Molly McNulty
Associate Professor of Public Health Law and Policy
- Office Location
- 206 Morey Hall
- Telephone
- (585) 275-4878
Office Hours: Tuesday 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. or by appointment
Biography
Molly McNulty is an associate professor of public health in the undergraduate public health program. She joined the faculty in 2016, where her primary appointment is in the School of Arts and Sciences, and her secondary appointment is in the School of Medicine and Dentistry. From 1996 to 2004, Dr. McNulty was a previous member of the faculty of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Departments of Pediatrics, and Community and Preventive Medicine, where her research focused on Medicaid policies promoting access to medical care for low-income adolescents.
An attorney who specializes in shaping health law and public policy to improve health equity for poor and underserved populations Dr. McNulty is interested in the policymaking process, particularly the role played by advocates and other stakeholders outside of government. Her teaching focus is on social justice and the right to health care, with a specialization in reproductive rights law
McNulty teaches Healthcare and the Law; Public Health Law and Policy; and Maternal Child Health Policy and Advocacy to undergraduates, and Health Policy Lab to M.P.H. students.
Dr. McNulty has won an Innovative Teaching Award from the Association of Teachers of Maternal Child Health.
Dr. McNulty also oversees the undergraduate public health internships, and the Washington Semester.
Education
- Undergraduate degree(s): BA, American studies, Smith College, magna cum laude (1984)
- Graduate degree(s): JD, New York University School of Law, Editor, NYU Journal of Law and Social Change (1988)
- Post-doctoral fellowship: Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship, Georgetown School of Law (1988-89)
Research Overview
Dr. McNulty completed her legal training at New York University School of Law in 1988, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Women’s Law and Public Policy at Georgetown University School of Law in 1989. Her career experience includes the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, National Health Law Program, Children’s Defense Fund, the Monroe County Department of Health, Westlaw, and the University of Rochester.
Dr. McNulty is interested in the role of law and the policymaking process in health policy, focusing on health equity for the poor and underserved, with particular emphasis on reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health. She teaches communication methods for translating scientific information and community perspectives to public policymakers, including elected officials, agency staff, and the courts. She is interested in innovative teaching methods, including community-engaged pedagogy. For this, she received a national teaching award.
Dr. McNulty is the co-faculty advisor for the Health Policy major and minor, director of the public health internships and Washington Semester,
Dr. McNulty’s research interests include studying the implementation of national and state Medicaid laws, as well as tracking the impact of changes in reproductive health laws. Her current research assesses policy barriers, including Medicaid, to women’s healthcare during reentry after incarceration.
Research Interests
- Health law, policy, and advocacy for the poor and underserved
Courses Offered (subject to change)
- PHLT/PSCI 230: Public Health Law and Policy, Syllabus
- PHLT/PSCI 234: Maternal Child Health Policy and Advocacy
- PHLT/PSCI 236: Health Care and the Law
- PHLT/PSCI 394G: Public Health Internships
- Washington Semester Internships