E-NEWS Winter 2022
Welcome to the winter 2022 edition of PFRH E-NEWS!
Hoping you each enjoyed wonderful holidays and a relaxing and fun-filled change of activities.
The Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health has had a busy start to the academic year. We welcomed 6 Doctoral and 36 Masters students as well as the inaugural cohort of 5 DrPH students concentrating in Women’s and Reproductive Health.
We continue to engage in cutting edge research with teams of faculty, staff and students engaging in projects applying population science to address health across the life course. New funding is supporting expanded foci on critical issues related to housing for survivors of intimate partner violence, COVID-19’s impact on childhood obesity, transformative justice in Baltimore schools, and developmental trajectories for autism spectrum disorder.
Our power of partnerships continues. I was delighted to greet many PFRH alumni, current students, staff and faculty at the sixth International Conference on Family Planning held in Pattaya City, Thailand this past November. Congratulations to the Gates Institute for co-hosting such a vibrant and impactful convening of more than 3,500 in-person delegates and 50,000 community members to join virtually and onsite. And closer to home, a Youth Advisory. Board member from our Center for Adolescent Health shared their expertise on key issues related to food insecurity and health eating at the recent Bloomberg American Health Summit in Philadelphia.
Our teaching teams have once again excelled with multiple courses earning teaching excellence. We are most appreciative of the commitment of our learners, teaching assistants, and faculty who help make these classroom experiences so positive. And our educational team and the Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism and Equity (IDARE) Committee continue to inform our thinking about how best we can integrate related principles and skill building into our educational offerings.
Finally, warm congratulations to PFRH alumna Jennifer White, MSPH, who newly is a Delegate for Maryland Legislative District 10. We are so proud of the campaign Jennifer and her team led, infused with strong public health messages.
I remain incredibly grateful for our wonderful PFRH community. During this time of ongoing challenges, students, staff, faculty, and alumni remain steadfast in their commitment to public health and their support and compassion for each other.
As always, I welcome your input and am most appreciative of your ongoing support of our department.
Best wishes for a year filled with joy, good health, and nurturance as you pursue your passions. I am so excited for what we will accomplish, together!
Cynthia Minkovitz, MD, MPP
William H. Gates, Sr. Professor and Chair
Population, Family and Reproductive Health