Welcome to the Fall 2026 edition of The Scarletter, the seasonal newsletter of Rutgers School of Public Health!
School News & Updates opens with Dean Perry N. Halkitis's welcome to the 2026–2027 academic year and an introduction to Clare Barrington, PhD, MPH, who joins the School as professor and chair of the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy. The section also includes fall admissions events, priority application deadlines, and the more than 100 student initiatives the Office of Student Experiences, Public Health Practice, and Alumni Affairs will host this year, among them the fifth year of Wellness PHirst.
Excellence at Rutgers Public Health recognizes faculty honored this season by the American Public Health Association, the University of Surrey, and NJBIZ; marks the School's observances of September 11 and Hispanic Heritage Month; and highlights programs that extend our reach, from a global learning course in Greece to PHocus, which welcomed 51 New Jersey high school students in July. Alumni Achievements features Zachary M. Ehrlich, DrPH '25, in the National Environmental Health Association's Member Spotlight.
Research and In the News highlight the newly formed Rutgers Health Institute for Scientific Excellence in Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Well-Being (RISES) and the latest publications from our faculty alongside their contributions to national coverage of tobacco regulation, food safety, firearm safety, and the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
To ensure The Scarletter remains accessible to everyone, from any location and on any device, we are excited to offer our web-based format.
School News & Updates
Welcome to the 2026-2027 Academic Year at Rutgers School of Public Health!
Hear from Dean Perry N. Halkitis as he welcomes students to the new academic year and shares his advice for making the most of their time here — from building community and connecting with faculty to getting involved and exploring opportunities beyond the classroom.
Whether you’re a new or returning student, a member of our faculty or staff, an alum, or a friend of Rutgers School of Public Health, we’re excited for a year of learning, connection, and making an impact in public health together.
New Leadership
Clare Barrington Joins Rutgers School of Public Health
Clare Barrington, Ph.D., M.P.H., has joined Rutgers School of Public Health as professor and chair of the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy!
Barrington is a social and behavioral scientist whose research examines how social and structural factors shape health and well-being. Using mixed-methods approaches, she studies how the conditions in which people live, work, and build relationships affect health. She also examines how public health interventions can better respond to those realities.
“I am honored to join the Health Behavior, Society and Policy faculty, staff, and students to advance public health training, research, and practice. The department is well positioned to improve understanding of critical public health issues at the community, state, national, and global levels and to collaboratively design and assess innovative and holistic responses.”
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Join us for a virtual Open House and take a deeper look at our programs, academic offerings, student experience, and community. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect directly with faculty, staff, and current students through departmental sessions focused on academics, programs, research, career pathways, and the student experience.
We look forward to welcoming you and helping you discover where a Rutgers public health education can take you!
Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
This virtual session will provide an overview of our school, including our mission and values, the degrees and certificate programs we offer, the application and admissions process, tuition and financial aid information, and the student resources and support services available.
This session is ideal for prospective students who are just beginning their graduate school search or have general questions about applying.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Join us for a virtual information session focused on our Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs. This event offers prospective doctoral students the opportunity to learn more about pathways to careers in public health leadership, research, and academia.
Come meet our faculty, hear from current students, and discover what’s possible with a doctoral degree from Rutgers School of Public Health!
SEAA is excited to be hosting 100+ student initiatives this academic year, starting with 25+ September Welcome Week events to students prepare for success, learn about student support and well-being services, acclimate to the SPH landscape, and connect with peers, faculty, and staff as we begin the new semester!
Students, faculty, and staff can learn more about these events through the SPH Student Connect and SPH Career & Practice Connect Canvas Calendars.
This year will mark SEAA's fifth year of implementing Wellness Phirst, an innovative, one-of-a-kind wellness rewards and leadership development program for School of Public Health students. At its core, Wellness PHirstis a mission to embed wellness practices into the fabric of the Rutgers School of Public Health student experience. The Wellness PHirst program is designed and implemented by SEAA staff Claire Brown, Samantha Gonnelli, and Victoria Rivera.
Through the Wellness PHirst rewards program, each month throughout the academic year, Rutgers School of Public Health students have the opportunity to participate in activities and events centered around themes of wellness and to earn rewards through the Wellness Winners program. Students can view program details and get started earning Wellness Wins by visiting the SPH Wellness PHirst Connect Canvas page.
To help Wellness PHirst thrive, Wellness PHirst Ambassadors work directly with SEAA to facilitate student support and mentorship services, help incoming students navigate the wellness resources available within the School and across campus, and co-lead and co-create engaging student programming. Features of this year's cohort of Wellness PHirst Ambassadors are coming soon!
Rutgers School of Public Health swag is now available at R House! For questions or more information about the collection, contact connect@shoprhouse.com
Rutgers School of Public Health’s Mitchel Rosen Receives APHA Lifetime Achievement Award
Mitchel A. Rosen, professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice and director of the Center for Public Health Workforce Development at the Rutgers School of Public Health, has been named a recipient of the Alice Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Public Health Association’s Occupational Health and Safety Section.
