD; Bush Stevens, Amy MSW, MPH; Blair-Ackison, Robin MPH; Sheeran, Anna MSW, MPA; Lang, Britt MA, MPH. Perspectives on Public Health Department Accreditation: Lessons Learned From Ohio’s Accreditation Mandate. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice 31(2):p 165-172, March/April 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000002094