When Heather Lanthorn assumed the role of program director of the new Mercury Project at the Social Science Research Council in December 2021, she was ecstatic. Not only was she helping to build the field around a current phenomenon with long-term implications, but she also was returning to her roots and work that led her to the University of Michigan School of Public Health and deepened while she was there.
From regional outbreaks to global pandemics, local public health experts respond regularly to public health crises. Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, MPH ’04, says the current pandemic has clarified the need for ongoing investment in public health.
Undergraduate public health student Reem Fawaz always wanted to make an impact in her community. She began her journey to medical school, then decided to include in her education a public health foundation, which she says is vital to achieving her goal of building healthier communities.
Current trends toward a future where disease outbreaks happen more often due to globalization, human migration, and climate damage can be slowed and even reversed when we ensure every public health intervention accounts for the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment.
We’ve been watching science change daily during the pandemic. For many, shifts in scientific understandings are a normal part of the process. For others, science’s fluidity provides an access point for criticism. How do we communicate that change is part of the scientific process and lead wherever change is needed?
Whether you have specific interests or career goals or just want to know more about public health systems and practices generally, massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide valuable practical knowledge from Michigan Public Health experts.