Media Mentions
The Office of External Relations is available to assist members of the media in accessing our experts working on the cutting edge of critical public health issues. The Office of External Relations can also answer questions about ASPPH and our member schools and programs of public health.
Questions? Contact ASPPH’s External Relations Office: externalrelations@aspph.org
December 2024
December 11
Commercial Appeal, Part of the USA TODAY Network—Memphis Models a Youth-Led Movement to Improve Public Health for All Residents | Opinion
What’s significant, the Public Health Clubs concept is getting national traction among the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) that has a membership of more than 150 accredited schools and programs of public health nationwide.
December 2
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Global Health Now—Who Controls U.S. Public Health—the Feds or the States?
During a November 13 webinar on post-election prospects for public health hosted by the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, POLITICO reporter Megan Messerly described how that has already worked at the state level.
November 2024
November 26
University of Kentucky College of Public Health —Linda Alexander honored with CPH’s Hume Medallion Award
ASPPH’s Linda Alexander, EdD, a trailblazer in public health with a career spanning more than 35 years, has been honored with the Hume Medallion Award, the University of Kentucky College of Public Health’s (CPH’s) highest accolade.
November 17
American Evaluation Association —Storytelling about Health Disparities to Advance Public Health Evaluation
Dr. LaShaune P. Johnson discusses disparities she explores at the intersections of political, economic, social, historical, environmental, and psychological violence. She also highlights ASPPH’s work around DEI in public health as offering some useful tools.
November 6
AJPH —Bridging the Gap: Aligning Education for Public Health With Emerging Workforce Demands
In this editorial, Bridging the Gap: Aligning Education for Public Health with Emerging Workforce Demands, Dr. Laura Magaña, PhD
President and CEO of ASPPH, and Dr. Emily Burke, Senior Director of Workforce Development and Applied Practice for ASPPH, discuss the urgency of aligning education with real-world expectations.
October 2024
October 28
Public Health Newswire—How to battle the ‘pollution’ of misinformation and disinformation
It was standing room only as APHA 2024 Annual Meeting attendees packed into a room to learn how to become trustworthy public health communicators at a session created and hosted by ASPPH.
October 16
University of Maryland School of Public Health—‘Health is always on the ballot’
On October 16, ASPPH hosted a webinar on the importance of voting and combating information in public health as part of its Voting is Public Health campaign.
September 2024
September 27
PR Newswire—University of Memphis School of Public Health Encourages Unity at Summit
The University of Memphis’ School of Public Health closed its inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit on Friday, Sept. 27, with an expression of unity and collaboration, with speakers from countries including Australia, Germany, Grenada, Lebanon, Lithuania and South Africa. Dr. Laura Magaña, president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, welcomed the unity.
The Chronicle News—Cameron University student examines public health inequities at summer internship
During the program, Lena studied Native American culture and resilience along with various aspects of public health including epidemiology and research, the release said. Lena was mentored by Dr. Emily Burke and Miranda Bosse from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).
September 25
CDC Newsroom—CDC Awards Over $176 Million to Strengthen U.S. Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced more than $176 million in funding to support 48 public health partners to strengthen the public health system in the United States. ASPPH is proud to be one of the recipients.
June 2024
June 17
World Health Organization (WHO) News—Health professionals meet to further the climate change and health agenda
Health leaders, health professions and their associations, including ASPPH, institutions and schools convened in Geneva on 10 June to discuss the contributions of health professions to the climate change and health agenda
April 2024
April 5
BU School of Public Health—‘This Is Putting Our Mission into Action’
ASPPH President Laura Magaña described FTF 2030 as “a significant transformation” intended to “redefine approaches to teaching, learning, and community engagement in public health.”
March 2024
March 18
AWS Public Sector Blog—ASPPH scales data curation for members with a data lake on AWS
ASPPH partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Professional Services (AWS ProServe) to move their curated data to a managed data lake on AWS.