The award recognizes people who have spent their careers improving the health and safety of workers. Named for Alice Hamilton, widely considered the founder of occupational health in the United States, the award honors a lifetime of service, science, and advocacy on behalf of working people.
For Rosen, this work has been going on for nearly four decades.
Since 1988, he has managed training for more than 1 million workers in occupational safety and health, environmental health, and public health education. At Rutgers, he has helped build programs that prepare workers, first responders, public health professionals, and others to address the hazards they face on the job—and to meet new public health challenges as they emerge.
“I have focused on bringing students to workplaces so that they see and understand how workers are impacted by their work,” said Rosen. “Alice Hamilton conducted site visits over 100 years ago to understand exposures, and I find it a big part of my work now. So, to receive the Alice Hamilton Award from the Occupational Health and Safety Section of APHA is an incredible honor.”
Rosen’s work has covered a lot of ground.
Hazardous materials, emergency preparedness, workplace safety, environmental health, disaster response, and public health workforce development.
The Center for Public Health Workforce Development, which he leads, also provides training in areas ranging from OSHA standards and hazardous waste to heat illness prevention, respiratory protection, asbestos and lead safety, mental health and resiliency, and other workplace health issues.
But much of Rosen’s career has focused on something fairly straightforward: making sure training actually helps people at work.
Rosen will be honored at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA's) Annual Meeting.
The APHA noted Rosen’s longstanding commitment to worker health and safety through service, partnership, and mentorship, as well as the reach of the programs he has built and led over the course of his career.
Rosen will receive the Alice Hamilton Award alongside Katherine Kirkland, DrPH, longtime executive director of the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. Both will be honored during APHA’s 154th Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place November 1–4, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, will receive an honorary doctorate from the Department of Public Health Policy at the School of Public Health at the University of West Attica in Athens, Greece.
The Rutgers School of Public Health honors the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and the first responders, recovery workers, and volunteers who answered the call.
September 11 is a day of remembrance and, in public health, a reminder that our work isn’t finished. We honor the victims and the heroes who spent months at Ground Zero. We remember those we’ve lost in the years since to 9/11-related cancers and illnesses, and we stand with those still fighting them.
Their health is why we do this work, and we’ll keep doing it. Learn more below.
Instructors with the Rutgers Center for Public Health Workforce Development share their memories from the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Hispanic Heritage Month
During National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Rutgers School of Public Health proudly honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities.
Our greatest strength as a school is the diversity of our people, experiences, and perspectives. It is through this diversity — and our shared commitment to service, scholarship, and community — that we continue to advance our mission to improve health and achieve health equity for all.
Hear from members of our community below.
Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, MD, MPH
“At the Rutgers School of Public Health, we are proud of the many Hispanic and Latino students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners whose work advances research, education, practice, and policy to improve the health of our communities.”
"Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate our communities, our contributions, and the perspectives we bring to public health. I am committed to mentoring students and helping them recognize that their experiences and perspectives are strengths that can shape the future of public health.”
— Zorimar Rivera Núñez, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Michelle M. Ruidíaz-Santiago
“In public health, we know that strong communities are key to health and well-being. By celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the strengths that sustain our communities and the partnerships that help create opportunities for all of us to thrive.”
— Michelle Ruidiaz-Santiago, Executive Assistant, Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy
Bryan Balarezo, BS
“For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a reminder that many of us come from the same communities we aim to serve. Let us take those experiences and combine them with our education, research, and passion to create change that prevents health inequities.”
— Bryan Balarezo, BS, Master of Public Health Student, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Impactful Programs
Global Learning
📍Athens | Delphi | Nafplio, Greece
This summer, Rutgers School of Public Health traveled to Greece for the global course, Food and the Mediterranean Culture, developed in partnership with Harokopio University of Athens. Through in-class lectures and experiential learning, students examined the historical, cultural, and public health dimensions of food production and consumption in the Mediterranean region, including:
Touring a museum, a wheat processing facility, and an artisanal bottarga producer
Walking the “Footsteps of Socrates” above Athens
Taking a lesson on modern Mediterranean cooking techniques
Exploring the Ancient Agora and a traditional open-air market
Connecting with local organizations, includingΠρώτα το Παιδί - Children First and the Prolepsis Institute
Attending a sports nutrition lecture at the Panathenaic Stadium
This summer, 51 high school students from across New Jersey spent a week at the School learning the fundamentals of epidemiology from the people who do it for a living.
PHocus — Public Health: Outbreaks, Communities, and Urban Studies — is the Rutgers School of Public Health's summer program for students in grades 9 through 12. The 2026 session ran July 27 to 31, led by Laura E. Liang, DrPH, senior associate dean for academic affairs, and Artrice M. Roman, program coordinator in the Office for Community Engagement and Public Health Practice, with faculty and staff from across the School and five current MPH students.
Meet Lindsey Luper!
One Student’s Journey from a High School Summer Program to Graduate School
Eight years after participating in PHocus, Lindsey Luper is a master of public health student at the Rutgers School of Public Health, concentrating in social and behavioral health sciences.
