An institute for biomedical and health sciences is formed…

Near the end of the 20th century, the new University of Georgia administration of President Michael F. Adams and then Provost Karen Holbrook recognized the need for the University to establish a more visible and robust academic biomedical research agenda. Towards that end, Provost Holbrook appointed past Pharmacy Dean Stuart Feldman to head up a grass-roots, campus-wide effort entitled the Health and Human Science Initiative.

This open initiative which acquired data for over a year resulted in an executive committee recommending the formation of a campus-wide, interdisciplinary biomedical institute. A proposal to create the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute (BHSI) was unanimously supported by the deans of all UGA colleges and schools, approved by the University Council and submitted by President Adams to the Board of Regents in early 2001. Following Regents approval in June 2001, the BHSI under the guidance of founding director Harry Dailey, was established in September 2001 with three divisions (Infectious Disease and Immunity, Molecular Medicine, and Public Health) representing the diverse interests identified in the original initiative. The division of Neuroscience was added in 2002.

It was evident early on that there were significant strengths in public health at UGA and with the tireless work of Public Health Division Chair Phillip L William and associate director Stuart Feldman, faculty were organized and quickly put together a proposal for a Master of Public Health degree. With the strong support of the UGA administration, this proposal was quickly approved and set up in the BHSI by 2004.

A need is recognized and a new College is born…

The formation of the College of Public Health (CPH) in January 2005 was strongly supported by President Adams and Provost Arnett Mace and was a response to a compelling need to address important health concerns in Georgia and to the lack of a comprehensive public health program within the University System of Georgia. The need to educate public health professionals, as well as to conduct public health-related research and outreach focusing on public health problems led to the creation of the college.

The College of Public Health and BHSI were collaborators from the very beginning.  The first M.P.H. students took their first semester public health courses in the BHSI. Once the College of Public Health was officially established, BHSI Division of Public Health Chair Phil Williams moved from the Institute to become the college’s founding Dean. M.P.H. courses moved into the new college and its first five students graduated in the summer of 2005.

Old partners collaborate for a new initiative in global health…

Now that the College is up and running, it is not surprising that CPH and BHSI collaborate once more on UGA’s new Global Health Initiative. Although the primary responsibility of any land grant university is to the citizens of its state, you can’t train students for leadership positions in public health without introducing them to their colleagues from around the world. The diseases that threaten the citizens of Georgia do not respect geographical boundaries. They walk off the airport everyday as international flights land in Atlanta and may be found in the food we buy at our local supermarkets.  Protecting the public will require unprecedented international cooperation. We are committed to educate and prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead.

In that regard, the Global Health Initiative has three components: additional study abroad programs, including Maymester programs in global health; additional courses in the College of Public Health on global health problems and issues; MPH internship sites and advisors for at least ten international locations. Finally, a graduate Global Health Certificate will be offered by the College of Public Health and will be available to graduate and undergraduate honors students across the campus.

The College of Public Health has the unique interdisciplinary expertise to educate future leaders in education, research and service in global public health issues and is pleased to take a leadership role in this important initiative.

We were particularly pleased to present our first Global Health Symposium in April, 2008. Each of the four sessions was organized by UGA faculty who served as moderators. We were also delighted that some of our colleagues from Vietnam, who graciously hosted our Public Health Study Abroad Maymester Programs in Hanoi in 2006 and 2007, joined us at the event. Information about this symposium can be found on our web site.

In the fall, we will begin drafting the requirements for the Certificate. The Global Health Certificate Steering Committee is made up of faculty from across the campus:

Sincerely,

Harry A. Dailey, Ph.D.
Director, Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute

Robert S. Galen, M.D., M.P.H.
Senior Associate Dean, College of Public Health
Chair, BHSI Division of Public Health