Students:
- Holistic admissions process: ensures all factors are considered in viewing an applicant, not just the traditional empirical data (e.g., GPA assessment devoid of examining underlying factors that lead to this performance metric).
- Pipeline programs and partnerships: Each fall semester, the Graduate Programs has enrolled 1-2 students through the Can-Achieve network partnership in China. The partnership was extended in 2018 to include all graduate degree programs (master's and doctoral).
Additional international partnerships have been established with Mexico (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, INSP) and Colombia (Instituto Nacional de Salud, INS) and currently serve as an exchange of public health applied practice/field experiences.
- Scholarship program (2020-2021): Offers up to 25% tuition coverage for the cost of the program to full-time enrolled students in the MPH and MSPH degree programs.
- SOPHAS application fee waiver (2020): New initiative to curtail the overall cost of the degree by reimbursing the $50 SOPHAS application fee to all applicants who are accepted and matriculate in the MPH or MSPH programs.
- Resiliency scholarship (2021): first-ever full tuition scholarship targeting students who have overcome tremendous life challenges, but who are well-prepared for graduate public health training.
- Admissions Information Open House Sessions/All About Series information sessions: Faculty, staff, current students and alumni participate in the events helping to introduce the Graduate Programs and provide diverse perspectives to prospective applicants.
- MS Prevention Science and Community Health scholarship: Offers all incoming students a $7,500 scholarship award.
- MS in Biostatistics scholarship (Fall 2021): Beginning in Fall 2021, the MS Biostatistics program will also offer all incoming students a $7,500 scholarship award.
- MS Climate and Health scholarship: Offers a half tuition scholarship for the entire duration of the program. MS Climate and Health students assist an assigned faculty member in his/her research and/or teaching and related activities for up to 15 hours per week.
- Florida Education Fund McKnight Fellowship program: The University of Miami is one of nine universities in the State of Florida participating in the Florida Education Fund McKnight Fellowship program. The McKnight Fellowship program is designed to address the under-representation of Black/African-American and Hispanic faculty at colleges and universities in the State of Florida by increasing the pool of citizens qualified with PhD degrees to teach at the university level.
The Epidemiology and Prevention Science and Community Health PhD programs have included six McKnight fellows since 2014.
- UMMSOM Office of Graduate Studies Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF): The Department of Public Health Sciences joined the program as a participating department in 2020. To date, the Department has mentored one fellow, with the participation of Dr. David Lee.
Additional Department faculty have contributed to the program since 2018 with group presentations on research education, ethics and career development sessions.
- UMMSOM Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement: Graduate students are invited to participate in the student programming offered by this office, as well as take advantage of the many resources provided.
- Outreach to underrepresented MD applicants: In order to introduce those not earning a post in the MD program to possible health professional and career alternatives, the Graduate Programs reaches out to underrepresented minority applicants and offers to provide them with more in-depth information regarding the public health programs. A number have continued to pursue medical school after completing the public health graduate program.
- University of Miami partnerships: The Graduate Programs Office of Admissions works with the University of Miami Office of Pre-Health Advising and Mentoring, the Toppel Career Center and the School of Nursing and Health Studies to identify students who may be interested in pursuing a graduate degree in public health at the University of Miami. The Office of Admissions participates in presentations, class discussions and events to introduce public health as a career choice and to serve as a resource for the University undergraduate population.
- Program curriculum: The curricula for the Graduate Programs degree programs provide students with exposure to cultural diversity. Select examples include the following: EPH 653 Leading Change in Public Health, EPH 607 Interdisciplinary Health Communication, EPH 617 Introduction to Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, EPH 620 Health Education and Behavior, EPH 652 Health Policy, EPH 646 Determinants of Health and Health Disparities Across the Life Course, EPH 646 Climate and Health, and EPH 679 Learning Collaboratory.
- MPH applied practice/field experience: Students have the opportunity, through their MPH applied practice/field experience, to engage with agencies and community organizations (local, national and international) and an opportunity for building competency in diversity and recognizing sociocultural factors and cultural considerations.
- Guest lectures and invited speakers: Guest lecturers and invited speakers present diverse community perspectives and reflect the Program's intent to demonstrate the value of cultural competence and appreciation of diversity.
- Events: In alignment with the program's value of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect (to promote and celebrate individual and collective distinctions among our students, faculty, staff and community partners), the Graduate Programs has supported, promoted and hosted social and cultural exchange events initiated by program staff and various student groups.
- One Name, One Story, One U event (Fall 2020): inclusion event for faculty, staff and students to promote a sense of belonging and connection during a remote/virtual semester. Faculty, staff and students were invited to utilize storytelling as a way to connect with each other and to share their background and personal journey.
- Student organizations: The Graduate Programs has created and supported student organizations, which provide a platform for students to hold conversations on diversity and inclusion and engage in community service. These organizations include: Delta Omega Honor Society, Public Health Student Association (PHSA), Department of Community Services (DOCS), Wellness Advisory Council, MedicOUT, and Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA).
Faculty:
- Statement of Commitment: The Department published a Statement of Commitment endorsing the statements from the APHA and the ASPPH on a call to action, challenging the structures that support racism and discrimination in schools and communities, inviting into focused dialogue and advocacy that will lead to meaningful change in policy and every day practice.
- Online ULearn diversity and inclusion trainings: Faculty and staff completed two online (ULearn) training programs in 2020 addressing issues that impact diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
- Additional University diversity initiatives: Faculty and staff who completed the required ULearn online training programs were eligible to participate in additional University diversity initiatives, including a training session that explored concepts such as unconscious bias and micro-aggressions through a diversity interactive theatre program. As of January 2021, approximately 20 faculty and staff members from the Department have completed the interactive theatre training.
