Denise M. Hill, JD, MPA

Associate Professor of Practice in Public Administration

Associate Professor Denise Hill, JD, MPA, brings over 25 years of legal, policy, and mediation experience to Drake, where she teaches in the Zimpleman Colleges of Business and Law School. Denise is licensed to practice law in Iowa and is an Attorney/Mediator with the Whitfield & Eddy law firm.

Prior to joining the Zimpleman College of Business MPA faculty, Denise was an Associate Professor appointed to the Colleges of Health Sciences, Medicine, and Podiatric Medicine at Des Moines University, where she received multiple faculty awards, including MHA Professor of the Year. Denise previously practiced law at the Davis Brown Law firm, was an Attorney/Manager of Public and Regulatory Affairs at the Iowa Medical Society, and was a State Labor Relations Attorney.

Denise maintains an active presence in the healthcare, legal, nonprofit, and academic communities. She is the Chair of the Health Law Section of the Iowa State Bar Association and on the Board of Trustees of Waldorf University, the National Law Vaccine Association, and the American Academy of ADR Attorneys. A sought-after speaker, writer, and media commentator, she was selected as a national health law expert for the 30th-anniversary edition of the Health Law Handbook. Her article “Patient-Centered Compliance in a World of Pain” addresses legal compliance issues for pain management and opioids. The American Health Law Association published her book "Vaccine Mandates in the Health Law Workplace: A primer for Employers" in 2021. Denise is also co-author of the text "Powerful Learning Communities" and co-author of the forthcoming "Maximizing Student Retention and Persistence to Graduation: Proven Strategies in Higher Education."