Dean's Message 

To our Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Friends:

Over the last five years, the Rutgers School of Public Health has experienced nothing short of a renaissance. The school has grown its research program, enhanced our student experience, and developed deep and trusting relationships with the local, national, and global communities, through successful grantmaking, the development of modern and relevant courses of study, and the strengthening of our relationships with the people and populations we serve. As we continue to bolster our national and international reputation, we never forget that at the heart of our efforts has been our underlying ethos: “keeping the ‘public’ in public health.”

The Rutgers School of Public Health has also emerged as a leader in combatting racism and systemic racism. We have established policies around zero tolerance for harassment and any form of discrimination. 

Our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are committed to the tenants of social justice and health equity. It is no longer sufficient to simply document health disparities. Instead, those who constitute the Rutgers School of Public Health work to develop programs, interventions, and other health initiatives where every person, regardless of who they are, has an equal chance at maximum levels of health during their lives. The Rutgers School of Public Health will continue to shine a light on the injustices of health that exist in our society because we believe advocacy and activism are just as important as academic coursework and robust research programs.

At the Rutgers School of Public Health, we celebrate the diversity of our vast community, whether it be race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, sexual identity, identity, nation of birth, or the multitude of other identities, and intersectional identities people hold. We have recruited faculty focusing on expanding our diversity in terms of areas of study and on the individual’s characteristics. 

Our school also offers various study abroad opportunities and allows students and researchers to collaborate with colleagues in Greece, Japan, and India. We remain committed to the people of New Jersey and the United States, but also understand our role in the health of our global community. 

As a school, we are proud of all that we have accomplished, but also understand that we have much more work to do. We look forward to the next five years and what the future holds as we continue to combat global health challenges while developing the next generation of public health leaders.

Sincerely, 

Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH (He/Him/His)
Dean
Hunterdon Professor of Public Health and Health Equity
Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS)
Rutgers School of Public Health