In honor of its 10th anniversary, UGA’s College of Public Health will welcome students, alumni and community guests to the Health Sciences Campus Oct. 5. A full slate of afternoon events open to the public will be punctuated by a 5 p.m. program and reception at Miller Parade Grounds.
The 10th anniversary celebration will include a keynote address from Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush, as well as comments from Harrison Spencer, president of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.
Established in 2005, the college became the first accredited college of public health within the University System of Georgia and was seen as an integral piece of the state’s broader efforts to improve population health. The college began moving its various programs and departments to the Health Sciences Campus in 2012, establishing itself as that campus’s principal occupant and energizing a growing health corridor in Athens-Clarke County.
“The past 10 years have been an exciting time for public health in Georgia, and we’re pleased the college has been able to play such a strong role in changing the state for the better,” said Phillip L. Williams, founding dean of the UGA College of Public Health. “From the cutting-edge research that is improving the health and well-being of countless lives across Georgia to our work in educating the next generation of service-minded public health workers, our commitment to serving the state has remained constant throughout our 10 years. This celebration gives us the opportunity to honor the progress we’ve made as we cast a hopeful eye toward the future.”
The celebration will begin at 2 p.m. as the college’s Public Health Association hosts a question-and-answer panel discussion with Sullivan at George Hall. In partnership with UGA Press, Sullivan then will sign copies of his recent autobiography, Breaking Ground: My Life In Medicine, at 4 p.m. in Rhodes Hall.
In addition to the Oct. 5 festivities, the college is hosting a 10th anniversary lecture series throughout the fall. On Sept. 17, Ian Lapp, the associate dean for strategic educational initiatives at the Harvard School of Public Health, discussed innovations in public health education. On Sept. 24, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, talked about how the U.S. can become the “healthiest nation in one generation” as a part of UGA’s Signature Lecture Series. Michael Perri, dean of the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, will close out the series Oct. 19 when he addresses obesity in rural America at 5 p.m. in George Hall. Parking will be available in the visitor’s lot located off Foster Drive on the Health Sciences Campus.
For the 10th anniversary event on Oct. 5, registration is requested, though the event is free and open to the public. Alumni of the college are encouraged to email cphalumni@uga.edu if they plan to attend.
Visit www.publichealth.uga.edu and click on the “Upcoming Events” page for more information on all 10th anniversary events.