Students Begin Public Health Journey at "Crucial Moment"

More than 700 students from 35 countries and 43 states and territories launched their public health studies at Columbia Mailman School this week in the midst of a global pandemic, at a time when population health science has never been more needed.

“We are in the right field at the right moment at the right place,” said Dean Linda P. Fried in an address welcoming the incoming class. “It’s a crucial moment in time for public health. Public health knowledge and how we deliver it is more important than ever.”

Incoming students include Sally Beiruti, who aims to develop the skills to improve healthcare accessibility for refugee women and children with chronic illnesses; Sandya Ganesh, who is passionate about researching the long-term health impacts of environmental exposures to educate underserved communities; Stephen Matthews, who is committed to the fight against HIV infection, obesity related-illnesses, and the negative health effects of racial and spatial isolation; Rachel Suss, who is preparing for a career in epidemiology dedicated to bettering maternal health outcomes; and Cassie Tarleton, who is pursuing an MD-MPH, in part to better understand the ways in which social determinants and structural inequities influence the health outcomes of individuals and communities.

The incoming class also includes the School’s first class of students from 4+1 programs in partnership with Vassar and Dickinson College.

Following the Dean’s welcoming remarks, she and six students representing the School’s academic departments led the class in the Public Health Oath, which was developed at Columbia Mailman in 2008. The Oath begins: “Health is a human right. The public health community exists to safeguard that right.”

New Learning Opportunities and Events

As part of Orientation, incoming students took part in a series of lectures on contemporary issues in public health, a student life expo, and departmental events. For the first time, students were invited to participate in nearly 90 events over the summer, ranging from alumni panels, spotlights on student life, support services, coffee corners, faculty meet and greets, as well as the two-day course on the COVID-19 pandemic held last week.

With only a few exceptions for small seminars, all Columbia Mailman classes will take place online throughout the fall, in keeping with guidance from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In recent months, the School upgraded its facilities and implemented procedures to reduce the risk of infection, and the University has launched a campaign called StayHealthy to promote campus infection safety through adherence to the Columbia Community Health Compact and symptom self-check. “When you do come back to campus—which you will—you will find the campus is ready for you,” said Dean Fried.

The remote classroom experience will be tailored for each course offered using various platforms, some of which include CourseWorks and RISE.Articulate, the latter which presents information in a dynamic interactive format. New course offerings include “Vaccine Innovation & Public Policy” taught by Bhaven Sampat and “Statistical Practices and Research for Interdisciplinary Science” taught by Christine Mauro. Incoming students also have the option of pursuing a new certificate in Population Mental Health in the Department of Epidemiology.

Outside of the classroom, the Columbia Mailman community will come together through a variety of departmental and schoolwide events, including the Dean’s Grand Rounds on the Future of Public Health, which will examine the devastating consequences of the absence of a public health system responsible for protecting and elevating health for all, and the Chronic Disease Seminar Series.

Returning Students Enriched by Summer Practicum Experiences

Returning students resumed classes, most having just gained professional experiences through their summer practicums. While students supported public health initiatives in New York and around the world, the vast majority worked remotely. Among them was Emily Hoppes, who supported a bioethics research project focused on Rakai, Uganda. As part of supplemental cultural activities spearheaded by the School’s Field Practice team and site coordinators, Hoppes took it on herself to cook kabalagala, a Ugandan delicacy.

Many students worked on COVID-related projects, through COVID-19 Student Service Corps (CSSC) and elsewhere. George Timmins was a lead on the MENTOR project which is community groups in Northern Manhattan to understand their experiences of the pandemic, assess their unmet needs, and support programming to meet those needs. Sila Adhiningrat worked as an intern with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to support an exploratory Twitter content analysis that aimed at better understanding the attitudes and practices of New York City Citi Bike users prior to the COVID outbreak and in its early weeks.

Anticipating the academic year, Adhiningrat recently published a Student Voices blog post offering several tips on how to excel in a distancing learning environment. “Take advantage of this learning opportunity by staying engaged with the course material and being active in the online classroom,” she wrote.

Wish to be a part of the student body in the near future? Learn more about How to Apply to the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health to get started.