Skip to main content
Several wooden barrels mounted on platforms outdoors, used for a field experiment.

Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health

Our Department's Mission

The department of Global, Environment and Occupational Health's (GEOH) mission is to promote and protect human health in the diverse communities across Maryland, the nation and the world through discovery, education, and innovative application of knowledge in the fields of global, environmental, and occupational health.

GEOH is 1!

The Department of Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health (GEOH) is marking our 1 Year Anniversary!

Leena Malayil, Rihanna Murray in the Water Lab

In just ONE year, we have:

  • welcomed over 45 students to our new Global Health and ENSP: Environmental Justice majors
  • trained local contractors (through our WOW Lab) to construct rainwater harvesting and treatment systems for small and urban farms
  • expanded our global impact by supporting low- and middle-income countries (e.g., Nepal, Tanzania, Cameroon) in addressing the health effects of climate change
  • published research on the public health implications of avian influenza emergence in cats and the impacts of extreme heat and drought on human health
  • celebrated the very first UMD Distinguished University Professor (UMD’s highest honor) for the School of Public Health, our very own Dr. Don Milton, and welcomed our new Clark Leadership Chair in Global Health, Dr. Heather Wipfli

Want to support our work? Donate here!

Our Degree Programs

Globe wrapped in a stethoscope, representing global health.

BS, Global Health

Researcher performing examination of bacterial culture plate.

MPH, Environmental Health Sciences

Seedling grows in drought-cracked ground, symbolizing climate resilience.

MS, Environmental Health Sciences

Student wearing gloves samples water for CONSERVE Center outdoors.

PhD, Environmental Health Sciences

Two children in Ethiopia hold their hands under a running water spigot.

Graduate Certificate, Global Health

Word cloud for Environmental Justice major.

BS, ENSP - Environmental Justice

Why I Chose Maryland

“The professors were truly invested in the students and their success across the SPH. The mentorship I received made a big difference for me. I continue to engage with my professors and work with several of them.”

Portrait of Allison Gost.

Plan a Visit!
Dept. of Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health
SPH Building, 4200 Valley Drive, Suite 2234
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-2611

Email: sph-geoh@umd.edu 
Phone: (301) 405-8287

Find directions and parking information on the SPH visitor page. about Find directions and parking information on the SPH visitor page.

Recent GEOH News

grad student takes a water sample near the Potomac river sewage spill site
Elevated E. coli, staph still detected in Potomac river 4 weeks after sewage spill
View Article Elevated E. coli, staph still detected in Potomac river 4 weeks after sewage spill
2 images: a water sample bottle over sewage spill and students collect water samples in the snow
UMD team finds E. coli, MRSA in Potomac River after sewage spill
View Article UMD team finds E. coli, MRSA in Potomac River after sewage spill
Professor sits inside his invention, the Gesundheit machine, looking at camera with hand to his chin
Study: How can we stop the spread of flu?
View Article Study: How can we stop the spread of flu?

GEOH in Maryland Today

pain meter going from low (green) to high (red), with person in yoga pose wearing VR headset

UMD-led Study Supports Role for VR in Pain Relief

Observing Others, Even Digital Avatars, Affects How We Feel Pain Ourselves
View Article UMD-led Study Supports Role for VR in Pain Relief
Katharina Maisel works in lab

Researcher Pursues Cure to Lung Disease That Steals Decades From Women’s Lives

UMD Research Changes Lives: Rare, Suffocating Disease Shares Characteristics With Cancer
View Article Researcher Pursues Cure to Lung Disease That Steals Decades From Women’s Lives
Let's Get Real journal, with red "love you" hearts and a bowl of strawberries, and a page with the quote, "Fear isn't the enemy. Comfort is."

When Being ‘Real’ Is ‘More Valuable Than Wearing a Mask’

From Personal Traumas, UMD Alum Develops Journal that Encourages Mental Health Check-Ins
View Article When Being ‘Real’ Is ‘More Valuable Than Wearing a Mask’