Happy 25th anniversary!
DEAN FROM THE
During this 2024-25 academic year, we’re marking the first 25 years of the College of Public Health. We’re delighted not only to celebrate the many remarkable accomplishments of the past quarter century, but also to envision the bright future of this still-young college.
When the College of Public Health was established in 1999—the first new college formed at the University of Iowa in 50 years—it was a bold, new beginning on many fronts. New educational programs, including our Master of Public Health degree, were launched and offered for the first time in the state of Iowa. A new academic department, our Department of Community and Behavioral Health, was created, too.
The establishment of this college was also the continuation of a tradition of public health teaching, research, and practice at the University of Iowa that dates back to 1885. In that sense, the formation of the college is emblematic of the work of public health itself, which is constantly evolving and adapting. New structures, techniques, and ideas are always needed to stay atop rising health challenges in our increasingly interconnected world.
This forward-looking orientation is captured in the Vision statement that continues to guide our college: To serve Iowa and the Midwest as one of the nation’s premier state-assisted schools of public health and lead the global community in rural public health education and training, research, and practice. We are guided as well by our ongoing commitment to our Core Values: excellence, learning, community, diversity, integrity, respect, responsibility, and social justice.
We have many accomplishments to be proud of over the past 25 years, and many more to look forward to. I’m grateful to everyone who has played a part in our shared history—our faculty, staff, students, alumni, community partners, and, especially, the people of Iowa, who supported this undertaking from the beginning.
On behalf of the College of Public Health, thank you for all you’ve done, and continue to do, to ensure our college thrives.
Edith Parker
Iowa Public Health Magazine is published twice a year for alumni and friends of the University of Iowa College of Public Health.
Director of Communications and External Relations Dan McMillan, daniel-mcmillan@uiowa.edu
Editor Debra Venzke
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Coordinator Mitch Overton
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Correspondence, including requests to be added to or removed from the mailing list, should be directed to:
Debra Venzke
University of Iowa College of Public Health 145 N. Riverside Dr. 100 College of Public Health Bldg., Rm S257 Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2007 debra-venzke@uiowa.edu
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Notable Events
JUNE 1997 T he Public Health Initiative is launched, laying the foundation for the formation of a school of public health at the University of Iowa.
DECEMBER 2005
JULY 1, 1999 College of Public Health founding day. James Merchant appointed first dean of the college.
The University of Iowa successfully concludes a seven-year, $1 billion comprehensive campaign. College of Public Health raises $12 million for endowed chairs and professorships, student support, and other collegiate programs as part of the UI campaign.
OCTOBER 2007
Iowa General Assembly approves $18.7 million to finance the new College of Public Health Academic Building. Board of Regents grants final approval to proceed with development of the new facility.
APRIL 2012
AUGUST 2008 Sue Curry appointed dean of the College of Public Health.
JUNE 2009 Public phase of the Building Today for a Healthy Tomorrow campaign is launched.
The University of Iowa dedicates the College of Public Health Building, the college’s first academic home.
AUGUST 2014
Cooperative “undergrad to grad” degree program launched, enabling students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Public Health degree in five years.
AUGUST 2016
The first class of public health undergraduate students enroll in programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.
FEBRUARY 2017
The University of Iowa successfully concludes the $1.9 billion For Iowa. Forever More fundraising campaign. More than 1,900 donors contributed a total of $40 million to the College of Public Health, surpassing its $25.8 million goal.
APRIL 2017
Sue Curry steps down as College of Public Health dean after being appointed interim UI executive vice president and provost. Keith Mueller, Gerhard Hartman Professor and head of the Department of Health Management and Policy, is named interim dean.
JUNE 2018
Edith Parker appointed dean of the College of Public Health.
OCTOBER 2023
The University of Iowa launches the Together Hawkeyes campaign.
JULY 1, 2024
The University of Iowa College of Public Health celebrates its 25th anniversary.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR FIRST 25 YEARS
The college’s mission guides our work: To promote health and to prevent injury and illness through commitment to education and training, excellence in research, innovation in policy development, and devotion to public health practice.
Since 2001, 23 individuals have been honored with the Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship. This annual award was established thanks to a generous gift from the first College of Public Health Founding Partners, Richard and Barbara Hansen. The award and lectureship honors persons who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in the public health field and brings them to the University of Iowa for interaction with students, faculty, and public health professionals.
THE COLLEGE IS HOME TO MORE THAN 20 INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTERS THAT CONDUCT RESEARCH AND OUTREACH.
The annual CPH Research Week celebrates the work and achievements of students, faculty, postdocs, and staff researchers.
Since launching in 2011, the Business Leadership Network based in the University of Iowa College of Public Health has coordinated health and wellness efforts in 40 counties in the Hawkeye State.
The College of Public Health Building was the University of Iowa’s first academic building to attain LEED Platinum certification in 2012.
