News from the School of Public Health

There’s nothing quite like being on the water. Many of us reserve that kind of recreational activity for weekends, not SPH Dean Boris Lushniak. He is out to soak up the fading sunlight even on a random weekday evening.

Both Boris, and his wife Trish, love the outdoors. They especially enjoy kayaking because it combines exercise with the serenity of the water and nature. Spending time together as a couple is an additional benefit, making it a perfect trifecta for physical, mental and social well-being.

The pathway through separation and divorce is never an easy one and even more so in the middle of a pandemic. In 2020 that’s exactly what SPH’s Jennifer Reed was facing when she decided to plan a trip for herself. She would be celebrating her milestone 50th birthday in January of 2023, so she chose the destination of her dreams: the Galápagos Islands.

As a doctoral student working with a community action coalition in East Baltimore, SPH alumna Jocelyn Smith Lee, Ph.D.’13, observed firsthand how Black boys and men struggled to navigate issues of trauma, violence, loss and healing. Those observations, which sparked more than a decade of community-engaged research and action to advance racial equity, are the root of her recent storytelling campaign: In All Ways Human.

During the worldwide pandemic when school became a virtual endeavor across the United States, Principal Lecturer Dr. Kerry Tripp from the Department of Family Science identified a critical, missing element: internships. In response, she started a Virtual Global Internship Program so that UMD students who hadn’t yet satisfied this important program requirement could graduate on time. More broadly, she visualized it as a way for students to get global education experience during a time when all study abroad opportunities were shut down.

Meet Daniella, Olivia and Corinne who serve as student interns for the School of Public Health’s Happiness and Wellness Initiative.