SPH Photo: Megan Jones

School News

SPH Snapshot: Summer Send-off

Our recap of the final campus events of the summer, including a celebration of the Student Institute for Biostatistics, a group of teen activists visit the Massachusetts State House, and the latest in our Teaching Public Health series.

Building a Diverse Biostatistics Pipeline: The Next Decade

After two decades of steady growth, the the Summer Institute in Biostatistics (SIBS) has been hailed as one of the most successful programs to encourage promising students to enter advanced study in biostatistics. Over the years, the SIBS program has been able to “shift focus from building a pipeline of future biostatisticians to expanding the diversity of future biostatisticians,” said Lisa Sullivan, associate dean for education at BUSPH, where about 90 percent of SIBS students eventually pursue graduate study in biostatistics.

To help acknowledge and celebrate the milestone, the School recently hosted “Building A Diverse Biostatistics Pipeline: The Next Decade,” a wide-ranging discussion of the past, current, and future challenges surrounding the field.

Alcohol Policy Briefing at the State House

On June 5, a group of local high school students with the nonprofit Building Up Youth joined David Jernigan, professor of health law, policy and management and assistant dean for public health practice, at the Massachusetts State House for a legislative briefing in partnership with state Rep. Tackey Chan and state Sen. John Keenan, where they shared their perspectives on the effects of alcohol and alcohol policy in their communities.

Teaching Public Health: Transforming Education for Public Health

The June 26th event marked the the sixth installment of our Teaching Public Health series, which began in 2018. This year’s discussion was cohosted with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and focused on how academic public health can act on the Framing the Future 2030 recommendations to better prepare the next generation of public health professionals.