Dear Friends and Colleagues,
August 15, 2022, was a significant day for me, joining HSC as the new Dean of the School of Public Health (it is also my wedding anniversary date!).
My first year has been inspiring and exciting. I have listened and learned from our community of students, staff and faculty, leaders across the UNT System, and our alumni, community partners and well-wishers. I was heartened by the shared commitment to transformative education and research efforts toward improving the conditions of life in our communities.
Our new HSC President, Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams, is deeply committed to addressing health disparities in the community emphasizing whole health, innovation and social entrepreneurship. She has served as one of the most influential leaders in medicine and public health in the U.S. for more than two decades.
Aligned with HSC strategies, we have been charged with inspiring and implementing an ambitious, outcomes-oriented vision for the next SPH era. We will build on our strengths to position the school as a preeminent institution of public health education, research and practice while raising our national visibility.
How will we achieve this aspiration?
Founded in 1999, our School of Public Health will soon be celebrating 25 years. The next decade will see considerable transformation in how health systems are designed.
For well over a decade, experts have pointed out that our work must be socially accountable if we are to close health equity gaps. Our current systems are segmented, with time and investments that focus largely on downstream efforts.
Our world is also facing extraordinary challenges, including adverse weather events, an increase in violence, an increasing number of plant and animal species that are facing extinction and the risks of global pandemics, among other public health challenges. The 21st century public health workforce will require a transformative education that goes beyond simply learning new facts or skills. Similarly, we must amplify our efforts around implementation science to close the “know-do” gap – the gap between the research we do and its translation and implementation into policy and practice for direct societal benefit.
In response, we are charting a determined strategic direction for our School of Public Health – “SPH 2030” – with a strong sense of purpose to help create a world without health inequities. The core of our mission is to transform lives in order to improve the lives of others.
We have a strong foundation to build on. Our faculty undertake significant, impactful and nationally recognized work. They demonstrate an unwavering dedication to preparing our graduates to better serve their communities in an evolving public health system. With this momentum, we stand poised to take the SPH to even greater heights.
To realize our purpose, we are aligning our efforts with the data-driven objectives of U.S. Healthy People 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These promote improved health and well-being for all, now and into the future. We are all in this together to advance a socially accountable, community-centered and globally relevant School of Public Health at UNT Health Science Center!
The SPH has experienced a year of tremendous development of which we can all be proud.
Key accomplishments over this last year:
Undertook a detailed analysis of strengths and opportunities within the context of SPH organizational structure. This led to a revised structure that includes the Department of Population & Community Health and the Department of Health Administration & Health Policy. The new structure provides greater visibility for the SPH’s independently accredited professional programs. The Master of Health Administration degree is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The School of Public Health, including the Master of Public Health, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs, is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). We will be undertaking a search for the new Chairs of these departments.
Revised Dean’s Office Leadership Team roles and responsibilities to align with SPH future-focused priorities. Revisions include the portfolios of existing Associate Deans: Community Engagement & Health Equity; Research & Innovation; Administration & Finance; and Academic Affairs. We have also added two new leadership portfolios: Associate Dean of High Impact Education Practices and Student Services; and Assistant Dean for Data Reporting and Analytics.
Undertook an analysis of academic and research programs to be innovative and competitive. We are exploring the opportunity to bring back the DrPH degree and developing partnerships with the UNT Denton, Dallas and Frisco campuses to create joint programs under the SPH’s CEPH & CAHME accreditation.
Building strategic collaborations with HSC’s Institute for Health Disparities, the Center for Health Policy, the North Texas Eye Research Institute and the College of Nursing. This year we will make joint faculty hires with the Center for Health Policy and the College of Nursing.
Established pre-matriculation and post-matriculation academic initiatives to foster student success.
These changes will help amplify our efforts to create bold and transformative approaches to address health disparities, inform health policy and foster a practical and solutions-oriented culture of teaching, innovation, service and research.
Below, you will find links to articles on the outstanding work of our students, staff and faculty, as well awards and honors received over the last year, demonstrating how deeply committed we are to the communities we serve.
I am so proud of everyone’s efforts throughout the HSC School of Public Health, and I am very proud to call HSC home and be a part of all the exciting and innovative happenings on our campus and beyond.
As we enter this new academic year, we approach it with a renewed energy and enthusiasm for all that is still to come. Our journey has only just begun!
Warmly,
Dr. Shafik Dharamsi
Dean of the HSC School of Public Health