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Departments & Units Undergraduate Degrees Master's Degrees Doctoral Degrees Dual Degrees Certificates Online Graduate Programs Advising & Resources
Why UMD Public Health Prospective Undergraduate Students Graduate Admissions Non-Degree Seeking Students Tuition & Aid Request Information Visit SPH
Research Centers Laboratories, Projects and Programs Research Hubs Policy Reports Innovation AI for Public Health Public Health Research Day U21 Health Research Exchange (HREx) The SPH Happiness and Wellness Initiative Public Health Practice & Community Engagement
Faculty & Staff School Leadership Alumni Community
Career Exploration Mentorship Professional Development Internships Student Research Opportunities Student Organizations, Honor Societies and Honor Programs Advising & Academic Resources Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society Peace Corps Prep Program Fund Your Idea
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View of the Mall and ODK Fountain with Miller Administration in the background.

Maryland Center for Health Equity

Home Research & Impact Research Centers Maryland Center for Health Equity

The Maryland Center for Health Equity (M-CHE) is committed to improving the health of residents in the state of Maryland and across the nation. Headquartered in the Office of the Dean at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, M-CHE is a TIER 3: Campus-­wide Research Initiative Program charged with providing support for the development of broad, multidisciplinary research initiatives that will position the university to innovate, implement and evaluate strategies for the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities. 

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Barbershops and salons 
 participate in M-CHE's 
 Health Advocates In 
 Reach and Research 
 (HAIR) program.

Help Make Our Vision a Reality

Donations to the Maryland Center for Health Equity support the development of broad, multidisciplinary research initiatives to address racial and ethnic health disparities, including the Health Advocates In-Reach and Research (HAIR) campaign. 

Read the May 30, 2021, Washington Post story: Barbershop offers coronavirus shots, in addition to cuts and shaves. Some see it as a national model


News from SPH

Many students walk across McKeldin Mall
September 9, 2026

UMD Debuts 8 New Degree, Certificate Programs

Offerings include bachelor’s degrees in AI, global culture and thought, and an ASL minor.
View Article UMD Debuts 8 New Degree, Certificate Programs
A man with his back to the camera sits on a white bed.
September 3, 2026

Researchers Develop AI Tool to ID Dementia Risk in Understudied Populations

UMD Research Changes Lives: Hypertension and diabetes are stronger predictors in Black populations, study finds.
View Article Researchers Develop AI Tool to ID Dementia Risk in Understudied Populations
A hand holds a phone while emojis float in the air
August 28, 2026

Op/ed: How Social Media Can Be Good for Our Health

Platforms provide public health scholars with valuable insight into users' lives, researchers say.
View Article Op/ed: How Social Media Can Be Good for Our Health

Featured Projects

Barber stands beside a smiling customer seated in a barbershop chair.

The Health Advocates In-Reach and Research Campaign (HAIR)

The primary aim of HAIR is to create an infrastructure to engage barbershops and beauty salons in Prince George’s County as culturally relevant portals for health education and delivery of public health and medical services in the community.

Learn More
Masked woman stands outside Arnette’s Barber Shop holding a colorful decorated box.

Wellness Warriors

The HAIR Program has expanded to a national program through our Wellness Warriors. These shop owners are bringing health interventions to their local community to promote health.

Read more about Wellness Warriors
Promotional graphic for “The Cutting Edge: All Things Health and Wellness,” featuring headshots of Dr. Stephen B. Thomas and Mayor Omar Neal.

The Cutting Edge

Are you looking for real talk on current issues with Black experts? Look no further than The Cutting Edge Podcast, All Things Health and Wellness: COVID-19 and Beyond, hosted by Mayor Omar Neal and Dr. Stephen B. Thomas.

Find The Cutting Edge
The Barbershop Storybook Project logo featuring a stylized barber chair and colorful lines.

The Barbershop Storybook Project

The Barbershop Storybook Project series seeks to translate public health research into relatable storylines and champion principles of human-centered design

Learn more
Healthcare worker administers a vaccine to a seated man.

COVID-19 Vaccines- Webinar Series

The Center for Health Equity has held several informative and informal webinars to address questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines with community members and medical and public health experts.

Access the COVID-19 Vaccine webinar playlist
Dental professionals provide care to a patient during a dental procedure.

Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy and Health Equity Festival: Free Adult Dental Clinic

MID-MD MOM is a free adult dental clinic with wraparound healthcare services, the next event will be held in 2022.

learn more
Aerial view of the Maryland State House and surrounding buildings in downtown Annapolis.

Health in All Policies Workgroup

learn more
Promotional graphic reading “Shots at the Shop: From Vaccine Hesitancy to Vaccine Confidence” over illustrated profiles and barber-themed graphics.

Shots at the Shop

Shots at the Shop is a White House-backed effort from the University of Maryland’s Maryland Center for Health Equity, the Black Coalition Against COVID and the beauty and personal care brand SheaMoisture to recruit 1,000 Black-owned barbershop and hair salons nationwide to promote informed decision-making as a means to increase COVID-19 vaccinations. 

learn more

Connect with us


Contact Us!

Maryland Center for Health Equity
SPH Building, 4200 Valley Drive, Suite 3302
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-2611

Phone: (301) 405-8859
Fax: (301) 405-2542

Directions and parking information >

University of Maryland | School of Public Health
4200 Valley Drive, Suite 2242, College Park, Maryland 20742-2611
301-405-2438