The Rutgers School of Public Health is proud to announce that it has established a new academic leadership team under the direction of Dean Perry N. Halkitis. Under Dean Halkitis’ guidance, the academic leadership team will work towards developing and implementing innovative programing for the School. They will focus their efforts on creating programing that is student-centered and utilizes the latest teaching practices and technologies.

Dr. Laura Liang, was appointed as the associate dean for academic affairs. In this role, she will work with faculty to develop and oversee the Rutgers curriculum and academic direction, including new courses and programs, academic policies, practice/experiential learning, and partnerships across departments, concentrations, and schools within Rutgers University. She will also oversee all collaborations with partner institutions. Dr. Liang will ensure compliance with Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) criteria regarding instructional programing; serve as the primary contact person for CEPH on annual reporting, substantive changes and accreditation; and oversee university-wide accreditation requests (e.g., Middle States) and Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) annual reporting.

Dr. Pamela Ohman-Strickland, will continue to serve as the associate dean for student affairs. In her updated role, she will oversee the office of student affairs in both the Rutgers’ New Brunswick and Newark locations. Dr. Ohman-Strickland will provide leadership for all student related matters including, advising, overseeing recruitment and admissions efforts, promoting activities that enhance student development and the quality of student life, and developing a Rutgers community.

Dr. Marian Passannante, has been appointed as the associate dean for educational program development. In this role she will oversee the development and evolution of the Rutgers’ educational programs. Namely, she will be re-envisioning online course offerings through state-of-the-art educational practices and technologies.

“The academic leadership team will move our [Rutgers] curricula forward in response to both the updated CEPH criteria and the Farming the Future document,” said Dr. Halkitis. “The team will also work to actively engage and train scholars from underrepresented and often marginalized groups with a particular emphasis on enrolling students who truly reflect the diverse population of NJ.”

Dr. Halkitis has tasked the academic leadership team with developing a revolutionary urban public health concentration with Newark, New Jersey, community partners/advocates, which will start enrolling students for the fall 2018 semester. The concentration will address social injustices, health disparities, and other social inequities that contribute to poor health outcomes. According to Dr. Halkitis, “the urban public health concentration is first and foremost for and by the people of Newark, then the state of NJ, and then the world.”