January 2024
January 29
Public Health Reports—Federal Student Loan Debt in Public Health and the Opportunities for Loan Repayment Programs
A recent Public Health Reports study, Federal Student Loan Debt in Public Health and the Opportunities for Loan Repayment Programs, co-authored by ASPPH members and staff and utilizing ASPPH data, highlights a critical need for public health graduates in government roles, despite the lower earnings compared to other sectors like private healthcare or pharmaceuticals.
January 26
College Transitions—15 Best Master’s in Public Health Online Programs – 2024
Interest in public health didn’t just start with COVID-19. During the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 90s, interest in the Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree skyrocketed. Since 1992, the number of MPH degrees conferred grew by 300 percent, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.
December 2023
December 15
Frontiers in Public Health—Education for public health 2030: transformation to meet health needs in a changing world
The articles discussed ASPPH’s Framing the Future 2030: Education for Public Health (FTF 2030) initiative which is aimed at developing an education system resilient to the dynamic socio-political landscape, emphasizing scientific inquiry, research-education-practice nexus, elimination of inequities, and anti-racism principles.
November 2023
November 1
Psychology Today—Looking for Hope in the Face of Tragedy
“About a year ago, I chaired a task force commissioned by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health that produced a report that aims to help move public health schools and programs to the center of the gun violence conversation.”—Sandro Galea, MD, Robert A. Knox professor and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health and chair of ASPPH’s Gun Violence Prevent Taskforce
September 2023
September 27
Diverse Issues in Higher Education—Transforming Academia for Equity, with Dr. Alonzo Plough and Dr. Thomas LaVeist
In this podcast episode, Diverse host David Pluviose welcomes two distinguished guests, Dr. Alonzo Plough and Dr. Thomas LaVeist, chair-elect of the ASPPH board. They explore their involvement in the recently established program, Transforming Academia for Equity, and shed light on large-scale initiatives, such as those led by ASPPH, that aim to transform institutions.
September 22
The American Journal of Managed Care—A Crisis in Public Health—Addressing the Exodus From Our Essential Workforce
Our op-ed builds upon our July statement and discusses a recent study in Health Affairs highlighting an alarming trend: public health professionals in the US are departing from their roles in governmental agencies, with projections indicating that up to half may leave by 2025. This workforce is crucial for national health and ASPPH has taken measures to cultivate a diverse future public health workforce and guide them towards state and local roles.
September 21
Inside Higher Ed—Reforming Research Productivity
Encourage your professional research and academic associations to embrace reform in the promotion and tenure process, such as the recently adopted policy of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.
September 7
GlobeNewswire—New Class of 40 Under 40 in Public Health Reflects Resilient and Impactful Workforce
Laura Magaña, PhD, MS, president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), said the new 40 Under 40 in Public Health leaders will inspire future professionals. “As an association dedicated to strengthening the public health workforce by working with our member schools and programs to educate the next generation of leaders, we could not be prouder to be able to recognize all of the honorees of this prestigious program,” she said. “These dedicated professionals truly epitomize the value of a public health education with their various career paths enabling them to play a vital role in advancing health in their communities.”
August 2023
August 16
BMC Public Health—Perspectives on the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) education among students and alumni in the United States: a cross-sectional national online survey
Professional development opportunities offered by ASPPH or APHA could assist not only in educating the public regarding distinctions between PhD and DrPH but also in providing training for DrPH programs to meet some of the critical training needs in key fields and offering lifelong learning in critical current subject areas, such as through Continuing Education Program offered by APHA.
August 8
The Sacramento Bee—California’s public health agency is filled with vacancies. Is it ready for the next pandemic?
The majority of graduates with public health degrees are going into the private sector, where funding tends to be more stable and salaries are higher. Only about a fifth of those with public health degrees are pursuing a career in government, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.
