VISION 2027 STRATEGIC PLAN
In fall 2021, the School of Public Health embarked on an ambitious strategic planning process. A task force of faculty, staff and external partners led the School of Public Health in a participatory process that engaged stakeholder groups at each step along the way. The result was the Vision 2027 Strategic Plan, which includes four strategic goals and several related priority initiatives.
Adopted in fall 2022, the Vision 2027 Strategic Plan is guiding our school’s continued growth and work to advance health equity and solve contemporary and emerging health issues through education, research and community engagement. In fall 2023, notations were added to the Vision 2027 Strategic Plan to indicate areas of alignment with GSU’s Blueprint to 2033 Strategic Plan.
Vision 2027 Goals & Progress
SPH Goal 1: Become a national leader in educating and preparing the next generation of public health professionals and leaders to advance health equity.
- Blueprint Pillar 1: Identity, Placemaking and Belonging
- Blueprint Pillar 3: Student Success 2.0
- Blueprint Pillar 4: Beyond College to Career
SPH Priority Initiatives:
- Ensure that the curriculum across all public health academic degree programs promotes inclusivity and equity to eliminate health disparities. (Blueprint Pillar 3, Goal 1)
- 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)
- Support student success by investing in faculty development to improve teaching and mentoring. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)
- 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)
SPH Goal 2: Expand interdisciplinary and applied research to address current and future public health challenges.
- Blueprint Pillar 2: Innovating Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity
Priority Initiatives:
- Strengthen the human, technological, and financial infrastructure to support current and future research. (Blueprint Pillar 2, Goal 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)
- 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)
SPH Goal 3: Build and support sustainable teaching and research partnerships with communities and organizations to advance the SPH mission.
- Blueprint Pillar 1: Identity, Placemaking and Belonging
- Blueprint Pillar 4: Beyond College to Career
Priority Initiatives:
- 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)
- Expand partnerships that strengthen student training and education in global health and equity. (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 3)
- Identify and promote opportunities for international collaboration with global partners (e.g., Fulbright, WHO, CARE, World Affairs Council.). (Blueprint Pillar 4, Goal 3)
- 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)
SPH Goal 4: Ensure operational excellence and organizational exceptionalism throughout SPH.
- Blueprint Pillar 1: Identity, Placemaking and Belonging
- Blueprint Pillar 3: Student Success 2.0
SPH Priority Initiatives:
- Cultivate, nurture, and institutionalize a culture of belonging and inclusion across our work environment. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goals 1 and 2)
- Promote career development that ensures faculty and staff success, retention, and growth. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
- Ensure the breadth and diversity of faculty and staff necessary to underpin the school’s success. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 3)
- Serve as the destination of choice for students seeking an affordable and meaningful public health education. (Blueprint Pillar 1, Goal 1)
- 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)
*indicates progress noted in more than one area of the report
Dean Rodney Lyn
One year after the launch of our ambitious Vision 2027 Strategic Plan, the School of Public Health has made significant progress toward each of its broad goals. Through our actions and initiatives, the SPH’s leadership team, faculty and staff are positioning our school for even higher levels of excellence and impact as we work to advance health equity.
Our Vision 2027 Strategic Plan is the product of an iterative and inclusive process through which faculty, staff, students and external stakeholders worked together to assess opportunities for growth and to define a shared vision for the school’s future. It predates the GSU Blueprint to 2033 Strategic Plan, but—not surprisingly—has many similarities. The Year 1 Progress Report on the Vision 2027 Strategic Plan highlights the many steps that our school has taken to advance its strategic goals and also underscores areas of alignment with the Blueprint to 2033.
The fall 2022 launch of the Office of Applied Practice Experiences and Career Services, for example, helps position our school as a national leader in educating and preparing the next generation of public health professionals while also supporting the student success pillar of the Blueprint to 2033. The recent appointment of Dr. Sarah McCool as the school’s Director of Global Health Initiatives will facilitate research partnerships while also expanding learning opportunities for students. And last year’s launch of the Coffee and Connections networking events and Grand Rounds Lecture Series help support the identity, placemaking and belonging pillar of the Blueprint to 2033 as well as the SPH’s operational excellence and inclusion goals.
You’ll find many other examples of strategic growth in this progress report, and I intend to share additional updates and reports with you in the years to come. Multi-year strategic plans can seem daunting in their scope and ambition, but our school is proving that a concerted and sustained effort can significantly enhance the learning experience we provide to students as well as the reach and impact of our research and engagement, both locally and globally.
As you review this progress report, please think about ways that we can build on our momentum and continue to advance the goals that our school has defined for itself. I’m proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to making continued progress in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Rodney Lyn, Ph.D., M.S.
