Strategic Plan

• Blueprint Pillar 1: Identity, Placemaking and Belonging
• Blueprint Pillar 3: Student Success 2.0
• Blueprint Pillar 4: Beyond College to Career

SPH Priority Initiatives:

1. Ensure that the curriculum across all public health academic degree programs promotes inclusivity and equity to eliminate health disparities. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 1)
2. Provide support for students at all degree levels for experiential learning and applied research aligned with the Georgia State University “College to Career” initiative. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2)
3. Support student success by investing in faculty development to improve teaching and mentoring. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 1)
4. Create impactful marketing and branding that amplify the many research and field-based opportunities for students and partners to improve health conditions and outcomes. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)

 Year 1 Progress:

• Models for curriculum reviews have been explored, and faculty who teach core courses in the School of Public Health will provide feedback in Fall 2023. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 1)
• The Office of Applied Practice Experiences and Career Services (APECS) was launched in Fall 2022 and is exploring new opportunities to facilitate applied research and field-based experiences for students. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2)
• A search for an additional Applied Practice Coordinator in the Office of Applied Practice Experiences and Career Services is under way.^* (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2)
• The Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences hosted a mentorship workshop in Spring 2023 that was open to all SPH faculty. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
• A Universal Design for Learning training for SPH faculty is scheduled for Fall 2023. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 1)
• Print and digital recruitment materials—including a redesigned School of Public Health website and a student recruitment video—were rolled out during the 2022 – 2023 academic year. A Communications Specialist was hired to enhance the school’s digital presence to enhance student recruitment and engagement.^* (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)

Year 2 Progress:

• SPH has created additional faculty leadership appointments for each academic department to direct the individual degree programs and provide additional guidance and resources to students. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 2)
• SPH has created new BSPH concentrations to generate additional interest in our programs and better position students for career success. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 1)
• A Graduate Certificate in Applied Biostatistics is scheduled for launch in Fall 2025 (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goals 1 and 2)
• Continued investment in the newly established Office of Applied Practice Experience and Career Services, including staff expansion and the acquisition of a new software platform, 12twenty, to increase engagement with alumni. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2)
• Through a partnership with the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, SPH has hosted workshops for faculty and graduate students. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
• With support from the Office of the Provost and the Graduate School, the SPH launched a digital marketing campaign that generated nearly 1,400 leads and 303 applications from prospective students. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)
• The School of Public Health held a series of professional and career development events for students in April 2024 to mark National Public Health Week (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 1)
• SPH has been awarded an NIH T32 grant to train doctoral students in research on alcohol misuse and violence, which often intersect and disproportionately affect minoritized populations. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)*
• The newly created Postdoctoral Mentorship in Global Tobacco Research program provides opportunities for up to 12 MPH students to gain applied practice experiences under the mentorship of international scholars. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 1)

• Blueprint Pillar 2: Innovating Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

Priority Initiatives:

1. Strengthen the human, technological, and financial infrastructure to support current and future research. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
2. Create an interdisciplinary research center to support the school’s mission to be leader in health equity training and research. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 1)
3. Advance research targeted to eliminating health disparities. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)

Year 1 Progress:

• In the 2022 – 2023 academic year, SPH Human Resources and Office of Research and Sponsored Projects staff attended workshops focused on career development and best practices. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
• A search for a founding Director of the Center for Health Equity was launched in spring 2023. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
• Several individual faculty members received funding for research targeted toward eliminating health disparities, and a large, multi-investigator project proposal to the CDC for the Prevention Research Center is currently under review. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
• The SPH held its inaugural Research Day conference in April 2022. The annual event is a venue for sharing faculty and student research, as well as a forum for students to present their research. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
• The Grand Rounds Lecture Series, which brings nationally recognized thought leaders to campus, launched in Fall 2022 to foster connections within and beyond the SPH. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)

Year 2 Progress:

• In FY24, SPH earned $18.8 million in external sponsored funding, the second highest total in the school’s history. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 1)
• SPH has been awarded a new cycle of grant funding to support the Prevention Research Center’s work in Clarkston, Ga. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 1)
• SPH began a monthly Works in Progress series as an opportunity for faculty to receive feedback from their peers on the development of grant proposals. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 1)
• SPH has been awarded an NIH T32 grant to train doctoral students in research on alcohol misuse and violence. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)
• The establishment of a Distinguished Scholar position in the Center for Leadership in Disability will support the center’s mission in perpetuity. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 1)

• Blueprint Pillar 1: Identity, Placemaking and Belonging
• Blueprint Pillar 4: Beyond College to Career

Priority Initiatives:

