Alumni Summit Spotlights Energy and Ideas of an Evolving Field
This year’s Alumni Summit brought together more than 160 public health leaders whose careers took flight with a degree from the Columbia Mailman School. Highlights included lively discussions on responding to rapid change in public health, as well as an awards luncheon honoring the inspirational contributions of two alumnae.
The event provided an opportunity for alumni, faculty, and staff to learn from one another, forge connections, and explore ways to address the current challenges facing the field.
In opening remarks, Interim Dean Kathleen Sikkema thanked alumni for the work they do to advance the field and mentor younger generations. “We’re thrilled to welcome you back and see the difference that you’re making,” she said. Acknowledging the challenging environment for public health, Dean Sikkema identified collective effort as a path forward. “We’re much stronger together,” she said.
A discussion on global health moderated by Thoai Ngo, Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor and Chair of the Department of Population and Family Health, centered on the seismic changes affecting the field as the world’s largest humanitarian donor nation—the United States—canceled billions in funding this year. Alumni panelists Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, MPH ’05, from PAI, Gregory Kuzmak, MPH ’16, from The Rockefeller Foundation, and Marta Schaaf, DrPH ’18, MPH ’11, from Amnesty International, shared their personal perspectives on opportunities to improve the global health system and where they find hope for the future.
While Kazi Hutchins explained that her organization was laser-focused on surviving the current reality, she noted that there is room for improvement in the global health system, where funding is often siloed by disease. Kuzmak agreed, saying “a more integrated perspective” is warranted. Despite all the upheaval, global health will continue to exist with decision-makers setting policies that influence the health of populations around the world, Schaaf noted. “We can all think of the potential role that we have in those decisions. ... We all have opportunities,” she said.
A second panel on public health innovation, moderated by Bijan Salehizadeh, MD ’00, MS ’00, from NaviMed Capital, featured panelists Jeanine Bortel, MPH ’97, from Pfizer, Kathy Colon, MPH ’15, from Microsoft, and Nimish Shah, MPH’ 06, from Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners. Each spoke to the ways AI and other technologies are rapidly transforming health care.
Colon has witnessed technology evolve exponentially, bringing about remarkable breakthroughs, such as brain implants that enable people with paralysis to speak again. Shah was excited by a drug delivery platform designed to help therapeutics cross the blood-brain barrier. Bortel stated that AI has the “opportunity to transform drug development,” both by accelerating the development of new drugs and improving their quality. Meanwhile, Salehizadeh pointed to how AI agents used by insurance companies and provider groups “argue with each other behind the scenes” about authorizing payment for patient treatments.
Awards Luncheon
In introductory remarks at the awards luncheon, Dorcas Adedoja, MPH’20, president of the Columbia Mailman Alumni Board, expressed their gratitude for the Alumni Summit and the diverse group of professionals it brought together. “I hope you found today’s programming insightful and informative, but most of all, I hope you found it restorative,” they said. “Working in public health has been anything but normal this year.”
Julie Jenson, MPH ‘13, a member of the Alumni Board Development Committee, announced alumni have raised $327,000 for the Alumni Centennial Practicum Stipend Fund—enough to endow five permanent stipends for applied practicum experiences (APEx). This was the first year that stipends were awarded; recipients spent the summer working with community-based organizations across the five boroughs. The fund remains open, and additional monies raised will allow the School to increase stipend amounts or support more students in the future. Richard Campo, MPH ‘86, another member of the Development Committee, announced that the University will match all first-time gifts on Columbia Giving Day, which takes place on October 21. Giving Day helps sustain priorities—from the School’s Research Response Fund to student scholarships and practicum stipends.
Dean Sikkema presented honors to two alumnae who “truly exemplify the essence of what makes our community shine”—Betty C. Chang, MD, MHA ’21, recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award, and Betsy Helen Williams, MPH ’02, recipient of the 2025 Allan Rosenfield Distinguished Alumni Award. (Read more about the accomplishments of Chang and Williams here.)
Chang, an associate professor of Emergency Medicine and senior director of Social Emergency Medicine and Health Equity, and a member of the Alumni Board, has given back to the School in many ways, such as through her involvement in the School’s Health System Simulation course, which offers health care professionals a guided exercise in managing operations. She also recently launched an internship program for Columbia Mailman students in Emergency Medicine that integrates clinical medicine and public health.
“[Students’] curiosity and their commitment to making a difference remind me why I do what I do here as a physician and an advocate of public health,” Chang said. “I hope to continue opening doors for our students, creating opportunities for them to grow.”
Williams, a longtime member of the School’s Board of Advisors, works at the intersection of foreign policy and global health. She is the founder and co-chair of Emerging Public Health Leaders, a public service fellowship active in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has also launched and supported various other initiatives, including at USAID, JSI, Asia Society, and Physicians for Human Rights. She and her family have also made several generous philanthropic gifts to the School.
As a student, Williams met then-dean Allan Rosenfield, who gave her advice that shaped her career. “He showed us not only how to be professionals, but also advocates and activists,” Williams said. I have tried to honor what I learned from Allen throughout my career, listening and being present in your community and leading with empathy and compassion.”
