News from the School of Public Health

As the omicron variant circulates more widely, UMD School of Public Health experts advise that we need a multi-layered approach to best minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.  

The University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) group, has received an $800,000 gift from the Bezos Earth Fund to expand efforts focused on air quality monitoring in communities exposed to traffic-related pollution across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Exposures to environmental hazards, ranging from air pollution and chemical releases to agricultural runoff and water contamination, are on the rise for communities all across the US as climate change impacts and degraded infrastructure together increase the likelihood that we come in contact with toxic substances. 

The CommuniVax Coalition, led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Department of Anthropology at Texas State University, released a new report that recounts progress made toward greater equity in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and proposes steps to advance gains further.

Dear SPH community, 

First of all, I’d like to wish our whole SPH family -- the students, staff, faculty, alums, and friends -- all the best for the Thanksgiving holiday.  In these difficult times, may you celebrate and be aware of the good things that surround us and enjoy a bit of a break.

Dr. Stephen Thomas, professor of health policy and management and director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity, will be recognized with an award at the Maryland Public Health Association's annual meeting on November 10, 2021 for his “Shots at the Shop” COVID-19 vaccine initiative.