July 2023
July 28
San Francisco Chronicle—How Bay Area public health schools were rocked by the COVID pandemic
The additions came around the same time that the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, a membership organization for academic institutions, released a statement condemning racism as a public health crisis. As research revealed the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on people of color, the organization said it would work to “address racial injustice by teaching skills to advocate for the essential public health values of compassion, empathy, justice, and equity.”
July 20
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education—Study: Minority Students Still Underrepresented in Public Health
“Diversity of the US Public Health Workforce Pipeline (2016-2020): Role of Academic Institutions,” developed by researchers at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) looked at public health student diversity from 2016-2020 using a Diversity Index (DI).
July 18
Annals of Internal Medicine—Reflecting on ACP’s Position Paper for Public Health: A View From the CDC Lens
“While the pandemic mobilized interest in public health careers, with, for example, a 20% to 25% growth in applicants to masters programs (Rasouli B. Personal communication.), this increase falls far short of the urgent need.” (An article ASPPH wrote was referenced by our Director of Advocacy and Federal Affairs in email communication to the CDC used for this article.)
July 11
US Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) Press Release—Cassidy, Merkley, Hinson, Adams Team Up to Sound the Alarm on the Silent Stillbirth Crisis
Stillbirths occur across all demographics; however Black women are two times more likely than white women to have a stillbirth. Stillbirths also increase the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity and negatively impact parental mental health and family well-being. This is why ASPPH is proud to endorse Senators Merkley (D-OR) and Cassidy (R-LA) and Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Alma Adams (D-NC-12) reintroduction of their bipartisan, bicameral Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act.
June 2023
June 6
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Lab Matters—Leveraging the Power of Privilege in Public Health
Dr. Laura Magaña, PhD, president and CEO of ASPPH, was interviewed and quoted discussing how to dismantle the effects of privilege in the educational pipeline.
May 2023
May 31
JPHMP Direct—Growing the Grassroots Power of Public Health
We organized the first-ever Public Health Students & Grads Hill Week in September 2022, in which the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) trained nearly 100 public health degree students and alumni on how to effectively speak to, and persuade, members of Congress.
May 19
Medhealth Outlook—Lessons Learned from COVID-19: Preparing for the Next Pandemic
In this article, Dr. Laura Magaña, President & CEO of ASPPH, discusses the key lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the importance of preparedness for future pandemics.
May 11
Galveston County, The Daily News—Lack of Men of Color Graduating From the Health Professions Declared a Crisis by Association CEOs
The Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP) [of which ASPPH is a member] has declared the low number of historically underrepresented men of color (HUMOC) graduating and entering the health care professions a national crisis.
April 2023
April 27
U.S. News & World Report—What You Can Do With a Public Health Degree
An August 2021 article in The Nation’s Health, a publication of the American Public Health Association, reported that although applications for public health programs already were rising when the pandemic began, they increased 23% in March 2020 over March 2019 – and were 40% higher in March 2021 than a year earlier, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s Schools of Public Health Application Service.
April 17
George Mason University News—Senior Associate Dean Joins ASPPH Delegation to Explore Public Health Collaboration in Cuba
As a senior leader and Board Member of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Senior Associate Dean Robert Weiler joined a delegation of 14 public health deans, directors, and faculty in Cuba.
University of Maryland Baltimore—LEAPS Explores Inclusive Teaching and Learning
She (Diane Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA, the University’s chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer and vice president) also highlighted the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s Framing the Future initiative, which promotes “equitable, quality education in public health for achieving health equity and well-being for everyone, everywhere.”
April 4
Forbes—We Need To Inspire More Young People To Pursue Careers In Public Healthcare
Over the past few decades, there has been a major uptick in the number of students pursuing undergraduate public health majors, according to new research from the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. That number has skyrocketed by more than 1,100% between 2001 and 2020.
