Message from Dean Coben: Celebrating the School of Public Health's 10-year anniversary
Dear Colleagues,
It’s amazing what can be accomplished in 10 years. It may seem like a long time, but in the context of higher education—and considering West Virginia University turned 155 years old earlier this year—10 years isn’t a lot of time. Yet, we made every year count. This week, on Oct. 25-28, we’ll celebrate the many ways we’ve made those years count, and I hope you will join us.
We’ve come a long way since 2012, when we welcomed 179 students into the School’s three graduate degree programs, alongside 13 new faculty members. Guided by the leadership of interim founding dean of the School of Public Health, Dr. Alan Ducatman, we were well on our way to shaping future public health leaders as the first new school to be created at WVU in more than 50 years.
Since that time, we’ve earned accreditation—and reaccreditation—from the Council on Education for Public Health, making us the only fully accredited public health school in West Virginia. We’ve launched two new undergraduate and four new graduate programs; established the first and only public health and general preventive medicine residency program in the Appalachian region; partnered to establish the first Academic Health Department in West Virginia; invested in the overall student experience by expanding our student affairs team and programming; and graduated hundreds of new alumni, equipped with unparalleled training and ready to make an impact in public health.
That barely skims the surface of what we’ve accomplished as a school. More importantly, it provides only a peripheral glimpse of the village that made it all happen. From our partners across the Health Sciences and throughout the university to our many collaborators in the community and supporters at the local, state and federal levels, we wouldn’t be where we are today without our collective village. And at the heart of that village is you. Each faculty and staff member, past and present, who has invested in the lives of our students and advanced the knowledge base of public health through scientific discovery. You’ve maintained our school’s momentum, propelling us forward with purpose every year.
Please join us Oct. 25-28 as we take time to acknowledge and celebrate the progress we’ve made. Our celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 25), as President Gordon Gee, Chancellor and Executive Dean Clay Marsh and many others help us kick off the festivities. You can learn more about our Anniversary Kickoff and panel discussion here and the remainder of our celebration events on this page.
Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do to propel us forward as we continue to serve our students and advance the mission of our school and land-grant university. I look forward to what the next decade will bring. Let’s go!
With gratitude,
Jeff
/ Jeffrey H. Coben, MD
Associate Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, School of Public Health
West Virginia University