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Academic Public Health Stories

Now more than ever, ASPPH and our community must come together, stand firm in our values, and advance our mission. Public health is driven by education, research, and action. Academic public health plays a critical role, shaping policy, fueling innovation, and preparing the next generation of leaders. To amplify that impact, we’ve gathered stories from across our community.

Through the This is Public Health® (TIPH) initiative, the We Are Academic Public Health profile series spotlights the vital work of our members and communities. Real people creating real change in public health and academia. These stories highlight meaningful careers, community engagement, and the transformative power of academic public health. Stay tuned as we continue to elevate awareness and champion our shared mission.

Share Your Stories!

This is a pivotal moment to highlight the role of public health. Real-world impact comes not only from data, but from the stories and lived experiences of those doing the work every day.

At the 2025 ASPPH Annual Meeting, we set out to capture those voices. We asked attendees four simple questions: Why is public health important? Why choose a career in it? Why does it matter? And how do you define public health? Their responses were inspiring, and they reminded us that real people work hard to keep our communities safe and healthy.

  • Public health is everything—it touches every part of our lives and communities.

  • Everyone deserves a life made better by public health.

  • Public health = clean air, thriving lives, and justice for all.

  • Stories move hearts; data drives decisions.

  • Science and facts must lead our communication—now more than ever.

  • Prevention, education, and empathy are the backbone of public health.

  • Public health saves lives and saves money.

  • Diversity, cultural competency, and service strengthen public health for all.

  • We must support public health students through meaningful internships and training.

  • Public health is essential for a healthier world, a stronger economy, and a safer future.

  • I get to make changes within the communities I live, learn, and play. From the ground up!
  • I was inspired to pursue public health because I wanted to make systemic change. I find myself in academia and my alma mater supporting public health students to make amazing changes.
  • International public health students bring valuable perspective and skills! #supportinternationalstudents
  • APE (Applied Practice Experience) Projects can help strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations in research, funding, and advocacy.
  • To fight for the right reasons! Public health saves lives!
  • Chronic infections live. TB is real! We need to team-up with other public health and clinical/healthcare professionals and ensure the rates decrease.
  • I was inspired to pursue public health by the ability it gave me to contribute to the health of my communities from local to global.
  • The ability to create your opportunities!
  • I would not exist if it weren’t for research into pre-RhoGAM options for mothers. Thanks to UTMB Galveston and the U.S. Public Health Service.
  • Inspired by wanting to advocate for rights of people who don’t have the same privileges as us.
  • My path to public health was unplanned and just a story of doing “the next right thing” (to quote Elsa).
  • I got to work with dedicated, passionate folks when I was young, and I wanted to be just like them!
  • Opportunity to create systemic changes that benefit entire communities.
  • The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Training the next generation of public health experts/superstars!
  • HBCUs for public health.
  • I love teaching in public health and environmental health because I enjoy inspiring the next generation and also getting inspired by them.
  • I got my first public health job through a faculty connection during my MPH. Academic public health works!
  • Collaboration between schools of public health across the world.

  • Public health is a career for people who care about activism, science, and health.

  • It’s the heart of our communities—prevention, equity, advocacy, and access.

  • Public health = mental health, environmental health, and health policy.

  • All health is public health. So is all law.

  • Community engagement and communication are essential public health tools.

  • It’s about teaching, research, service, and practice—all integrated.

  • Public health means caring for everyone, inclusively and without borders.

  • Embrace conflict to find better solutions.

  • Data justice, antiracism, and access to a healthy life for all.

  • Real public health is love, life, and liberation.

  • Public health is protecting people and the planet. One Earth.

Our Academic Public Health Stories

Perry Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH
Rutgers Schools of Public Health

Hilary Godwin, PhD
University of Washington School of Public Health

Edith Parker, MPH, DRPH
University of Iowa College of Public Health

Sylvette La Touche-Howard, PhD, CHES, NCC
University of Maryland School of Public Health

Thomas Laveist, PhD
Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Megan Ranney, MD, MPH
Yale School of Public Health

Dele Ogunseitan, PhD, MPH
UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health

Linda Fried, MD, MPH
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Brittany Sutton
University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health

Donna Petersen, SCD, MHS, CPH
University of South Florida College of Public Health

Ashish Joshi, PhD, MBBS, MPH
University of Memphis School of Public Health

Cynthia Harris, PhD
Florida A&M University Public Health Program

Ali Khan, MD, MPH, MBA
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health

Anne Zink, MD
Yale School of Public Health

Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH
UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health

Abdul Shaikh, PhD, MHSC
Amazon Web Services

Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, RADM, USPHS
University of Maryland School of Public Health

Kristi Fedinick, PhD
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health 

Reed Tuckson, MD, FACP
Tuckson Health Connections

Deborah Beete, MPH, MDIV, CHES
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Public Health Programs

Mike Honsberger, PhD
Yale School of Public Health

Public Health Profiles

ASPPH has collected a series of compelling public health stories from This Is Public Health (TIPH) Ambassadors, ASPPH Fellows, Undergraduate Students, and TIPH Global Ambassadors that showcase the diverse impact of public health across communities and around the world. These narratives highlight real-world experiences, challenges, and successes in the field, offering personal insights into the value of public health work.

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