1. Identify new and expand existing partnerships with communities and community-based organizations in Atlanta that provide opportunities for applied research and field-based placements for students. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2)
2. Expand partnerships that strengthen student training and education in global health and equity. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 3)
3. Identify and promote opportunities for international collaboration with global partners (e.g., Fulbright, WHO, CARE, World Affairs Council.). (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 3)
4. Promote faculty and staff work with partners and community stakeholders (e.g., university service, board membership, volunteerism, continuing education). (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)

Year 1 Progress:

• The Office of Applied Practice Experiences and Career Services (APECS) is exploring new opportunities to facilitate applied research and field-based experiences for students. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2)
• FY 23 Funding from the Women’s Philanthropy Network has enabled the SPH to continue its EMPOWER (Engaging Multidisciplinary Professional Opportunities for Women in Environmental Research) program. Through the program, SPH students and faculty provide Atlanta-area high school teachers and students from underrepresented groups with a four-week summer research experience. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2 and Pillar 1, Goal 1)
• SPH faculty and leadership have explored research partnerships with other campus units at Georgia State, with Atlanta-based global organizations and with institutions of higher education in Brazil, Mongolia and South Africa. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goals 2 and 3)
• Clinical Associate Professor Sarah McCool has been appointed Director of Global Health Initiatives, a new leadership position reporting to the Dean. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goals 2 and 3)

Year 2 Progress:

• SPH has earned funding to support global health initiatives focused on global tobacco control and environmental health research in Brazil. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 3)
• Through NIH funding and additional support from the GSU Women’s Philanthropy Network, SPH has expanded its EMPOWER (Engaging Multidisciplinary Professional Opportunities for Women in Environmental Research) Program to foster greater diversity in environmental health research by building relationships with underserved high schools in metro Atlanta. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 2 and Pillar 1, Goal 1)
• SPH has been awarded a new cycle of grant funding to support the Prevention Research Center’s work in Clarkston, Ga. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 1)*
• The SPH enhanced support for global partnerships through a new Global Health Initiatives Grants Program for faculty. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 2)

• Blueprint Pillar 1: Identity, Placemaking and Belonging

SPH Priority Initiatives:

1. Cultivate, nurture, and institutionalize a culture of belonging and inclusion across our work environment. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goals 1 and 2)
2. Promote career development that ensures faculty and staff success, retention, and growth. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
3. Ensure the breadth and expertise of faculty and staff necessary to underpin the school’s success. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
4. Serve as the destination of choice for students seeking an affordable and meaningful public health education. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)
5. Secure and sustain internal and external funding necessary to support institutional priorities and to expand the school’s reach and impact. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)

Year 1 Progress:

• Regular Coffee and Connections networking events, as well as a year-end faculty-staff appreciation event, were launched in the 2022-2023 academic year. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goals 1 and 2)
• In Fiscal Year 2023, School of Public Health funds were strategically allocated toward staff development. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)
• The SPH launched an Enrollment Task Force in Spring 2023 to support the recruitment and retention of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 3)
• The SPH streamlined the MPH admissions process for students earning certificate programs in the school to eliminate application cost as a barrier to enrollment. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 3)
• Building on the success and popularity of the 2021 launch of the online Health Promotion and Behavior MPH concentration, the SPH secured strategic course redesign funding to increase the number of fully online MPH concentrations. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 3)
• The SPH is exploring the creation of a Pathway Program at Perimeter College to facilitate and increase student enrollment in BSPH program. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1 and Pillar 3, Goal 1)
• Growth in the number of Board of Advisors members has helped connect the SPH with a wider range of expertise and support. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)
• The SPH launched its inaugural Celebrating Student Excellence Ceremony in April 2022. The donor appreciation and student recognition event highlights the role that private support plays in transforming the lives of students. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 2)
• FY 23 private support has increased the number of scholarships for study abroad and expanded the capacity of units such as the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)
• Funds were strategically allocated in FY23 to add an FTE in human resources to facilitate the timely recruitment, onboarding and retention of faculty and staff. An FTE was added in APECS to enhance student support*, and an FTE was added in Communications to boost the school’s digital presence to enhance student recruitment and engagement*. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)
• Working with the GSU Police Department, the school’s facilities team conducted a building audit and invested in several new measures to enhance building safety and security. Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)

Year 2 Progress:

• Over the past year, SPH has significantly increased its investment in staff development. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 2)
• SPH established a new leadership position of Faculty Development Associate to lead the development and implementation of a faculty mentoring program. Initial work has already included an assessment of faculty needs and several training workshops. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
• To enhance a sense of placemaking and belonging across the school community, SPH has hosted a variety of workshops, including trainings for faculty on Universal Design for Learning and workshops for faculty and staff on strategies for navigating conflict on campus, and a workshop for faculty and graduate students. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
• The SPH held a series of events in 2023 for faculty, staff, students and alumni to recognize the 10^th anniversary of its founding (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)

*indicates progress noted in more than one area of the report