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From the Dean
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
