News from the School of Public Health

With COVID-19 dramatically demonstrating the need for a robust, well-funded and equity-focused public health system, a new $1.5 million gift to the University of Maryland School of Public Health (SPH) will support efforts to prepare a new generation of public health leaders—a diverse group ready to confront challenges ranging from disease pandemics to systemic racism, the climate crisis and more.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered the research field, leading to institutions struggling to keep career development connections and networks. The virus may also contribute to increasing the research divide, specifically for underrepresented Early Career Researchers (ECR’s) and doctoral students. 

Racial and ethnic groups who are underrepresented in Health Management, Services and Policy fields tend to face unique obstacles when it comes to career success. 

The University of Maryland School of Public Health has joined CommuniVax, a new research coalition funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to strengthen the community’s role and involvement in an equitable vaccination campaign. 

School of Public Health faculty experts racked up thousands of news clips this calendar year. The interviews and stories mostly focused on helping the public understand the pandemic threat and how to stay safe and healthy, correcting misinformation whenever possible and sharing the latest science on COVID-19 transmission and vaccine development. 

The TOGETHER Program, which offers services that help local families develop healthy relationships and achieve financial stability, will continue its work for another five years with a $5 million grant renewal from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

People with Alzheimer’s disease living in rural areas are much more likely to go to the emergency department (ED) for a preventable visit than their urban counterparts, a new study from the University of Maryland School of Public Health found. 

The research team, led by Health Policy and Management Professor Jie Chen, included PhD candidates Nianyang Wang, the leading author, and Aitalohi Amaize.