The Standard provides timely opportunities for engagement, connection, and paying it forward. Together we can build an extraordinary bridge between our current work and the future of what we can accomplish together. Join us in the pursuit of a healthier, more equitable world. |
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Celebrating the Class of 2022 |
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Congratulations to the Class of 2022 on all your hard work and accomplishments! We welcome you to the SPH alumni community and to your first edition of the School of Public Health’s alumni newsletter, The Standard.
Whether you just graduated or it has been a while since your time at SPH, please take a moment to view this brief video and photos of all the festivities from the School of Public Health graduation ceremony on April 29.
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The Michigan Public Health community continues to be unified by its compassion and drive to create positive change and lasting solutions.
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Welcoming Back the Classes of 2020 and 2021 |
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A special Comeback Graduation was held on May 7 for the Classes of 2020 and 2021, providing an opportunity for an in-person graduation experience to recognize this important milestone.
More than 50 graduates, along with 200 family members and friends, gathered at the School of Public Health to celebrate.
We look forward to staying in touch! Submit a Class Note to share exciting updates with your classmates and the School.
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From the Chief Development Officer |
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Tony Wagener
Chief Development Officer
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Welcome to the Spring Edition of The Standard.
With the first in-person commencement since 2019, this year marked a truly special time to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2022 and welcome back the Classes of 2020 & 2021.
We were honored to welcome Michigan Public Health alumna Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MPH '01, as our speaker at the SPH Graduation on April 29. Dr. Bagdasarian is the Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, in which she provides overall medical guidance as a cabinet member of the Governor.
Before the event, Dr. Fauci joined a small group of faculty, staff, and students at the School of Public Health to discuss our work and leadership response to COVID-19. We were honored to host him and enjoyed a meaningful conversation, and we are proud of the ways that our students, faculty, and alumni directly contributed to mitigation efforts at local, state, national, and global levels.
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We are deeply grateful to you, our generous alumni community, who continue to provide incredible support as mentors, guest speakers, internship preceptors, and more. Thank you to those who also deepened their impact by making a gift during Giving Blueday, ensuring students have access to an SPH education and faculty have the resources they need to continue cutting-edge research.
For those seeking opportunities to share your public health journey with students, please consider signing up for our Alumni Photo Shoot or sharing your expertise and guidance through the school's exclusive online mentoring and networking platform — now with more than 3,000 students and alumni.
Thank you for all that you do to enrich the Michigan Public Health community!
Go Blue!
Tony Wagener
Chief Development Officer
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The U-M School of Public Health is collaborating with the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Cancer Society on a Bank of America-funded program to advance health outcomes for Black, Latino/Hispanic, Asian and indigenous communities. This $25 million, four-year initiative will initially launch in 11 cities.
The organizations will focus on three key areas in each community: education and capacity building for health systems, partners and patients; increasing access to health screenings and preventive care; and advocating for policies that ensure fair opportunities and resources with state and local leaders.
Led by Minal Patel, associate professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, the team of researchers from Michigan Public Health is developing key performance indicators for the overall initiative in close collaboration with the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and American Diabetes Association. Ultimately, the goal is to create long-term change and ensure this work will continue to benefit communities in the 11 cities well into the future.
This effort builds on the school’s Public Health IDEAS initiative, launched in 2021, which fosters innovative interdisciplinary work with a direct impact on improving the health of communities.
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In April, we joined together to recognize the contributions of Dr. Paul B. Cornely.
Dr. Cornely was a pioneer in the field of public health, fighting for health equity and civil rights in the United States. He was the first Black person to earn a doctoral degree in public health in the US, which he earned at the University of Michigan in 1934. He dedicated much of his life’s work to desegregating medicine and education.
We are honored to have dedicated our Cornely Community Room after such an influential individual.
Please enjoy this video about Dr. Paul B. Cornely's impact in the field of public health and beyond.
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Seeking Alumni Volunteers |
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Alumni Photo Shoot Interest Form |
The School of Public Health is looking for recent alumni interested in participating in a photo shoot at their place of work to help SPH highlight the many career possibilities for our prospective student audience.
- Photographer provided by SPH
- Images may be used for SPH marketing purposes
- All images will be shared for your own use
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The University of Michigan School of Public Health has a long history of hosting prominent speakers to enhance our education and research missions. Virtual events have allowed us to stay connected and hear from leaders making an impact around the globe over the past two years.
Recently, the school has hosted several virtual dialogues featuring public health change-makers. We encourage you to invest some time to watch the recordings of these insightful conversations.
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COVID in India Two Years Later |
An extension of a feature story in the fall issue of Findings, Michigan Public Health biostatisticians Bhramar Mukherjee and Mousumi Banerjee joined Dean DuBois Bowman in a conversation about the meld of their personal and professional lives as COVID-19 ravaged their home country of India. Both professors stepped into key roles as go-to experts and advocates during the pandemic, offering their advice to heads of state, appearing on international news shows, and organizing charitable giving.