- University of Miami Office of Institutional Culture One Book, One U program: In line with the University President's 15-point action plan, this program was expanded, and events were scheduled throughout the year, including a reflective session guided by the Office of Institutional Culture and Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement for the Department of Public Health Sciences (faculty, staff and students were all invited to participate and provided a free copy of the text). The Department reflective session in Fall 2020 was well attended, with 31 faculty, staff and public health student participants.
- UMMSOM Task Force on Racial Justice: Numerous Department faculty, staff and students serve on five of the seven sub-committees comprising the Task Force on Racial Justice including 6 staff members from the Graduate Programs, 1 staff member from the Department Division of Biostatistics, 4 faculty members from the Department and 7 students from the MPH and MD/MPH programs.
The Department also completed the Faculty Affairs Subcommittee of the Task Force on Racial Justice survey in June 2021. The objective of the survey is to perform an inventory of appointed faculty members leading the diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as support for this role, in the departments at UMMSOM.
- Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement: The office is led by Dr. Roderick King, MD, MPH, the Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, Director of the MD/MPH Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences.
- UMMSOM Women in Academic Medicine (WIAM): Faculty members teaching in the Graduate Programs are active participants in the WIAM program, including service and advisory board members (Drs. Viviana Horigian, Ami Raval and JoNell Potter).
- Diversity recruitment plan for faculty/leadership and staff positions: The DPHS plan employs a multi-level approach starting with the composition of the position announcement. Best practices suggest that more broadly worded position announcements attract a more diverse applicant pool versus announcements that seek highly focused skill sets. Position announcements will also provide signals of the Department and University's commitment to diversity by referencing the ongoing efforts of the Dean's Diversity Council and Task Force for Racial Justice.
This commitment to diversity will also be signaled to potential applicants by asking each applicant to submit a statement about their past contributions to diversity and their anticipated contributions to our institutional and program values. Standing recruitment committees for faculty/leadership positions will be racially and ethnically diverse and will be balanced with respect to gender. Continued membership on DPHS faculty/leadership and staff recruitment committees includes a commitment to taking advantage of ongoing diversity training opportunities offered at the UMMSOM. Commitment to the standing committees for faculty/leadership will be for two-years to allow for continuity.
- Guest lectures and invited speakers: Guest lecturers and invited speakers present diverse community perspectives and reflect the Program's intent to demonstrate the value of cultural competence and appreciation of diversity.
- Events: In alignment with the program's value of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect (to promote and celebrate individual and collective distinctions among our students, faculty, staff and community partners), the Graduate Programs has supported, promoted and hosted social and cultural exchange events initiated by program staff and various student groups.
- One Name, One Story, One U event (Fall 2020): inclusion event for faculty, staff and students to promote a sense of belonging and connection during a remote/virtual semester. Faculty, staff and students were invited to utilize storytelling as a way to connect with each other and to share their background and personal journey.
Staff:
- Online ULearn diversity and inclusion trainings: Faculty and staff completed two online (ULearn) training programs in 2020 addressing issues that impact diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
- Additional University diversity initiatives: Faculty and staff who completed the required ULearn online training programs were eligible to participate in additional University diversity initiatives, including a training session that explored concepts such as unconscious bias and micro-aggressions through a diversity interactive theatre program. As of January 2021, approximately 20 faculty and staff members from the Department have completed the interactive theatre training.
- University of Miami Office of Institutional Culture One Book, One U program: In line with the University President's 15-point action plan, this program was expanded, and events were scheduled throughout the year, including a reflective session guided by the Office of Institutional Culture and Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement for the Department of Public Health Sciences (faculty, staff and students were all invited to participate and provided a free copy of the text). The Department reflective session in Fall 2020 was well attended, with 31 faculty, staff and public health student participants.
- UMMSOM Task Force on Racial Justice: Numerous Department faculty, staff and students serve on five of the seven sub-committees comprising the Task Force on Racial Justice including 6 staff members from the Graduate Programs, 1 staff member from the Department Division of Biostatistics, 4 faculty members from the Department and 7 students from the MPH and MD/MPH programs.
- Diversity recruitment plan for faculty/leadership and staff positions: The DPHS plan employs a multi-level approach starting with the composition of the position announcement. Best practices suggest that more broadly worded position announcements attract a more diverse applicant pool versus announcements that seek highly focused skill sets. Position announcements will also provide signals of the Department and University's commitment to diversity by referencing the ongoing efforts of the Dean's Diversity Council and Task Force for Racial Justice.
This commitment to diversity will also be signaled to potential applicants by asking each applicant to submit a statement about their past contributions to diversity and their anticipated contributions to our institutional and program values. Standing recruitment committees for faculty/leadership positions will be racially and ethnically diverse and will be balanced with respect to gender. Continued membership on DPHS faculty/leadership and staff recruitment committees includes a commitment to taking advantage of ongoing diversity training opportunities offered at the UMMSOM. Commitment to the standing committees for faculty/leadership will be for two-years to allow for continuity.
- Guest lectures and invited speakers: Guest lecturers and invited speakers present diverse community perspectives and reflect the Program's intent to demonstrate the value of cultural competence and appreciation of diversity.
- Events: In alignment with the program's value of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect (to promote and celebrate individual and collective distinctions among our students, faculty, staff and community partners), the Graduate Programs has supported, promoted and hosted social and cultural exchange events initiated by program staff and various student groups.
- One Name, One Story, One U event (Fall 2020): inclusion event for faculty, staff and students to promote a sense of belonging and connection during a remote/virtual semester. Faculty, staff and students were invited to utilize storytelling as a way to connect with each other and to share their background and personal journey.