NUMBER OF LIVING CPH ALUMNI 4429
Every year, incoming CPH graduate students take part in a Day of Service during orientation week. Students volunteer at community nonprofits, agencies, and organizations throughout the Iowa City area.
IN
RESEARCH FUNDING AWARDED TO THE COLLEGE OVER THE PAST 25 FISCAL YEARS
The college welcomes numerous guest lecturers and speakers each semester. The speakers engage with students in classes, deliver talks, or serve as expert panelists. Notable past guests have included federal, state, and local public health practitioners, health care leaders, nationally known authors, and international experts.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR FIRST 25 YEARS
The first students to complete their undergraduate public health degrees from the UI graduated in December 2019.
1551
Number of CPH alumni living and/or working in Iowa
100% of our students complete research, an internship, study abroad experience, or experiential learning course.
Every year, the college hosts a homecoming event for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and their families. It’s a chance to catch up with friends for food, fun, and Hawkeye football!
YEARS PUBLIC HEALTH
PROTECTING AND IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH
has long been a part of the University of Iowa’s commitment to the state of Iowa. Efforts to control communicable diseases, track cancer and birth defects, and prevent injuries are just a small sampling of the many university-based initiatives that have helped strengthen and support public health in Iowa for more than a century.
Prior to 1999, however, the university had no unifying academic unit dedicated to public health. The formation of the College of Public Health provided that focus. In the 25 years since its founding, the college has been at the forefront of innovative developments in public health education and training, new research to expand and deepen the public health knowledge base, and community-based initiatives to promote and support better health for Iowans.
The College of Public Health also fueled new interdisciplinary partnerships with units at the university, other academic and research institutions, local and state health agencies, and community stakeholders to bolster the state’s public health infrastructure.
As the first decades of the 21st century have demonstrated, the public health challenges confronting Iowa and the world are continually evolving. New skills and knowledge are required to address increasingly complex health issues— from mental health to pandemics to the impacts of a changing climate.
The following examples highlight some of the ways College of Public Health faculty, staff, students, and alumni have responded to emerging challenges and continue the University of Iowa’s proud tradition of supporting public health in Iowa, the nation, and the world.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and subsequent anthrax attacks in the U.S. profoundly changed the nation and the field of public health. Renewed interest in public health infrastructure spurred an influx of federal funding targeted at responding to terrorism threats and improving disaster preparedness.
PREPAREDNESS
In 2001, the college established the Iowa Center for Public Health Preparedness (ICPHP) , one of 15 CDC-funded Centers for Public Health Preparedness located throughout the U.S. The ICPHP trained Iowa’s public health workforce to prepare for, promptly identify, and respond to public health threats. The center initiated a train-the-trainer program and Grand Rounds series focused on public health preparedness, sponsored a statewide conference on improving Iowa’s preparedness capacity, and established the Education and Training Advisory Committee
Natural disasters upend the lives of millions of people each year. The state of Iowa has seen its share of extreme weather events, including tornadoes, floods, derechos, and, more recently, poor air quality due to wildfire smoke. The college offers expert advice on preparedness, health and safety measures during a disaster and recovery, and even hands-on help.
with state-level partners. Additional grants over the years have continued to support public health workforce development.
More recently, the Disaster PrepWise program was created to help individuals and families develop tailored disaster management plans for natural disasters, fires, and other emergency situations.
NATURAL DISASTERS
As one example, throughout the 2008 flood that affected eastern Iowa and the University of Iowa campus, CPH experts offered guidance on mold cleanup, essential protective equipment, mental health and stress, water quality, injury prevention, vector-borne illness, and other health concerns. Several CPH students distributed clean-up information in flooded neighborhoods as interns with the Johnson County Department of Public Health.
The Public Health Strike Force—a team of trained student volunteers from the UI College of Public Health —was formed more recently to support health and nonprofit organizations throughout Iowa with public health-related activities, events, and emergency response.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Befo re there was COVID-19, diseases like SARS, MERS, Zika, Ebola, and many others have caused global concern. In addition to new pathogens, older diseases like measles and avian influenza continue to pose challenges.
Researchers in the College of Public Health approach infectious diseases from a variety of disciplines. The Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases is focused on research and training in cross-cutting emerging infectious diseases, particularly those that are zoonotic. Biostatisticians develop statistical models to predict the spread of diseases, such as COVID and bird flu. Epidemiologists study vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and Leishmaniasis. Investigators in community and behavioral health study ways
CANCER
Cancer is a major burden throughout the U.S. and world. In Iowa, cancer data are collected by the State Health Registry of Iowa, also known as the Iowa Cancer Registry (ICR). Since 1973, the ICR has been funded by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The center is
to increase uptake of vaccines for preventable diseases. From the field and lab to hospital and community settings, public health is working to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and protect health.
one of 21 U.S. registries providing data, which are used in many NCI publications, national estimates, and projections of cancer burden. The ICR also produces the annual Cancer in Iowa report that includes county-specific estimates for new cancer cases and cancer death projections, the most prevalent types of cancer in Iowa, cancer survivor statistics in each county, and cancer trends in the state.
