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Schlosser Underscores Importance of Profession of Public Health

“There is nothing more important than the public health. That is what defines us, fundamentally, as a society--- the health of our children, of our families, of our friends and neighbors. We have lost sight of this basic truth,” commencement speaker Eric Schlosser, M.Litt., investigative reporter and author of the national bestsellers Fast Food Nation and Reefer Madness, told the 107 graduates assembled for the School of Public Health's May 23 commencement ceremony in Battell Chapel. Schlosser acknowledged that the concept of the public health, the public good and public service seem old- fashioned today, but argued, “I think the growing interconnectedness of the world, the growing threat of emerging diseases, and the extraordinary cost of neglecting the health of the poorest Americans will remind people of this old-fashioned ideal.”

In a speech affirming the graduates' career choice, Schlosser argued, “we need much more spending on public health, on the basic public health infrastructure of this country and those who keep it running. We need more compassion for the weak and the poor. We need more people dedicated to public service and willing to defy special interests.”

In addressing the graduates, Brian Leaderer, Ph.D., M.P.H., Susan Dwight Bliss Professor, Interim Dean of Public Health and Interim Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH), cited numerous challenges facing the public health profession, and urged graduates to “reach out to colleagues whose work involves other facets of public health and to those in other professions. Their knowledge can enrich your work and make it more comprehensive, providing an abundance of opportunity with which to confront the myriad challenges.” He told the graduates, “it is now your turn to apply and promote scientifically sound positions and judgments with passion and determination in order to meet the lingering challenges of the past and the new challenges of today.”

Reshma Trasi delivered the student address

The student address was given by Reshma Trasi, a student in the Division of Global Health, who told her classmates, “we are all part of a global community. If we have the courage and the conviction to blur or even erase the boundaries, we'll realize that we are all the same.” She urged her classmates to listen to others, arguing, “if we let other people talk, they will teach us.” Finally, she exhorted her classmates to persist in their work, saying, “as future leaders in public health, we will come across walls created by close-minded people, administrations, governments, policies and programs. Persist especially then. If enough of us persistently push against those walls, they will crumble.”

Several departmental awards were presented at the ceremony. The Award for Excellence in Teaching was given to Elizabeth Bradley, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Public Health in the Division of Health Policy and Administration. Dean's Prizes for Outstanding M.P.H. Thesis were given to Lisa DiFedele for Immune Responses to Hookworm Infection in Latin America, Farnoosh Hashemian for War and Chemical Attack: Anxiety, Depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Civilians of Northwestern Iran, Asa Margolis for Replicative Capacity and Resistance of HIV-1 Inhibitors, and Bonnie Gould Rothberg for Tuberous Sclerosis Natural History: The PLANETS Cohort.

The Henry J. Chauncey, Jr. Inspiration Award was given to Emy Schwimmer, and Courtlandt Van Rensselaer Creed Awards were given to Anika Hines and Edward Magee. The Wilbur G. Downs International Health Prize was given to Anna Beitin.

Following the presentation of awards, Dean Leaderer presented diplomas to the graduates, and recognized EPH's 13 Ph.D. and 4 M.S. in Biostatistics graduates, who received their degrees from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

–Story by Christy Gordon