School of Public Health News
Public health lessons from a Muppet
She's colorful, funny and furry and a pint-sized powerhouse for public health. Her name is Kami, and she's – in part – the product of SPH professor and health communications expert Dina Borzekowski, who told her story as part of UMD’s Henson Week.
Several SPH faculty earn tenure, promotions
Eight faculty will begin the 2026-2027 academic year with a new recognition of their expertise in research and education. The positions go into effect in July and August.
NIH grant supports deeper work on substance use in Maryland
Dr. Noah Triplett plans to expand and deepen his work in rural Maryland combatting substance use, thanks to a new National Institute on Drug Abuse grant of $909,084 over five years.
Nuanced data needed to achieve digital health care for all
Whether renewing prescriptions online, booking a doctor’s appointment or receiving test results in a health app, most people these days get at least some of their health needs met by using digital health platforms. While smartphones have, to some extent, narrowed the so-called digital divide (the ga...
Celebrate public health with week of interactive events
As National Public Health Week starts Monday, April 6, the School of Public Health is hosting a variety of events focused on community, health and wellness. From creative art displays to cultural fests celebrating the diversity of public health, SPH invites all public health students and faculty as ...
UMD psychologist taps small-town roots to treat rural Maryland teens
Noah Triplett grew up in the one-stoplight town of Tyro, N.C., where cows seemed to outnumber people and the hot teen hangout was Walmart. He’s lost several childhood acquaintances to the opioid epidemic that hit small-town America hard, and understands how isolation and poverty can threaten mental ...
Alum’s New Pickleball Apparel Brand Scores Points for Brain Health
Brooks Barlow Kenny ’95 got her first taste of pickleball a few years ago, and quickly understood why the sport that sounds like a snack was the fastest-growing in the nation: It’s easy to learn, accessible for many age groups, fast-paced and fun. For the longtime health advocate, that all added up ...
Spotlight: Susan Topping, MPH '27
For Susan Topping, pursuing a master’s degree was a long-held dream – but only a dream. She didn't think she could afford it while she and her wife tried to save for their children’s education. Topping also worried that pursuing this degree would simply pull her attention away from her family.
A long shadow: Incarceration, arrests linked to less healthy aging
Going to prison or even just getting arrested negatively affects a person’s health long after the experience, worsening age-related health problems such as chronic pain, sleep quality and memory. The findings, by faculty at the University of Maryland School of Public Health (UMD SPH), are from resea...
Can a proven anti-violence program also succeed online?
When Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier talks about the success of an anti-assault program called Flip the Script, many people are shocked to learn about it: a scientifically tested program, proven to cut in half the risk of sexual assault experienced by its college student participants.