Purdue celebrates Public Health Graduate Program

October 29, 2015  


Mattes health

Richard Mattes, distinguished professor of nutrition science and director of the Ingestive Behavior Research Center, is director of the Public Health Graduate Program in Purdue's College of Health and Human Sciences. The college's program offers more concentrations, a greater interdisciplinary reach across campus and emphasis on research areas including disease prevention and environmental health. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — This fall, Purdue's College of Health and Human Sciences is celebrating the launch of its Public Health Graduate Program, which offers more concentrations, a greater interdisciplinary reach across campus and emphasis on research areas including disease prevention and environmental health.

"Purdue's Public Health Graduate Program offers students a comprehensive and interdisciplinary foundation while allowing students to select an area of focus from family and community health, environmental health, and health statistics," said Richard Mattes, distinguished professor of nutrition science, director of the Public Health Graduate Program and director of the Ingestive Behavior Research Center. "The program also brings together recently hired chronic disease and public health cluster faculty."

These faculty hires represent a variety of research projects including health disparities, the role of diet in prevention of chronic disease, environmental health, neurogenerative diseases, electronic exchange of health information and analytics to model for health behavior prevention and forecasting.

"The college's Public Health Graduate Program is a key initiative for our young college," said Christine Ladisch, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. "Our first step, which is expansion of the Master of Public Health degree, extends throughout campus and beyond including the Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute, as well as Purdue's Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering and Discovery Park. By strengthening and increasing the scope of our research and academic programs related to public health we are better positioning students for careers in the health sector."

The program offers an accelerated master's degree track, a standalone master's of public health and dual degree track that combines a master's of science or doctorate with a master’s of public health. The first two degree options were previously offered in the College of Health and Human Sciences, and the dual track for public health is one of the first to be offered by a Big Ten university.

The Public Health Symposium is 2-4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Ross Ade Pavilion's Shively Club South. The event is free and open to the public, and online registration is recommended. Parking will be available in the north stadium R parking lot. Purdue President Mitch Daniels will open the event, and the symposium will feature speakers on the history of public health and the current state of public health globally and nationally as well as reviews of issues related to family and community health, environmental health, and health statistics. 

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Sources: Rick Mattes, mattes@purdue.edu

Christine Ladisch, ladischc@purdue.edu  

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