News from the School of Public Health

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.

The School of Public Health community has lost a devoted alumna whose engagement with the University of Maryland has spanned decades and included many roles, most recently as an advisor to Dean Boris Lushniak as a member of the school’s Dean’s Council. Ayne Furman ’77 died on September 26, 2021 after a struggle with cancer. She was 64 years old.

A new report by four Family Science professors calls on colleagues in their field to commit to social justice action to help dismantle structural racism.