The state of Iowa has the second-highest and fastest-growing rate of new cancers in the U.S., with rural populations experiencing greater cancer mortality than urban ones. The Iowa Rural Cancer Collaboratory is an interdisciplinary group of clinicians and researchers with the mission to optimize cancer outcomes for rural Iowans. Through the Iowa Cancer Affiliate Network, the University of Iowa aims to support community hospitals across the state in the delivery of comprehensive cancer care to rural Iowans. The network is coordinated by UI researchers and clinicians in partnership with the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
SUBSTANCE USE AND RECOVERY
Substance use, mental health, and treatmentrelated behaviors are closely intertwined. Over the years, CPH researchers have studied binge and underage drinking, developed a media campaign on the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and hosted a summit on alcohol policy in Iowa. In 2004, the Prevention Research Center worked with community members and officials in Keokuk County, Iowa, to develop a countywide keg registration ordinance.
In 2015, the college hosted a summit that brought more than 200 experts together to address the heroin and prescription opioid abuse and overdose epidemic plaguing eastern Iowa. In 2017, the UI Injury Prevention Research Center sponsored a statewide meeting to identify priorities for addressing the opioid epidemic in Iowa and
MENTAL HEALTH
Millions of people around the globe are affected by mental illness. In the U.S., 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youths experience a mental health disorder each year.
CPH researchers have studied mental health and stress in schools, the workplace, and in rural populations. One recent study found that adolescent mental health conditions are increasing
published a subsequent report of policy and program recommendations.
More recently, researchers have examined how adults with alcohol use disorder achieve remission without obtaining professional treatment and highlighted the connection between alcohol consumption and cancer.
in many countries worldwide, and that growth is occurring most markedly among girls. Another grant-funded program is training graduate students to become school-based mental health services professionals in high-need areas of Iowa. Suicide prevention has been the focus of several outreach programs, particularly those serving agricultural workers. Suicide rates in rural areas are higher than in urban settings, and farmers have been identified as a high-risk population, with suicide rates consistently above those of the general population.
The college’s Native Center for Behavioral Health develops culturally informed programs to support the behavioral health workforce in Native American and Alaska Native communities across the country.
Research, education, and outreach efforts in the college continue to work to destigmatize mental illness and reduce health inequities in accessing treatment.
TOBACCO AND VAPING
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States, accounting for about 1 in 5 deaths. In 2001, the multidisciplinary Iowa Tobacco Research Center (ITRC) was formed to research and evaluate activities in tobacco use and control.
NUTRITION
Poor nutrition can lead to diet-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. But eating healthfully isn’t always easy, since nutrition is influenced by a variety of factors, including access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods as well as consumers’ knowledge, preferences, and culture.
CPH researchers have addressed these factors from a variety of angles. The Nutrition Center was established in 2005 to provide nutrition counseling and dietary assessment and to promote nutrition with a focus on the research, education, and service missions of the UI College of Public Health.
The Iowa Institute of Public Health Research and Policy implemented the Healthy LifeStars program in Iowa in 2018. Healthy LifeStars is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending childhood obesity through education, awareness, and changed habits to influence future generations of healthy children. The program operates in
The ITRC also operated Quitline Iowa, a toll-free, statewide smoking cessation telephone counseling hotline. The following year, the College of Public Health co-sponsored a conference that examined the global tobacco epidemic and approaches to tobacco control worldwide.
In recent years, the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices has increased, especially among youth. In 2019, the Iowa Institute of Public Health Research and Policy brought together interdisciplinary researchers from across campus with interests in e-cigarette and vaping research. The institute also hosted two public lectures and panel discussions about vaping that drew parents, school representatives, policymakers, and community members. CPH researchers also helped to develop a targeted e-cigarette health communication campaign for college students and studied the role social media plays in promoting e-cigarettes.
sc hools and is conducted in part through UI student coaches. The program also hosts an annual conference on nutrition, physical activity, and prevention of childhood obesity.
Other nutrition-focused projects have created interventions to make choosing healthy options easier at restaurants and school cafeterias, evaluated the Pick a Better Snack program, and studied food insecurity.
INJURY PREVENTION
In the United States, preventable injuries rank as the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer. Several centers in the college are focused on injury prevention and occupational safety. Together, they address injury and violence prevention, rural and occupational injuries, road traffic safety, ergonomics, mental health, wellness, and more.
The UI Injury Prevention Research Center prevents injuries through interdisciplinary research, education, training, and outreach. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the center brings together the academic, practice, and policy communities to reduce the burden of traumatic injuries and violence.
