Columbia Mailman Welcomes Incoming Class

A stretch of perfect late summer weather accompanied the arrival of a brand-new cohort of 700 Columbia Mailman School students for Orientation Week. Members of the incoming class represent 34 states and 43 countries; 41 percent come with previous work experience, and close to one-fifth are first-generation college students.

In welcoming remarks, Interim Dean Kathleen Sikkema told students that they are entering a vitally important field for the 21st century with unprecedented opportunities for impact. “We need you, and public health needs you. We need your passion, energy, intellect, talents, and all of your perspectives,” she declared.

Dean Sikkema acknowledged the challenging moment for public health and encouraged students to work together with an emphasis on empathy. “Public health is a team sport,” she said. “We are all a team together, and we need each other’s strength and wisdom to find the best solutions to these complex problems we’re facing.”

Throughout the week, students were introduced to the field and the Columbia Mailman community, the full schedule of upcoming campus events, as well as resources available to help them thrive. Professor Robert Fullilove led doctoral students on a walking tour of Washington Heights. All students received branded tote bags featuring the slogan central to the Public Health Oath they recited on their first day: Health Is a Human Right.

Students bring diverse backgrounds and experiences, but a shared passion for public health and excitement to begin their studies.

Incoming MPH student Isaac Snow, a Binghamton University graduate from Maryland, said he chose public health “because I’ve always wanted to help other people,” adding that he enrolled at Columbia Mailman for a degree in Biostatistics because “the opportunities that can come from it are endless.” 

Gabrielle Ogundare is embarking on an Epidemiology MPH following an undergraduate concentration in public health at Emory and an internship with the Michigan Public Health Institute. In the near term, Ogundare said she was excited to start classes. “Long term, I want to be an epidemiologist who studies infectious diseases so I can discover interventions when public health crises happen,” she said.