News from the School of Public Health

Robb Cohen ‘85 and Gail Schwartz believe in the power of a college education. They believe that it’s a transformative experience that offers students a chance to pursue new opportunities, communities and life paths. 

“A college degree offers technical knowledge and opens doors, but also, the whole college experience is one that contributes to independence and advances social equity,” said Robb. “We believe it should be accessible to all,” added Gail.

In medical research, diversity matters. It is key to equity in health promotion, health care delivery and treatment. 

However, the health care field continues to struggle to recruit African Americans for research studies, according to a new journal article from Health Policy and Management Professor Stephen Thomas. 

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. 

On Wednesday, January 6th, the UMD-PRC team joined the world in watching with horror the violent mob of white nationalists attack the Capitol building in an insurrection. This event disrupted the counting of the Electoral College vote, threatening a peaceful transition of power and once again demonstrating the long history of white supremacist violence in America. 

Why is America losing the war on gun violence? A new book, co-edited by Dr. Woodie Kessel, a professor of the practice at the University of Maryland School of Public Health details why. Why We Are Losing the War on Gun Violence in the U.S. explores several “principles of war” in regards to the public health perspectives about issues and solutions amid the gun violence epidemic nationwide.

These are not normal times. On one public health front, we continue to struggle with COVID-19 infection rates, increasing deaths, and the implementation of a vaccination program. But public health action goes well beyond the response to an infectious disease pandemic.