March 2023
March 29
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health News—Dismantling systemic racism in academic public health
How can public health schools help eliminate the structural health disparities that continue to plague minorities and vulnerable populations? That’s a question Linda Alexander, chief academic officer of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), addressed during a talk at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
March 9
CNYCentral—Upstate Doctor on national task force pushing for public health curriculum on gun violence
Dr. Margaret Formica is part of the Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention created by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, made up of doctors from across the country.
March 7
POLITICO—We’re not prepared for the next public health crisis
According to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, enrollment grew steadily over the last decade, with another bump up in 2021, after the pandemic hit. There was a small dip in undergraduate enrollment last fall, but graduate schools kept growing.
Emily Burke, who tracks workforce development for the public health school association, said there was an uptick in new graduates going into traditional public health jobs last year. Whether that’s the beginning of a trend, or a one-off, remains to be seen. Whether they stay in public health, or do a year or so and move on, is also an open question.
January 2023
January 26
BU Today—POV: Again and Again. Mass Shootings Continue Unabated in the United States
“I recently had the privilege of chairing a task force commissioned by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health that produced a report that aims to help move public health schools and programs to the center of the gun violence conversation, to seeing this as the public health issue it is, one that requires action, yes, and perhaps action that can be catalyzed by the scholarship, education, and practice that emerges from universities who see this gun violence epidemic for what it is—a preventable problem that is calling for action that can save tens of thousands of lives every year.”
January 6
Inside Higher Ed—Could Undergrads Save the Public Health Workforce?
Now the degree has many broader applications—some even outside health care. Emily Burke, senior director of workforce development and applied practice at ASPPH and another author of the study, said that focusing on public health at the undergraduate level is in some ways akin to pursuing the liberal arts.
“The idea in undergrad public health was that there are going to be students who study public health as a major but will not go on to work in public health,” she said. “But there’s great benefit to society if there are people in all sectors with knowledge and training in public health.”
January 4
The Trace—Studying Gun Violence Is Hard. But Intervention Programs Need Research to Survive.
In 2018 the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health launched a task force to identify the points of friction preventing diverse public health students from continuing along the path to becoming a professor.
“We are working to dismantle structural racism in public health,” said Linda Alexander, the chief academic officer of the association.
This is critical, she said, because gun violence — and indeed many public health disparities — has “a well-documented history in racism and discrimination,” she said. “Very little has changed in terms of these structures.”
September 2022
September 28
MedPage Today—Clinicians Need More Training in Nutrition Education and Spotting Hunger, Biden Says
In addition, a variety of provider organizations including …the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health… have pledged to strengthen health professionals’ education in nutrition, such as by including the use of therapeutic lifestyle interventions in curricula and training on chronic disease; ensuring that professional training programs include at least one educator with formal training in nutrition science; and making sure hunger, nutrition, and lifestyle topics comprise at least 5% of board certification exam questions for both primary and subspecialty professional training programs.
White House Briefing Room Statement—FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $8 Billion in New Commitments as Part of Call to Action for White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
“Several leading health sector organizations – …(including the) Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health…– have all signed a pledge committing to take several new actions to strengthen health professionals’ education in nutrition.”
September 12
Colorado School of Public Health—ColoradoSPH doctoral candidates named APHA & Kaiser Community Health Scholars
“A one-year post-MPH fellowship through the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) at CDC’s National Center for Injury and Prevention and Control cemented her commitment to finding ways to protect against injury.”
September 2
Princeton Alumni Weekly—The Doctor Is On
“Back in 2008, a prescient report by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health warned of a shortfall of 250,000 public health workers by 2020.”
August 2022
August 29
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health—Monaco named assistant dean of undergraduate degree programs
“Monaco has also been the Gillings School’s nominee for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Undergraduate Public Health Education Award.”
August 9
Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine—Dartmouth MPH Students Named Public Health Ambassadors
“Two students in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at the Giesel School of Medicine have been named This Is Public Health (TIPH) Ambassadors for 2022-2023 by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).
