From the Dean

Welcome to this season’s issue of Health Impact.

The dramatic image on the cover mirrors the dramatic news: the University at Buffalo is undertaking its largest hiring initiative in many years—over 50 years, to be specific. Here at the School of Public Health and Health Professions, every department is in the process of finding and selecting new faculty to add to our already considerable roster of teachers and researchers. The need for faculty is a result of the university’s efforts to enter the ranks of the top 25 public research universities in the country. That objective is informed by our ultimate goal: to make a meaningful impact on society via our work in key fields. 

Another effort underway here at our school is designed to make a meaningful impact on the need for more public health professionals, especially those from underrepresented groups. A substantial new grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Public Health Scholarship Program will support those efforts.

Now that the rush of the end of the academic year and commencement is behind us, all of us at SPHHP can hopefully enjoy a summer of rejuvenation and renewal. I wish the same for you during the coming months.

Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD
Dean, UB School of Public Health and Health Professions SUNY Distinguished Professo