The Healthier Workforce Center (HWC) of the Midwest provides free and low-cost resources and e ducation for employers and practitioners
HEALTH POLICY
Health care in the United States is complex, with major changes and reforms in Medicaid, Medicare, and health insurance taking place in the past 25 years. To better understand the changing health care landscape, the college co-sponsored the Rebalancing Health Care in the Heartland series of forums from 2006 to 2015. These nonpartisan conferences, led by the UI Health Sciences Policy Council, provided a forum for Iowa health care
to support worker well-being. The HWC is one of ten Total Worker Health Centers of Excellence funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety provides graduate training, continuing education, and outreach in occupational health and safety. The center is supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
leaders and policymakers to discuss state and federal health care delivery, reform, and innovation.
The college prepares graduates for positions as health care administrators with a comprehensive understanding of patient-centered health care as well as the skills needed to navigate complex administrative and management systems. It also prepares researchers to study how health care policies affect costs, coverage, access, quality, and outcomes.
The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) provides nonpartisan, research-based analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural communities. Within RUPRI, the Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis conducts original research on access to health care services, Medicare policies, development of rural delivery systems, and public health. The center’s mission is to provide timely analysis to federal and state health policy makers, based on the best available research.
CLINICAL TRIALS
Clinical trials are research studies that test how well new medical approaches work in people.
The Preventive Intervention Center (PIC) has conducted health research and clinical trials to ensure medical treatments are safe and effective. Over the years, the center participated in research studies aimed at the treatment and prevention of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and diabetes. PIC also has tested new, investigational medications, hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives, dietary supplements, vaccines, and exercise and nutritional programs.
The Clinical Trials Statistical & Data Management Center (CTSDMC) provides statistical and data management support for multicenter clinical trials. The center has collaborated with researchers at the University of Iowa and at more than
100 other academic institutions, nationally and internationally. In each of its projects, the CTSDMC provides innovative leadership in study design, data collection, data management, project management, clinical site monitoring, quality management, safety monitoring, and statistical design and analysis. The center has contributed to numerous studies, including research on migraines, strokes, chronic pain, type 1 diabetes, neurological diseases, and Parkinson’s Disease.
PEOPLE AT HIGHER RISK FOR POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES
Certain groups of people, such as older adults, youth, people with disabilities, refugee populations, migrant agricultural workers, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with lower incomes, often face barriers that put them at a higher risk for poor health outcomes.
College research focused on an aging population includes fall prevention, age-friendly workplaces, nursing home staffing, aging in place, caregiving, and deprescribing medication. Other research
has concentrated on topics in child and adolescent health, including teen driving, protecting young workers on the job, and preventing interpersonal violence and bullying.
Refugee populations have increased in Iowa in recent years, and there are often gaps in access to resources as these groups transition to a new place with a different language and culture. Projects based in the college have focused on providing mental wellbeing support to refugee communities, increasing access to health care, and improving maternal health and birth outcomes.
CPH researchers also collaborated on a 2018 report that summarized the findings of a survey about the health of LGTBQ+ individuals in Iowa. The survey identified strengths as well as problem areas, such as unmet mental health needs, high levels of binge drinking, low perceived knowledge of LGBTQ+ health issues among health care providers, and ongoing experiences of discrimination.
AGRICULTURAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country with significant risk for injuries and death. The college is home to two centers dedicated to improving the health and safety of agricultural workers and their families.
The Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH) conducts research, education, and outreach to prevent occupational injury and illness among agricultural workers. The center serves the Midwestern states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin—the states that constitute America’s most agriculturally intensive region.
Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH) is a collaborative effort between four Iowa institutions: the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Health
Perhaps no other recent event has impacted the field of public health as dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic has. In the College of Public Health, faculty, staff, and students immediately applied their skills and expertise to reduce the spread of the virus, keep people safe, and help inform the public.
Early in the pandemic, health providers nationwide struggled to overcome a critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). CPH experts played a critical part in evaluating the safety of PPE that had been manufactured from novel components, decontaminated using new technologies, or produced by volunteers. Since
and Human Services, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. I-CASH works to improve the health and safety of the agricultural population by developing statewide prevention and educational initiatives.
COVID-19
the beginning of the pandemic, CPH researchers tracked COVID-19 case and death rates in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties nationwide. Their data showed that COVID case and death rates were higher in rural counties than in urban counties.
Dozens of CPH students worked as contact tracers at Johnson County Public Health in Iowa City. To better assess the impact of the pandemic on employee work arrangements, health, and well-being, investigators conducted a series of surveys that collected data from more than 10,000 University of Iowa employees. CPH faculty advised the university on safely returning to in-person activities. Researchers also studied ways to increase vaccine uptake, support mental health, model the spread of disease, reduce transmission in indoor spaces, and much more. The knowledge, skills, and lessons learned from the pandemic continue to inform public health practice and education today.
Celebrating Our Students
As future public health leaders and practitioners, our students are actively engaged in learning, research, and service. They build a strong educational foundation in the classroom and learn real-world skills through experiential learning opportunities, internships, practicum experiences, conferences, case competitions, and travel abroad. They also gain valuable experience as teaching and research assistants, by conducting research of their own, and participating in departmental student organizations.
