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.

The University of Maryland School of Public Health has surpassed its fundraising goal for the University of Maryland's campaign, Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland. The School's record $26.3M raised reflects a 188% increase from our original goal of $14M for the period July 2014 through December 2021.

Many health care facilities follow infection control policies that are based on outdated models of how respiratory viruses spread and should be revised, according to a team of leading experts that includes Dr. Donald K. Milton in the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Last month, the US EPA administrator Michael Regan moved to regulate a group of long-lasting, human-made chemicals (known as PFAs) that pose health risks to millions of Americans.

Most people know that stopping to smell the roses can help us slow down and appreciate the small things, but did you know growing them can help relieve stress?

Results of a new study led by the University of Maryland School of Public Health show that people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 exhale infectious virus in their breath – and those infected with the Alpha variant (the dominant strain circulating at the time this study was conducted) put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air than people infected with the original strains of the virus.

Dr. Sacoby Wilson will receive the Maryland League of Conservation Voter’s (Maryland LCV) John V. Kabler Memorial Award at their annual event, Changemakers: Celebrating Environmental Leaders, on September 23, 2021. The award recognizes an outstanding environmental leader or organization. Previous winners include Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (2008) and DNR Secretary John Griffin (2012). 

The School of Public Health would like to recognize and welcome the following faculty and staff to our community. Some are already part of our community and are being recognized for new roles/titles, while others are joining us this academic year. Welcome and congratulations to all!

Climate change is impacting us all, but it’s not impacting us all the same way, Dr. Sacoby Wilson, director of the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health, said during the opening session of the 2021 Environmental Justice and Health Disparities Symposium, Aug. 19-21. 

Researchers know that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) spreads through air, but are working to pinpoint how much virus hangs in small airborne particles. A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases explored how much SARS-CoV-2 virus is released into the air when people infected with COVID-19 sing, talk or simply breathe.