Irina Ellison
- Associate Professor, Health Sciences
- School of Health and Natural Sciences
- Main Hall Rm 208
- iellison@mercy.edu
- (914) 674-7634
- Google Scholar Profile
Social Media Links
Irina Ellison, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor, Associate Dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences and Co-Director of the University-wide Global Honors Program at Mercy University. She is passionate about improving science literacy by guiding her students toward making meaningful connections between science and other disciplines.
At Mercy, Dr. Ellison serves as co-chair of the University-wide Committee on Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) and co-chair of the Inter-Professional Education (IPE) Committee.
She co-founded and co-directs the Art in the Lab Workshops, which give scientists and artists the opportunity to collaborate to create art based on active laboratory experiences. She is also actively involved in the Northeast Regional Honors Council where she served as President from 2020-2021 and currently co-chairs the Diversity Equity Inclusion Justice (DEIJ) Committee.
Dr. Ellison is thrilled to bring her passion for and experience with interdisciplinary education, service learning and building human connections to Mercy University to improve the success of her beloved students!
Ph.D. in Pathology, New York Medical College
B.A. in Biology, Vassar College
Dr. Ellison's interdisciplinary research interests focus on the public health of cigarette smoking as well as issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion, interprofessional education (IPE) and student success.
She currently serves as an Activity Director on the ACCESS (Advancing Curricular Change to Enhance Student Success) grant, a Title V grant aimed at improving student outcomes in Anatomy and Physiology I.
She is also the Project Director of the NEA Big Read - Mercy University (2022-2023), a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.
Dr. Ellison has lead the Supplemental Instruction Learning Fellows program at Mercy University since 2018 and has presented on the impacts that the program has had on student success both nationally and internationally.
In 2021, she was co-awarded a Faculty Development Grant for her project, "Perspectives of Underserved Minority Students on Mercy University Health Professions Programs."
In 2018, she was awarded a grant by the Truth Initiative, a nonprofit tobacco control organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco.
At Mercy University, Dr. Ellison primarily teaches Anatomy and Physiology, Pathology, Global Health and Forensic Science. She has over 15 years of full-time experience teaching science to undergraduate students in and around both New York City and Westchester County.
Dr. Ellison has experience developing curricula and courses across Biology, Health Science and Honors.
Dr. Ellison has previously served as Pre-Med Advisor, Program Director of Health Science and Chair of Natural Sciences at Mercy University.