Students also bring their energy to extracurricular and volunteer activities that enrich the campus, community, and beyond. Over the years, students have spearheaded service projects, volunteered in schools, organized lectures and discussions, raised awareness about public health issues, served as ambassadors for the college, and more.
Here, in their own words, several students and recent graduates share what they’ve gained from their experiences in and out of the classroom.
“I believe it is important for students to engage with activities and organizations outside of the classroom as it broadens your outlook on the world.”
LIA LOVE, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
“Doing this internship project was probably the highlight of my educational career so far. Now it’s something that I can tell people about, and I know that I’ve made an impact on the community.”
RAGAN MARTIN, 24BS, ABOUT HER INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE WITH JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
“Hands-on experiences such as internships and volunteer opportunities provided me with practical skills and exposed me to the real-world application of public health principles.”
“I think it’s just a really important skill to develop, learning how to ask questions and be an engaged listener.”
LAUREN LAVIN, PHD STUDENT, HEALTH SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION, ON THE SKILLS SHE DEVELOPED AS A HOST OF THE FROM THE FRONT ROW PODCAST
LAUREN KLOFT, 24MPH
“Interning abroad impacted my skillset more significantly than I expected. It enhanced my cross-cultural competence and adaptability.”
GUADALUPE DE LA ROSA, 24BA, ABOUT HER UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE IN CHILE
“Engaging in research has significantly boosted my self-confidence as a student. It has not only equipped me with valuable technical skills but also honed essential soft skills. Through research, I’ve had the opportunity to connect and collaborate with fellow researchers spanning various fields, broadening my network.”
PRECIOUS
MARYAH PATE, 24BS
Some of the current and past CPH student organizations and initiatives include:
Bios tatistics Student Organization
College of Public Health Graduate Student Association
Com munity and Behavioral Health Student Association
EC O Hawk
Epidemiology Student Association
From the Front Row, a student-run public health podcast
Health Equity Advancement Lab (HEAL)
He re to Help Mental Health and Well-being Organization
In ternational Student Advisory Board
Iowa Student Association of Healthcare Leaders
LG BTQ+ Advocates for Public Health Equity
Maternal and Child Health Student Interest Group
Oc cupational and Environmental Health Student Association
Plugged in to Public Health, a student-run public health podcast
Pu blic Health Strike Force
Pu blic Health Student Ambassadors
Student Association for Rural Health
Unde rgraduate Mentorship Program
Undergraduate Public Health Organization
Wo men in Biostatistics
“I’ve always been a very independent person, but research here has taught me how important collaboration is to successful science.”
DAN CORRY, 23PHD IN EPIDEMIOLOGY
Global Public Health Initiatives
Throughout its history, the College of Public Health has collaborated with partners around the world to strengthen public health. From road safety research in Romania to service learning in Mexico and maternal health interventions in Kenya—to name just a few examples—students and faculty have engaged in international research, internships, service learning, and coursework.
The college also welcomes numerous international visitors—both virtually and in-person—to speak on a variety of global health topics each year.
This map highlights a sampling of the college’s past and present initiatives in locations around the world.
Learn more at www.public-health.uiowa.edu/ global-public-health/
ARGENTINA
BRAZIL
CHILE
COLOMBIA
COSTA RICA
MEXICO
Coursework
Student or Faculty Research
Student Experiential Learning
ARMENIA
AUSTRALIA
ETHIOPIA
GAMBIA
GHANA
INDIA
INDONESIA
ITALY
JAPAN
UGANDA
JORDAN KENYA
LEBANON MOROCCO NIGERIA
ROMANIA SL O VENIA
SOUTH AFRICA
LOOKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD
TY BORDERS
(95MA, 99PHD, 01MS)
What is your current job title?
I am a professor in the College of Nursing and acting director of the Center for Health Services Research at t he University of Kentucky.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
The most obvious public health challenge over the past 25 years is the COVID-19 pandemic. It exposed major deficiencies in the public health surveillance system and the negative consequences of disruptions in health care delivery and education will be felt for yea rs to come.
A second major public health challenge, which pertains to my own research, is substance abuse. Both drug and alcohol abuse are problems across many areas of the U.S., but many persons encounter barriers to treatment. The strongest predictor of substance use is poor mental health, which also remains under-treated.
A third major public health challenge is the cost of medical care, which continues to crowd out spending on other segments of the economy.
How has your profession/field responded to the changing public health landscape?
I started my career as a faculty member in a School of Medicine, spent most of it in a College of Public Health, and am now in a College of Nursing. I am pleased to see that Schools of Medicine and Nursing have embraced the population health perspective and have integrated many public health competencies into their curricula. For example, I teach courses on the applications of epidemiology to clinical decision-making and population health to students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Kentucky.
What are your hopes or vision for the future of your profession/field in the next 10 years?
I would like to see public health and other health professional students learn more about population health ethics, which would include multiple perspectives about balancing health, education, economic, and other individual and societal needs. This would help prepare health professionals to respond to a future pandemic and more thoughtfully inform decisions about the spending on medical and non-medical resources to benefit population health.