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Ahead of the Curve Leadership Speaker Series |
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The Pursuit of Health Equity: Leading for Long-term Change |
Dr. Helene D. Gayle
President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust
Dr. Gayle has been president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations, since October 2017. Under her leadership, the Trust has adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region.
An expert on global development, humanitarian, and health issues, she spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS, and at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues.
She was awarded the Chicago Mayor’s Medal of Honor for her work on COVID relief and recovery for the city. Named one of Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women” and one of NonProfit Times “Power and Influence Top 50,” she has authored numerous articles on global and domestic public health issues, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and social justice.
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Perspectives on Leadership from the Nation's Doctor |
Dr. Jerome Adams
20th Surgeon General of the United States
After growing up poor and Black in a Southern rural community, Dr. Adams went on to lead the 6,000 person U.S. Public Health Service as “America’s Doctor” during a worldwide pandemic.
As Surgeon General, he brought a passionate commitment to fighting issues that his own family and community experienced, including limited healthcare access, chronic disease, substance use disorder and ensuing stigma, tobacco addiction, maternal health, mental illness and the opioid epidemic.
Dr. Adams merges his expertise at the forefront of national and global health policy with his own personal experiences: growing up with life-threatening asthma, as a brother to someone with substance use disorder and as someone navigating politics to tirelessly champion the health of the vulnerable and voiceless during times of crisis.
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Scenes from Alumni Networking Night
In April, hundreds of current students and dozens of alumni joined together for an evening of career exploration, conversation, and connecting.
The 8th annual event was led in partnership between our dedicated student organization leaders and the Office for Student Engagement and Practice, the Careers Office, and the Development and Alumni Engagement team.
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Thanks to all who participated and took the opportunity to connect with their Michigan Public Health community. Go Blue! |
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The Scholarship and Awards Dinner |
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We were thrilled to gather in person to celebrate our scholarship donors and scholarship recipients at the 2022 Scholarship and Awards Dinner in April.
The event was held at the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the excitement of the evening was overwhelming.
Thank you to the generous donors who helped support over 250 Michigan Public Health students this past year in their pursuit of a healthier, more equitable world.
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Gyasi Chisley (MHSA '00), a national best-selling author and longtime leader in health care management, will be the keynote speaker for the 35th Annual Health Equity Conference presented by the Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD).
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Lisa Bowers (MHSA '98) can trace her interest in public health to two societal crises that loomed over her as a teen: the emergence of HIV/AIDS and the attacks on abortion rights. She is now Chief Commercial Officer at Day One Biopharmaceuticals.
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Storyline is a place for alumni to share stories with their Michigan Public Health community by responding to a featured question. |
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What silver lining or lesson from the pandemic do you find will benefit you in your public health career going forward?
Tell us about the knowledge gained from that experience that you may not have experienced if not for the pandemic.
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Tell us your story by September 15, 2022.
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Marisa Eisenberg, PhD
Associate Professor, Epidemiology
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In 2021 and throughout the pandemic, Dr. Eisenberg’s epidemiologic and modeling expertise has assisted state policymakers in planning the COVID-19 response.
Dr. Eisenberg was recently recognized with the University of Michigan President's Award for National and State Leadership.
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Student Organization Highlight |
The student-led organization Public Health Student of African Descent (PHSAD) began its inception in the late 70’s and has provided a safe-haven for the community for over the past 35 years. Considering the historical context of its beginnings, the organization was created as a means of representation, support, and foundation for predominantly African-American students at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
This year, PHSAD organized its 35th Annual Health Equity Conference.
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Explore Michigan Public Health's New Online Learning Hub |
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You can now access all of the online learning opportunities available from Michigan Public Health in one place—visit our new Online Learning Hub to find courses, series, and community-learning "Teach-Out" events, all taught by our renowned faculty experts.
In this ever-growing catalogue of open courses, Michigan Public Health is offering the opportunity for learners to become informed and build skills related to a variety of public health issues and disciplines.
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Resources from the Region V Public Health Training Center |
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Check out these upcoming events! We also offer self-paced training, podcasts, and more.
Effective Management: Mentorship and More
Live Webinar, May 23, 2022 from 12-1pm ET - Register
Environmental Justice: Advocating for Equity
Live Webinar, May 24, 2022 from 2-3pm ET - Register
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Interested in training specific to infectious disease and emergency preparedness and response? Check out Public Health Prepared (PHP).
Training addresses not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, communicable diseases, and outbreak investigations. Join the PHP newsletter to learn more!
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Additional Resources
All University of Michigan alumni, students, faculty, and staff may earn free verified certificates in 200+ online courses. Gain new skills in python programming, successful negotiation, teaching, statistics, social justice, and more!
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University of Michigan School of Public Health
Office of Development and Alumni Engagement
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