For more than 35 years, the USF College of Public Health (COPH) has played an active role in advancing the public’s health—at home and around the world.

On Sept. 23, Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the USF COPH, gave her 17th State of the College Address in-person and virtually to faculty, staff and administration.

“You are all stakeholders and share in what we do at the college. You make things happen here that are good for all of us, most importantly good for our communities and the students that we train, educate and inspire so that they can go out and improve the lives of people everywhere,” Petersen said. “So, I’ll start this address with a thank you for all that you do.”

Year In Review

Beginning her address, Petersen addressed many of the accomplishment the college has had over the past year. Some of these included:

• Celebrating 10 years with the USF Florida Covering Kids and Family
• Creating the Lifelong Learning Academy
• Re-imagining the undergraduate MCH pipeline program to create the MCH Scholars for Social Justice
• Piloting the COPH ambassador program and recruited the 2022/2023 cohort
• Teaching 81,211student contact hours, up 2.8% over the prior year
• Returning to in-person events

Our People

Emphasizing that people are at the center of public health, Petersen led her presentation with the introduction of new faculty and staff. She also recognized those who have received awards or been acknowledged for achievements. In the last year at the college:

• Dean Donna Petersen was named chief health officer and interim associate vice provost of student health and wellness at USF.
• Dr. Tricia Penniecook was named interim vice president of the USF Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office.
• Fifty new faculty and staff were welcomed and the college saw six faculty promotions.
• Eleven COPH staffers were recognized with USF Outstanding Staff and USF COPH Outstanding Staff Awards.
• Thirteen faculty members were applauded for the awards and recognitions they received, both within the college and outside of it.
• Drs. Katherine Drabiak and Alison Oberne were awarded the Cliff Blair Award for Excellence in Teaching.
• CDR Lane Vause and Dr. Lynette Menezes were honored with USF COPH Outstanding Alumni Awards.

Strategic Plan

This past year the college has been active in building up its strategic plan to advance the public’s health by developing a diverse population of public health leaders through education, research and practice.

The five pillars of the strategic plan are below:

• Our people
  • Embrace an inclusive and diverse community where differences in age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnicity, professional experience, religious preference or other characteristics are valued.
  • Foster a community with a sense of belonging and connectedness among all faculty, staff, students and alumni.
  • Provide opportunities for all to thrive in their professional pursuits.
• Learning & Teaching
  • Lead in the delivery of an innovative and cutting-edge curricula for academic excellence and lifelong learning.
• Community Connections
  • Enhance community connections for multi-disciplinary outreach, education, advocacy and research.
  • Serve as a premier institution in promoting public health system capacity locally, statewide, nationally and internationally.
• Discovery & Dissemination
  • Engage in evidence-based scientific inquiry to generate new knowledge that benefits the public’s health.
  • Translate and disseminate research findings to impact and improve health outcomes for all groups.
• Structure & Sustainability
  • Create a forward-thinking academic infrastructure.
  • Develop and maintain financial practices that ensure the sustainability of the college.
  • Ensure our physical and technological infrastructures provide an optimal environment for working and learning.
  • Provide a communication infrastructure that enhances, promotes and sustains success, which fosters the recognition of the college nationally.

Looking Ahead

“Again, we had a fabulous year thanks to all of you and your contributions to the college,” Petersen said. “We are very excited for the upcoming year!”

Looking toward the future, the college plans to:

• Continue to innovate in curricula, teaching methods
  • Stacked credits
  • Plug-in modules 
• Continue to recruit outstanding faculty
  • Nutrition, disaster management, global health practice
• Engage more intentionally with our community
  • Build a truly responsive hub
• Support the research enterprise
  • As active research grows, grow the PhD program

Link to view the full USF College of Public Health State of the College Address here.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health