Although no one can predict the future, we can prepare and plan for challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. An important part of planning is taking stock of past lessons to better inform our next steps. We asked several College of Public Health alumni to share their thoughts about what they view as some of the biggest public health challenges of the past quarter century, and to think ahead to what they envision for the future of their area of public health. Find additional alumni perspectives online at cph.uiowa.edu/news-items/alumni-perspectives-25-years/.
DANIELLE PETTIT-MAJEWSKI
What is your current job title?
I’m the public health director at Johnson County Public Health in Iowa.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
I think the top three public health challenges have been political determinants of health, COVID-19, and the success of 20 th-century public health wins.
Let me explain. I didn’t realize how political public health was until I started working in the field. The political decisions on public health issues—whether it’s expanding Medicaid, providing water fluoridation in local municipalities, funding local public health, or investing in walkable communities—all have an impact on health outcomes. There’s a reason your zip code has a bigger impact on your health than your genetic code. However, as public health professionals, we need to do a better job of connecting the dots between legislation and health outcomes so we can encourage more folks to be public health voters.
(10MPH)
of us. We have no idea what the long-term consequences will be of subsequent infections, and we’ve seen how bad faith actors have used a public health emergency to spread misinformation and disinformation. We’ve seen the public lose trust in the experts, which puts us in a very precarious position for emerging public health threats.
Lastly, we often talk about the top 10 public health wins of the 20th century, but I’m beginning to believe that those wins have also led us into a false sense of security that undermines the necessity of those wins. Some of those wins—like vaccination, safer foods, and family planning —have become politicized as legislators across the country weaken immunization requirements, legalize the sale of raw milk against public health recommendations, and limit access to reproductive care across the country.
COVID-19 was obviously one of our greatest challenges, and a specific example of what happens when politics take priority over public health. I think the greatest challenge we saw from COVID-19 was how the public handles uncertainty and changing guidelines during a rapidly evolving situation. [There are also big challenges] from COVID ahead
With public health successes came a loss of institutional memory. People don’t remember when children suffered from measles and polio, for instance. This is part of the issue of public health being invisible when it works—there isn’t a good understanding of the layer of protection it brings to everyone, so legislation seems restrictive and unnecessary. As a profession, we have to continue to talk about the importance of our work all the time, not just in disasters.
scales-justice
GHAZI KAYALI
(08PHD)
What is your current job title?
Upon earning my PhD in epidemiology and completing my postdoctoral training, I started my own organization, Human Link, a research institute based in the Middle East where I currently work as a managing partner.
I have been conducting research on emerging viral pathogens with a focus on avian influenza, MERS coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2.
Additionally, I have been engaged in projects aimed at developing policies that enhance preparedness and response to emerging zoonotic infectious diseases in the Middle East and Africa.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
Over the last three decades, emerging viral diseases have caused the most negative impact on public health. As we make progress towards preventing and managing chronic illnesses, we lag behind on our preparedness and capacity to control outbreaks of emerging novel viral diseases.
Additionally, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and conflicts led to the resurgence of previously controlled infectious diseases such as polio, measles, and mumps. A third infectious disease threat relates to antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria.
Together, those threats bring public health to an era we thought was long over with very slow progress towards solving those issues. Global capacities to prevent, detect, control, and recover from infectious disease threats are far from where they need to be.
How has your profession/field responded to the changing public health landscape?
Infectious disease researchers have been engaged in finding solutions to those problems and answers to the research and public health questions surrounding those pathogens. For instance, our ability to characterize emerging and re-emerging pathogens shortly after they are detected has significantly improved. Adapting novel technologies for collecting and analyzing field samples has similarly improved with the adaption of, for example, environmental sampling equipment and drones for collecting samples and using genomics and metagenomics for laboratory analysis.
The global infrastructure for developing, testing, manufacturing, and distributing vaccines has benefited from experiences gained over the last decades. Researchers and public health professionals in my field continue to develop and implement the One Health concept [the interconnectedness of people, animals, and the environment] and create evidence-based policies supporting it.
What are your hopes or vision for the future of your profession/field in the next 10 years?
It is imperative that, in the next 10 years, we invest more in field research to enable us to better understand what pathogens are circulating and assess their potential risks to human and animal health. Additionally, we should be working harder to reduce vaccine hesitancy and misinformation while improving our capacity to equitably produce and distribute vaccines. This should be in tandem with work dedicated to making One Health mainstream in public health practice and research.
DWIGHT FERGUSON
(06MS, 12PHD)
What
is your current job
title?
Regional Emergency Coordinator w ith the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and a Commander in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
1. An aging/retiring workforce with difficulty recruiting and maintaining the next generation of professionals. The lack of a vibrant public health workforce is partially due to people retiring or moving on for various reasons and a lack of qualified candidates. To increase post-graduate opportunities for students, graduate public health programs should encourage students to build their experiences and networks through internships and mentorships while in school.
public health workforce to continue building a partnership, which enables the social contract to flourish.
