Message from the Dean
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| Dr. Tom Chandler |
As we come to the end of another academic year here at the Arnold School, I
can look back with pride on the accomplishments of everyone involved in our
school. It has been a very exciting year for me as interim dean. I have learned
much about the roles and responsibilities of being a dean here at the University
of South Carolina, and I have enjoyed my time thus far leading the school to new
heights. We are on track to meet or exceed our outstanding external funding
accomplishments of FY 07, with many truly remarkable projects being funded by
the NIH, NSF, EPA, CDC, DOD and other agencies in a time of ever declining
federal resources for research.
The search for a new dean is in full swing with the search committee bringing
in three potential candidates so far this year. Each of the applicants has a
unique set of strengths, and the choice of a new dean will take time, effort and
careful consideration. Fortunately we have a very capable search committee
chaired by Russ Pate, Associate Vice-President for Health Sciences. Selecting a
permanent dean will be a difficult decision, but one critical to the future
direction of the school.
In addition to searching for new leadership, faculty and staff in the school
have been creating both graduate and undergraduate programs to meet the needs of
the public health workforce. Taking aim at an alarming shortage of trained
public health professionals, they have rewritten a master's degree program to
meet the needs of students and practitioners already on the job.
According to Dr. Greg Hand, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, "Less than
five percent of the people practicing public health in South Carolina have an
educational background in public health."
In response , the school is now offering a strengthened version of its master
of public health in general public health degree. We are also offering graduate
education programs for the employees at the NOAA Center for Coastal
Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research lab in Charleston via a new
memorandum of agreement between NOAA and USC.
In addition to the new graduate degree offerings, we have also developed and
received approval for both a BS and a BA undergraduate degree in public health.
These degrees will serve to prepare undergraduates for future graduate work and
careers in public health research, medicine, nursing, health administration,
health education and health policy.
And last, but certainly not least, our faculty and staff have worked very
hard this spring to make a number of important findings that will ultimately
improve the lives of numerous people in South Carolina and the world. I hope
that you will enjoy reading this issue of HealthBeat to see some examples of the
kinds of issues we have been tackling here in the Arnold School. Thank you all
for your continuing support! Go GameCocks!!
-- G. Thomas Chandler
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