We are proud of all of the participants that contributed to the richness of the 2022 SPH Research, Practice and Innovation Poster Session and Student Poster Competition.

Caring for young children is tough work, full of stressors and challenges that even the best equipped parents struggle with. Young mothers with a history of being abused or neglected as children must cope with their trauma, the uncertainties of young adulthood and the constant demands inherent in caring for small children. 

Family Science PhD candidate and UMD-PRC Investigator Natasha D. Williams (she/her) was recently selected for a dissertation award through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars program. Her dissertation, titled: Mental health among Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual people: Examining patterns of risk, treatment utilization, and mental health management strategies will use quantitative analyses of population-level data and interview-based grounded theory methods to elucidate the mental health challenges Black LGB adults face and the ways in which they manage their mental health.  

Andrew Anderson PhD '19 was named to the journal Health Affairs' inaugural Health Equity Fellowship Trainees (HEFT) cohort.

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.

Julia Chen-Sankey, PhD ‘18, recently landed her first faculty position as an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health. She also joins the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies.

The University of Maryland is one of the latest institutions to partner with the Peace Corps to offer an undergraduate certificate program called Peace Corps Prep. Combining targeted coursework with hands-on experience, the new program will prepare undergraduate students with the skills needed to become a successful Peace Corps volunteer. 

Behavioral and Community Health Professor Cheryl Knott will bring her deep expertise developing behavioral intervention programs to prevent cancer to her new role as editor-in-chief of the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine.&nbsp

Deliya Banda Wesley, PhD ’11, was appointed last month to the newly created position of senior director of health equity at Mathematica. The company works with healthcare stakeholders in the public and private sectors to adapt health information technologies to better address the needs of underserved communities. Dr. Wesley will lead the development of a robust health equity practice and a diverse portfolio of government and philanthropic clients.