Some challenges in this type of environment are communicating timely what is known and unknown about the problem, identifying misinformation/ disinformation appropriately, and providing sufficient transparency. Building partnerships and coalitions with the general public can improve trust and mitigate some of these challenges through a deliberative democracy process. Hence, when a crisis occurs, there are trusted coalitions from the populace, private sector, and public health sector who work together in a transparent forum to enhance trust with the public.
What are your hopes or vision for the future of your profession/field in the next 10 years?
2. The COVID-19 pandemic created numerous moral dilemmas and, unfortunately, hostile situations between the public and public health. Inadequately addressing moral dilemmas within the public health workforce may have led to moral distress, moral injury, and burnout. Therefore, the pandemic may have led to an accelerated exodus of public health workers from the profession.
3. The political environment is creating difficult situations for public health workers. With a politically polarized populace, public health workers are currently at a deficit when it comes to trust. Additionally, public health workers, for good or bad, may be seen as the faces of political groups and receive pushback for it. However, public health requires the populace and the
1. Recruit and retain a competent public health workforce. Graduate public health programs should develop public health workers who have the experience and capabilities to work in the government (local, state, and federal) and the private sector.
2. Incorporate/embed bioethics into public health to help identify and address moral dilemmas faced by both the public and public health workforce to mitigate negative outcomes.
3. A dvocate for risk management, risk communication, and communicating uncertainty to be included in didactic learning for public health students and professionals.
All statements made are my own and are not official or endorsed statements of my employer.
TINA FREESE DECKER
(02MHA)
What is your current job title?
President & CEO of Corewell Health, a leading integrated health system.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
The public health landscape is always changing, but here are a few that come to mind:
Health equity: There are very real inequities when it comes to care. We have inequities in how we are listened to, understood, and cared for. And we need to address those. We need to make health accessible and equitable for all. One of the areas where inequities can be seen is in infant and maternal mortality. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancyrelated cause than white women, according to the CDC.And Black newborns are more than twice as likely to die in their first year of life than white newborns, per the Office of Minority Health.
COVID-19 pandemic: Around the world, we had to figure out new ways of operating, providing care, and keeping people safe. It brought to light several underlying issues in public health, from health equity to caregiver burnout to violence against health care workers. It also uncovered some of the best in us the unwavering commitment and compassion to the health of our communities, the collaboration across systems, and the innovation in care and technology, from drivethrough testing to curbside vaccinations to virtual primary care to groundbreaking research.
At Corewell Health, we stepped up to combat th is issue alongside seven community partners. We invested in an evidence-based Maternal Infant Home Visiting Program and added a community health worker to the model. We call it Strong Beginnings. We serve moms, dads, and babies who have the greatest challenges and needs, connecting families with medical, educational, and social support. We’ve also increased the rates of adequate prenatal care and postpartum visits, and this is improving birth outcomes. The latest data show that the infant mortality rate has been cut in half while there is still much work to do, this is significant.
Behavioral health: As we tackle the stigma and complexity of mental health issues, we recognize the steady increase in the incidence of mental health conditions nationwide. The most concerning trend is the alarming rates of mental illness, loneliness, and suicidality, especially in children and adolescents. Mental health affects everyone; however, it disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. The intricate connection between mind and body highlights that mental health and addictions can predispose people to various chronic conditions and thus decrease the ability to live a healthy, highquality life. It’s our collective responsibility to reduce stigma and inequities in mental health care and prevent every loss of life to mental illness.
STEPHANIE KLIETHERMES
(09MS, 13PHD)
What is your current job title?
I am the research director for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and an associate research professor in the Department of Orthopedics & Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
Three issues that come to mind include the growing burden of mental health challenges, the spread of non-communicable disease and its contributing factors (e.g. obesity, substance abuse, diet), and climate change, all of which are relevant personally and professionally.
How has your profession/field responded to the changing public health landscape?
The field of sports medicine strives to improve the health and well-being of active individuals and athletes throughout their lifespans. Sports medicine clinicians rely on a wellness-based model (as opposed to disease-based) and strive to help sedentary populations incorporate exercise and movement into their lives while preventing illness and injury in active individuals and athletes. This approach to health naturally permeates many of the public health challenges we currently face given the significant benefit of physical activity and movement to overall health and well-being.
When COVID-19 hit the U.S., our cardiac researchers immediately began assessing the risk of myocarditis in collegiate athletes—an area of major
concern and unknown in the early days of the pandemic. We also looked closely at the drastic mental health and physical activity declines in youth during this time when sports and other activities ground to a halt.
As we learned about and began to comprehend the pervasiveness of abuse in sport, sports medicine leaders initiated the development of needed education and support resources, implemented essential policies for athlete safety, and developed research studies to identify best practices in responding to and preventing instances of interpersonal violence in sport.
