Greetings Alumni and Friends of LLU SPH,
Welcome to another avenue in which you can remain connected with the School of Public Health. I am Dwight Barrett, and as Acting Dean, I am so excited to connect with you. As the search process continues for a new Dean, the importance of keeping you involved and updated with news within our school is of high priority. This medium of communication will augment the other avenues you may already be aware of and are plugged into. If not, I encourage you to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!
SCHOOL UPDATES
June 20, 2022, was the start of our academic year, which saw Dr. Helen Hopp Marshak stepping down as Dean of the School of Public Health. Working alongside Dr. Marshak has been an honor and privilege; her seven-plus years of service in her role as Dean, laid the foundation for several significant strides, leaving us with a substantial rise in the school’s national rankings, full CEPH reaccreditation, significant growth in philanthropy and much more. I want to sincerely and publicly thank her for her service and devotion to our school.
Our Global Health MPH program has had some incredible highlights for current and future students. This past summer, the Global Health students had the opportunity to go to Malawi for their Integrated Community Development Class. They were able to practice skills like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), data collection and data analysis to find sustainable food sources for local communities. Additionally, the Global Health 4+1 program, a collaboration between Pacific Union College (PUC) and the School of Public Health (SPH), officially launched in October. This program will provide the opportunity for PUC students to earn a Bachelor’s degree and then a Master of Public Health in Global Health in the span of 5 years.
GRANT UPDATES
In September, we received news that our school was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), providing scholarships for students pursuing a certificate and/or graduate degree programs in public health, with 100% covered tuition.
Additionally, Dr. Seth Wiafe was instrumental in receiving $500,000 in grant funding from National CORE through a collaboration between the Making Hope Happen Foundation and Loma Linda University from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation supporting Uplift San Bernardino’s Development Plan.
PHILANTHROPY UPDATES
We are grateful to all our donors who have contributed to our fundraising drive to grow the SPH Meryvn Hardinge Preventive Care Endowment. With over $60,000 added to the fund in 2 years, the balance has increased to over $140,000. In the 2022 Fiscal Year, we received over $1 million in cash, donations, and planned gifts due to the generous support and contributions from alumni, donors and friends. We're overwhelmed by the generosity our school has been shown.
LLUH is looking forward to an overall campaign that will be launched sometime in 2023 or 2024 and these are the primary initiatives that the School of Public Health will be prioritizing.
- Students, Future Public Health and Health Care Workforce- competitive, affordable education for those who align with the mission and values of Loma Linda University Health.
- Direct Support – Scholarships, Pricing for Preferred Partners
- Indirect Support – Endowed Professorships (faculty positions)
- Other – Assistantships/positions as part of external funding
- Innovation and Excellence in Public Health Education – expanding capacity on and beyond our campus
FACULTY ACTIVITY
Thank you for being a part of our School of Public Health family as we continue our efforts to promote public health education in this new quarter.
Our school is proud to be home to tremendous public health professionals and leaders who have done incredible work. To highlight a few, Dr. Sujatha Rajaram, Dr. Joan Sabaté and Dr. Gina Segovia-Siapco were published in a leading medical journal for a nutrition research trial conducted at LLUSPH Nutrition Research Center. Dr. Huma Shah represented LLUSPH at the 2022 American College of Healthcare Executive Southern California Annual Conference as the Inland Empire Program Council Chair Board Member and was awarded the prestigious ACHE Regent’s Award. Dr. Ryan Sinclair was invited to the Ninth International Scholars’ Conference at the Asia-Pacific International University as a keynote speaker.
We look forward to the various opportunities to promote public health nationally and through working with our local community.
Sincerely,
Dwight Barrett, Ed.D. MBA — Acting Dean
LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY | School of Public Health