April 2022
April 25
Dallas Magazine—UT Southwestern Is Going Public
“The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the interest and awareness in public health. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health found that applications to graduate public health programs grew by 40 percent during the pandemic.”
April 22
The Daily Targum—School of Public Health Holds Event to Provide Approaches to Dismantling Institutional Racism
“The webinar was led by Laura Magaña, president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), which is a nonprofit organization that works toward strengthening voices in the academic public health field. Magaña said her goals for the conference were to break down prevalent areas of systemic racism and provide the ASPPH’s guidance and initiatives on how to approach the issue.”
April 18
Community 99—MPH Program Applications Have Doubled Since Onset of COVID-19 Pandemic
“This increase exceeds national trends, which saw an increase in MPH applications of 20-30% in 2021, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.”
April 17
The Brown Daily Herald—MPH Program Applications Have Doubled Since Onset of COVID-19 Pandemic
“This increase exceeds national trends, which saw an increase in MPH applications of 20-30% in 2021, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.”
March 2022
March 28
“The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health has endorsed this statement and is calling on its members to do the same. This joint statement builds on an initial statement from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. New cosigners will be added as they are confirmed.”
February 2022
February 18
Politico— Extending the Public Health Emergency Remains Complicated
“Tim Leshan is the new external relations and advocacy officer at the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, joined by Beeta Rasouli as director of advocacy. Leshan previously worked as a vice provost for Northeastern University and a policy, planning and analysis chief for the National Human Genome Research Institute. Rasouli worked for lobbying group firm Lewis-Burke Associates after leaving Capitol Hill.”
February 11
Hawaii News Now— Students Flock to Public Health in Hopes of Turning the Pandemic’s Lessons into Change
“You would think the pandemic would dissuade young people from pursuing a career in public health. In fact, the opposite is true. Last year, public health schools across the country saw a 40% increase in applicants for graduate degree programs, according to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.”
January 2022
January 26
The Print— Silver Line to COVID Cloud: More Students Want Degrees in Public Health
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a greater interest among students in pursuing public health programs, a report bythe Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) reveals.”
January 25
NBC 5— Pandemic Fuels Uptick in Public Health Majors at Universities
“Universities are reporting an uptick in public health majors as the pandemic ushers in a new wave of aspiring students who hope to make a difference in the world after COVID-19… According to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, applications to graduate-level public health programs across the country have grown by 40% during the pandemic.”
January 24
The Dallas Morning News—In the Shadow of COVID-19, Interest in Public Health Studies is Climbing in North Texas and Beyond
“The Texas A&M University School of Public Health reported a 15% increase in bachelor’s admissions and a 26% increase in master’s admissions in the last two years. That trend is mirrored across the US Between March 2020 and March 2021, applications to graduate-level public health programs grew by 40%, from 17,353 to 24,176, according to data from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, which represents accredited public health programs.”
January 6
US News and World Report—‘Provisional Positives’: How the Pandemic Could Spark a Public Health Overhaul
“Public health schools saw a 40% increase in applicants to graduate-level degree programs, from 17,353 in March 2020 to 24,176 in March 2021, according to the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health, with epidemiology reported to be the top area of study for applications.”
January 2
Anchorage Daily News—Much Has Changed Since the Start of the Pandemic. But the Nation’s Public Health System Remains Fractured
“She spoke recently at a conference of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, where she was struck by the number of students who came up to ask about her work in public health. Their enthusiasm is reflected by a 40 percent increase in applicants to 2021 graduate-level degree programs compared with March 2020, according to the association.”
January 1
The Washington Post—Much Has Changed Since the Start of the Pandemic. But the Nation’s Public Health System Remains Fractured
“She spoke recently at a conference of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, where she was struck by the number of students who came up to ask about her work in public health. Their enthusiasm is reflected by a 40 percent increase in applicants to 2021 graduate-level degree programs compared with March 2020, according to the association.”