In 2020, during an intense time of racial and civil unrest in the U.S., our field began to look critically at our own weaknesses and biases to understand the ways in which health inequities impact the health and well-being of individuals within our circles. We have made great strides in better understanding, drawing attention to, and addressing health inequities within the field through education, policy, and research.
What are your hopes or vision for the future of your profession/field in the next 10 years?
My hope is sports medicine can continue to make meaningful and lasting strides in keeping individuals healthy in body, mind, and spirit. I hope we continue to use research to assess and implement emerging technologies to advance the care we provide. And I hope we continue to focus on making sports medicine for all—by listening to and responding to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities.
TALA AL-ROUSAN
(15MPH)
What is your current job title?
I am an assistant professor and founding faculty at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health at the University of California San Diego.
What do you think have been the top three public health challenges in the past 25 years, and why?
Pandemics: Pandemics have brought public health to the forefront of public discourse, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has highlighted how inadequately prepared our societies are for such events. Emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases can instantly alter how people live, work, travel, shop, and receive education. Addressing pandemics involves preventing outbreaks, controlling the spread of diseases, and tackling the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
people worldwide are forcibly displaced from their homes—the highest number on record. Unlike migration, which is a normal human behavior and is, in fact, great for public health, innovation, and society’s prosperity in general, displacement is not and poses a public health catastrophe if not addressed carefully. It leads to generational trauma and cycles of health disparities and societal unrest.
What are your hopes or vision for the future of your profession/field in the next 10 years?
Chronic and Mental Health Conditions: The rapid integration of technology and social media into our daily lives over the past 20 years has introduced significant mental health challenges. These include rising rates of chronic diseases, depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and substance abuse. Stigma, lack of access to mental health care, and insufficient funding exacerbate these issues, making it crucial to address them comprehensively.
Mass displacement: Mass displacement is a defining yet often neglected issue of our time. Factors such as global inequality, wars, economic hardship, and climate change have increased the scale, scope, and geographic diversity of displacement, making them highly interdependent. Currently, 120 million
In the next 10 years, I envision significant advancements in the public health field, particularly in research and advocacy. I want to see an increased focus on addressing the multifaceted issue of displacement, recognizing it as a human experience that impacts millions globally. By integrating the perspectives of displaced individuals into our research and advocacy efforts, we can develop more effective and inclusive solutions.
As global challenges such as natural disasters, wars, and climate change intensify, I am optimistic that the scientific community will rise to the occasion. I envision more researchers from other disciplines, such as the arts, engineering, design, political sciences, and others, communicating more with public health researchers to innovate collectively.
Ultimately, my hope is that our collective efforts will lead to a more equitable and resilient world, where public health challenges are met with innovative, compassionate, and effective solutions.
Thank You to Our Generous Donors
As we commemorate 25 years of the College of Public Health, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering support. Your generosity has been instrumental in advancing our mission: to promote health, prevent illness, and foster excellence in public health education and research.
Throughout the last 25 years, we’ve been able to accomplish:
State-of-the-Art Facilities: Thanks to private support, our students, faculty, and staff thrive in a modern, purpose-built facility completed in 2012. The beautiful College of Public Health Building serves as a hub for learning, collaboration, and innovation.
Experiential Learning: Through your contributions, public health students have access to an array of experiential learning programs, from research projects and internships to global health programs and service-learning courses. Students engage in real-world experiences, applying what they learn in the classroom and enhancing their skills across the globe.
Faculty Excellence: Private funding enables us to recruit and retain exceptional faculty members and educators who train and inspire future public health professionals and impact research, policy, and community engagement.
Throughout our history—including decades of leadership in the UI departments, divisions, and programs that preceded the college’s formation—our goal has been advancing public health science and preparing Hawkeye students for rewarding careers across the spectrum of public health: in frontline roles as epidemiologists and environmental health specialists, as leaders in health care management, clinical trials, and community-based health programming, and as researchers and academics.
Your support helps us develop and maintain the innovative programs that are needed to meet the public health challenges of today and tomorrow—from complex environmental health issues to new and re-emerging infectious diseases to effective policy development and community-based initiatives.
Together, we can achieve more: As we look ahead, we’re excited about the possibilities. With your continued partnership, we’ll make significant strides in public health, leaving a legacy for generations to come.
Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. Your belief in our mission inspires us daily. Madeline Kerr
To learn more about the giving opportunities, please contact Madeline Kerr, Director of Development— UI College of Public Health, at Madeline.Kerr@foriowa.org or (319) 467-3530.
145 N. Riverside Dr.
100 College of Public Health Bldg., Room S257
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2007
SPARK
We’re Celebrating Our First Quarter Century as a College!
The College of Public Health is celebrating 25 years of progress!
We’re marking the occasion with special events throughout the 2024-2025 academic year and look forward to reconnecting with alumni and friends at homecoming, our APHA reception, and more.
Thank you for being part of our public health community, and we’re excited for the next 25 years!