In 2018, Lindsey Luper was a high school student interested in science and health, but she didn’t know much about public health.
Then one of her teachers told her about PHocus. Short for Public Health: Outbreaks, Communities, and Urban Studies, PHocus is a summer experience program for high school students offered through the Rutgers School of Public Health.
Luper signed up. Over the course of the program, she met Rutgers faculty and health professionals, visited various community organizations, learned about topics ranging from epidemiology to health communication, and started to see just how many different careers could fall under the public health umbrella.
She still remembers an activity from the last day of the program. Students used chalk to write what they had learned outside the school.
Luper’s group wrote four words: “Public health is everywhere.”
Over the summer, Luper was back at PHocus, this time as a graduate student, helping high school students explore some of the same questions she had been asking in 2018.
Luper shared how her understanding of public health has changed since high school, what shaped her interests along the way, and what she hopes today’s PHocus students gain from their experience.
Zachary M. Ehrlich, DrPH '25, MPH, REHS, is featured in the National Environmental Health Association’s (NEHA) Member Spotlight in the July/August 2026 Journal of Environmental Health.
A public health planner at the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services with 12 years in environmental health, Ehrlich reflects on his path into the field and on the doctorate he calls his proudest accomplishment.
Earning my DrPH affirmed that my voice, experiences, and perspective belong in public health leadership.
The Rutgers University Foundation runs a marketplace directory of businesses owned by Rutgers graduates — searchable by industry, state, and country, and filterable to Black-owned, Latinx-owned, LGBTQ+-owned, veteran-owned, woman-owned, and School of Public Health alumni-owned! Browse it, or add your own.
This September, co-leaders of the newly formed Rutgers Health Institute for Scientific Excellence in Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Well-Being (RISES), directed by Tamara Taggart, PhD, MPH, Perry N. Halkitis Endowed Chair for Advancing LGBTQ+ Public Health and associate professor, came together at the Rutgers School of Public Health for the Fall 2026 RISES Hub Meeting.
The meeting marked a first step in building and launching a new collective at Rutgers focused on advancing sexual and gender minority health and well-being, made possible by the generous support of James F. Dougherty and Rutgers Health.
The group reflected on the Institute’s progress, reviewed and refined its strategic plan, and identified priorities and opportunities for the next 1–2 years. Co-leaders also discussed the upcoming pilot award program, including mentor roles and application review, and continued planning for the Institute’s launch event and website.
The Institute's mission is to partner with sexual and gender minority communities across the lifespan to co-create evidence-based solutions that transform health systems, advance policy solutions, and improve health. Through scientific inquiry, culturally responsive clinical practices, and innovative interdisciplinary training programs, the Institute strives to create a society in which every individual and community can flourish.
Tamara Taggart, PhD, MPH
Director, Rutgers Health Institute for Scientific Excellence in Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Well-Being (RISES)
Explore Recent Publications
This section highlights select research and reports from the Rutgers School of Public Health. This is not a complete list of all faculty, staff, student, and unit publications.
Brands that market hemp-derived, intoxicating cannabinoid products are capitalizing on lack of oversight on social media platforms to reach consumers, according to Rutgers Health researchers.
Personal care products are among the largest everyday sources of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and high schoolers who follow social media influencers or watch beauty tutorials seem to use considerably more of them, according to Rutgers researchers.
A brief chat about firearm safety can sharply increase the willingness among gun owners to consider temporarily storing their firearms outside the home during times of crisis, a step that could help reduce suicide risk, according to a Rutgers-led study.
The most useful thing about a new HIV-prevention guide may be a question it never asks: Why do you want to know about pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP?
Rutgers scientists examine hormone-mimicking mycotoxins linked to corn and other grains, calling for awareness of an emerging food contaminant in the U.S.
This section highlights select media mentions from the Rutgers School of Public Health. This is not a complete list of all faculty, staff, student, and unit media mentions.
Kevin Schroth, JD, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, published a new op-ed on the FDA’s May decision to authorize two flavored e-cigarette products.
Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, PhD, MS, an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, is featured in People for her work examining ZEN exposure and maternal and child health outcomes.
As cyclosporiasis cases rose nationwide, many asked: Is it time to skip the greens? Dean Perry N. Halkitis weighed in with a clear message: "Don't panic." His advice: parasite outbreak or not, it is always good practice to wash herbs and berries thoroughly and refrigerate them properly.
Mary Hrywna, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Public Health and a founding member of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies, agreed that pouch flavors may help adult tobacco users switch from cigarettes to nicotine pouches. But Hrywna and all the experts say it should not be used by kids.
In an episode of Managed Care Cast, Dean Perry N. Halkitis discusses the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the political neglect that shaped the response to it.
Thank you for reading the Fall 2026 Edition of The Scarletter!
Do you have a story to tell, research to share, or an achievement to celebrate?
Whether you're a faculty or staff member, student, or alum, we invite all members of the Rutgers School of Public Health community to contribute to the next edition of The Scarletter.
📧 Send your submission to the school's Office of Marketing and Communication, marcom@sph.rutgers.edu.
