Message from the Chair

These are especially exciting times for the newly established Department of Global and Environmental Health, which evolved from the School’s Program in Global and Environmental Public Health. The unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change over the past few years were transformative. We have been the fastest growing concentration within the School and have the highest enrollment figures, making up approximately 30% of the student body.

This rapid growth in our student body reflects the enormous need for public health professionals knowledgeable in the fields of global health and environmental health. We seek to train future leaders in global and environmental health. Our Department offers three Masters of Public Health tracks: Global Health MPH, online Global Health MPH, and Environmental Public Health MPH. Students embark on a rigorous academic journey, immersing themselves in comprehensive coursework that deepens their knowledge base and equips them with invaluable applied practice skills. Moreover, they learn to design and implement data-driven interventions and benefit from one-on-one mentorship with our faculty. 

In recent years, our students have completed summer internships at numerous organizations, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN World Food Programme, New York State Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and a multitude of other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and regional and local health agencies in this country and abroad. 

Some of our faculty are also pursuing research in key areas such as infectious diseases transmission, climate change, AIDS, smoking cessation, sickle cell disease, and mental health. Others work in settings where they provide important policy advice related to organization and management of health systems, pandemic preparedness and response, and environmental hazards. We are committed to growing our faculty in the next few years and anticipate providing even greater contributions to our field.