Dear Colleagues,
Last week,
U.S. News & World Report ranked the Rutgers School of Public Health among the best in its discipline. I am proud to report that in the short period of time that I have been Dean, we have moved from #31 to #29 of all schools of public health, while also doubling our incoming cohort of MPH students. This is a testament to the team that we are building.
Like so many of my colleagues at partner institutions of public health, I take great pride in the accomplishments of my School; however, I ask us to pause and consider
significantly more compelling numbers:
70¢-84¢
- The amount women earn for every $1 a man earns in the U.S.
50
– The number of innocent individuals killed in their New Zealand Mosque, in part, due to anti-Muslim sentiment perpetuated by populist politico leaders.
6.3"- 8.3"
– The number of inches our oceans have risen since 1900.
69.6%
- The percent of new HIV infections in the U.S., in 2017, among gay men, who constitute a mere 3%-5% of the total population.
12-18
- The number of people an individual with measles can infect in an unvaccinated population.
9.7/1,000 live births
- The infant mortality rate for Black babies in New Jersey as compared to a 2 .6/1,000 mortality rate for white babies.
56 - The number of mass shootings in the U.S. in 2019 to date.
These figures only scratch the surface of the public health challenges that we face as a nation and as a world. While taking a moment to savor our accomplishments, I trust that as leaders of public health schools and programs, we will keep our eyes on the prize and collectively work towards a society and a system of health that is rooted in social justice and equity.
Sincerely,
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH (He/Him/His)
Dean
Professor, Biostatistics & Epidemiology/Urban-Global Public Health
Director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS)
Rutgers School of Public Health
