As part of its annual rankings of “Best Public Health Grad Schools” nationwide, U.S. News & World Report announced today that the School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) has advanced two spots and is now #43 (of 188 schools). SPH-B’s ranking is particularly significant given the School is relatively young, having just celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and was only eligible to be considered in the rankings four years ago. The rankings are based on peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in public health.
"This news is particularly exciting given our school’s tremendous growth and success during the past year," said Dean David Allison, Ph.D. "We’ve added several esteemed leaders to our faculty team; our outstanding students continue to demonstrate creativity, ambition, and innovation; and the research and thought leadership coming from SPH-B is contributing meaningful advancements for public health."
"While rankings are just one measure of our achievements, these results are important as they are determined by our peers," added Dean Allison. "I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and I’m even more thrilled about what’s ahead for us. The best is yet to come."
This year SPH-B has demonstrated strong achievements in research and thought leadership, as well as strides in philanthropy and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. A few examples from recent months include:
Consistently receiving grants for ground-breaking research
Millions of dollars in grants have been awarded to SPH-B from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a series of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) projects to faculty in the Department of Health & Wellness Design to create widely accessible technology and tools to help Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. Dr. Kan Shao in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health has also been a recent notable grant recipient, to assess Bayesian Dose-Response Modeling System and Services with relation to toxicity levels and quality control.
Making a meaningful mark with manuscripts
Several of our faculty have been making valuable contributions to high-profile journals, such as Dr. Misty Hawkins’s collaboration with Oklahoma State University scholars on a recent publication in Psychological Science addressing research-based approaches to dealing with stigmas against parents of children with higher weight. Dr. Jon Agley in the Department of Applied Health Science was recently awarded the Clifford B. Reifler Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Journal of American College Health for his commitment to timely and collegial peer review – an important aspect of academia that is too often overlooked.
Leading with student mentorship and a commitment to diversity and inclusion
Dr. Hsien-Chang Lin was the sole awardee for this year’s American Academy of Health Behavior’s prestigious Mentorship Award, recognizing his many years of service supporting many young scholars, including junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. and graduate students. SPH-B was also pleased to recognize four students – Jade Hart, Karen Rodriguez, Ariana Smith, and Autumn Stringer – who each received the Kate Hevner Mueller Outstanding Senior Award at the annual Senior Recognition Brunch. And, Dr. Maresa Murray, in the Department of Applied Health Science, was recently granted Lifetime membership to the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family due to her tireless research and work to infuse social justice into family science.
The U.S. News and World Report recognition is a testament to the best-in-class SPH-B faculty and students who continue to advance novel, interdisciplinary research and thought leadership that can meaningfully improve public health, while also supporting a positive, diverse, and collaborative environment.