40 years a program, 25 years a school.

Opening pages, first: Crystal Stafford 14MPH works with IMA World Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo on malaria prevention.

Second: Students enjoy a nice day in front of the Claudia Nance Rollins and Grace Crum Rollins buildings.

Third: Christine Moe, Eugene J. Gangarosa Professor of Safe Water and Sanitation, works with WASH students to examine the microbiological quality of the reclaimed water treated by the new Emory WaterHub facility.

This page: Anh-Minh Alexander Tran 14MPH photographed fellow Rollins students as they answered questions about nutrition from schoolgirls in Bijapur, India.

Dean, Rollins School of Public Health

James W. Curran, MD, MPH

Associate Dean for Development and External Relations, Rollins School of Public Health

Kathryn H. Graves, MEd, 93MPH

Editor

Martha McKenzie

Art Director

Peta Westmaas

Designer Linda Dobson

Director of Photography

Bryan Meltz

Photo Contributors

Ann Borden

Adrian Busse

Kathryn Gamble

Niharika Bhattarai 12MPH

Vanessa Burrowes 14MPH

Matthew Freeman 05MPH

Crystal Stafford 14MPH

Anh-Minh Alexander Tran 14MPH

Editorial Contributors

Pam Auchmutey

Production Manager

Carol Pinto

Executive Director Health Sciences

Creative Services

Karon Schindler

Associate Vice President

Health Sciences Communications

Vince Dollard

4 The Rollins impact

Through education, research, and commitment to communities, Rollins helps promote and protect health around the globe

8 Shaping tomorrow’s public health leaders

Dual degree helps address HIV/AIDS

Serving the Cherokee Nation with an EMPH PhD takes STEPS to prevent birth defects

Fighting malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Gaining REAL-life experience

16 Improving health through discovery

Leading HIV/AIDS research

Mortality and mental illness

The weight of chronic disease spending On the cutting edge of the exposome

Leading and learning in WASH

Racism and birth outcomes

Defeating diabetes in India

Cancer, genetics, and Big Data

26 Touching the community Masters International helps launch a career Health for Southeast’s Latinos

Gaining global field experience A strong Peace Corps presence

32 25 Snapshots of Rollins

36 25 years and counting

A group of loyal faculty and staff have been with Rollins since it became a school or ancestry, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression

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Looking ahead to a golden era

This year marks our 40th anniversary as a program, our 25th as a school, and my 20th year as dean. This issue explores the varied and vast contributions Rollins has made toward promoting health worldwide—both through educating students who go out and do the work of public health and through discovering solutions to public health problems.

Through the years, we have been able to recruit world-class faculty who have made crucial contributions in their fields. These professionals are committed to educating the next generation of public health leaders, and they find a receptive audience in Rollins students. With each incoming class, I find myself impressed with the talent and commitment of the students.

Rollins researchers have made great strides in discovering solutions to challenging public health issues. With our uniquely close ties to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory and Grady hospitals, and leading public health agencies in Atlanta, our findings have been quickly translated into clinical and public health practice.

In a world facing global threats, pandemics, environmental hazards, poverty, and failing health care systems, public health offers a powerful solution.

These remarkable accomplishments would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the family of O. Wayne Rollins and other generous donors. The health and lives of countless people have been improved through the generosity of our supporters.

I see a bright future for our school and our profession. Public health is entering a golden era. The challenges we’ll be facing in the coming decades, including globalization, an aging population, and unsustainable health care costs, require a focus on prevention and populations. Public health is uniquely suited to play a central role in addressing these issues.

Fortunately there is a growing understanding of the profession’s importance. In the past, many people didn’t quite comprehend what public health was. The general public now understands that having a healthy population requires a broader focus on populations, behavior, and environment, in addition to caring for people who are ill. In a world facing global threats, pandemics, environmental hazards, poverty, and failing health care systems, public health offers a powerful solution.

So on the occasion of our 25th anniversary as a school and 40th as a program, I look back at all that has been accomplished with a tremendous amount of pride. Future challenges will provide us with ever greater chances to succeed.

Words of

“Looking back on all the decisions I had to make when I was in charge of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, I am probably the proudest of the decision to create the public health program. The Rollins School of Public Health is extremely important in Emory’s place in the world.”

CHARLES R. HATCHER, JR.

Former Director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center

“Rollins has been a key academic partner for CARE. As an implementing organization, having a partnership with a high-caliber academic institution like Rollins has enhanced the work we have been able to do.”

HELENE GAYLE Former CEO of CARE Inaugural CEO of the McKinsey Social Initiative

“The Rollins School of Public Health and the Carter Center have worked closely together and greatly benefitted each other over the years. Rosalynn and I are proud to join in the anniversary celebration.”

FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER

“CDC and Rollins are more than next-door neighbors—since the school’s founding we have been close partners in public health. More than 100 of CDC’s top researchers hold faculty positions at Rollins, and many students and graduates get their first real-world taste of public health work at CDC.”

TOM FRIEDEN Director of the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention

James W. Curran, MD, MPH

James W. Curran Dean of Public Health

“With its close ties to the CDC, Rollins students have the unique opportunity to participate in research for some of the leading scientists in the world. That close relationship has enabled the transformation of Rollins from a local program into a great international school of public health. Today it is seen as a center of public health excellence that has no other equal.”

EUGENE GANGAROSA Professor Emeritus of Global Health

“It’s hard to overestimate the impact Rollins has had in establishing Atlanta as a public health mecca. Forty years ago, the CDC was just a communicable disease center, and the American Cancer Society and CARE were in New York. Then Rollins started pouring out welltrained students, recruiting world-class faculty, and working closely with the CDC as it grew. Now everyone looks to Atlanta as the go-to place for public health knowledge and excellence.”

VIRGINIA (GINNY) BALES HARRIS 71C 77MPH Former Deputy Director (Management), CDC

“The American Cancer Society provides an out-in-the-field laboratory for Rollins students and faculty doing important public health research. The talented people at Rollins have worked out thorny issues for ACS in terms of doing population science and prospective epidemiologic trials. We are able to accomplish more working together than we would be working apart.”

JOHN SEFFRIN Former CEO of the American Cancer Society