The College of Public Health has been awarded full accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health. The college is now one of 41 accredited colleges of public health in the nation and the sole accredited public health college in the University System of Georgia. It joins the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University as the only accredited colleges of public health in Georgia.
“We are proud to join such an elite group of universities,” said Phillip L. Williams, dean of the college. “With very consistent strategic support from Dr. Mace and Dr. Adams, our faculty, staff and alumni have been working towards accreditation since our creation in 2005. Earning this accreditation brings us one step closer to our goal of becoming a pre-eminent college of public health. I’m particularly proud of the work our faculty members have done to develop excellent academic programs while securing considerable funding for sponsored research.”
The need for public health education in Georgia is great, according to Williams. The average age of public health workers in the state is near 50, and the state needs more students in the pipeline to replace these workers as they enter retirement.
An accredited public health college helps to ensure that a well-trained workforce will be available to serve the people of Georgia.
At the same time, groundbreaking research is needed to help reduce high rates of premature death, infant mortality, infectious disease, heart disease and substance abuse.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the faculty of this program and Dean Williams for achieving full accreditation in record time,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “As I have said many times, the health of the public is a key mission for any land-grant institution today, and our new program in public health represents a clear commitment at UGA to this mission.
“I am particularly pleased with the rapid expansion of its enrollment and the fact that the college is already fourth among UGA’s colleges and schools in sponsored research,” Adams also said.