Dean and Professor
Fall 2022 Dean's Message
Public Health at Georgia State University has grown rapidly over the years. Since our first cohort of graduate certificate students in 2002, we have developed into a fully accredited school, offering a full complement of degree programs. Our growing enrollment has now surpassed 900 students, with a network of over 1,700 alumni serving their communities through research, education, and practice at public health institutions and agencies, nationally and around the globe. We are expanding our global reach through research collaborations and study abroad programs with partners in countries such as Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
The School of Public Health’s research impact includes prolific scholarship by our internationally recognized faculty and a record-breaking $21 million in sponsored funding this past fiscal year. We have research expertise and community-based interventions focused on chronic disease and determinants; infectious disease; urban environment and urban health; substance use and mental health; and tobacco prevention and control. The School of Public Health houses the Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, a university-level research center dedicated to preventing child maltreatment, reducing family violence, and improving the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have recently established a Prevention Research Center aimed at eliminating health disparities of the refugee, immigrant, and migrant community in Clarkston, Georgia. The growth and success of the School of Public Health reflects the incredible talent and commitment of our students, faculty, and staff, the investment and guidance of our board of advisors, and the joint efforts and support of our community partners. As we continue to recruit extraordinary talent and to cultivate new partnerships locally and globally, we find inspiration and enthusiasm in imagining the future of our school and what we can achieve together.
In fall 2021, we embarked on a strategic planning process. A task force of faculty, staff, and external partners led the School of Public Health in a participatory process that engaged stakeholder groups at each step along the way. Over the last academic year, our diverse community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners has come together to name the shared values that define us. We believe health is a human right. Our vision and mission are rooted in our commitment to health equity. We appreciate and respect all aspects of diversity. We champion equity, inclusion, and social justice. In a collective voice, we have declared this is who we are; this is what we value; and this is where we are going. We believe the School of Public Health is poised to become a premier urban school of public health, solving contemporary and emerging public health challenges through interdisciplinary and applied research. A national leader in health equity education and the destination of choice for students, nationally and internationally. This is the future we have collectively envisioned for the School of Public Health, and we are committed to realizing it together.
We proudly present the School of Public Health Strategic Plan. Guiding our school’s continued growth over the next five years, this plan details our efforts to expand our reach and impact, to tell our story, and to engage those who share our values, vision, and mission. Successful implementation of our strategic plan will be a joint initiative drawing upon the expertise, ingenuity, and passion across our school. We are grateful for the countless contributions of time and energy that have led to the development of this plan, and we are excited to begin this work together.
Our Mission:
To be a premier urban school of public health, dedicated to advancing health equity and solving contemporary and emerging health issues through education, research, and community engagement.
Our Vision:
To achieve health equity through principled leadership in research, training, and practice—locally, nationally, and globally.
Our Values:
Faculty, staff, students, and graduates of the School of Public Health embrace and incorporate these core principles, beliefs, and priorities across our work:
- Promoting health as a human right
- Respecting and appreciating all aspects of diversity
- Championing equity, inclusion, and social justice
- Sustaining and safeguarding healthy environments
- Operating with integrity, accountability, and transparency
- Ensuring education and research improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities
Process
This plan provides strategic direction for the School of Public Health through 2027. It is the culminating product of a multi-phase, inclusive, and participatory process led by a specially convened task force of SPH faculty, staff, and external partners with guidance from a team of expert consultants. Planning commenced with an assessment of the school’s current strengths and weaknesses, as well as potential opportunities and threats, through a SWOT analysis. The School of Public Health community and its many constituents were surveyed, and university and public health leaders participated in key informant interviews. At a school-wide, day-long retreat, faculty and staff gathered to review assessment findings and engage in a collaborative visioning process, charting the course for the next phase of work. On this foundation, the task force launched an iterative process to identify and articulate the school’s mission, vision, values, strategic goals, and priority initiatives. Through faculty and staff participation on task force subcommittees and in a series of school-wide forums, feedback from faculty and staff across the school informed this process, resulting in a completed plan that reflects the collective vision and efforts of the school. Although the planning phase has concluded, the school will continue to seek input as the plan is implemented and progress is tracked. The School of Public Health is committed to regularly assessing and adapting this plan to meet the evolving needs of the communities it serves.
Timeline
Fall 2021
Creation of strategic planning task force. SPH community provides input through SWOT analysis and key informant interviews. Faculty and staff gather for all-day retreat.
Spring 2022
Task force leads iterative process, informed by faculty and staff feedback, to identify and articulate the school’s mission, vision, values, strategic goals, and priority initiatives.
Summer 2022
School of Public Health leadership develops implementation plan and identifies key performance indicators to monitor progress.
Fall 2022
School of Public Health adopts and disseminates strategic plan.
Taskforce
Collins Airhihenbuwa
(Task Force Chair), Professor, Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences
Heather Bradley
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences
Emily Graybill
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences
Director of the Center for Leadership in Disability
Harry Heiman
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences
Dr.P.H. Program Director
Rosemarie Henson
Member, School of Public Health Board of Advisors
Chief of Staff, Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Network, Emory Global Health Institute
Courtney Jones
Senior Training Specialist, National SafeCare Training and Research Center
Katherine Masyn
Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences
Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs
Karen Nielsen
Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences
Kim Ramsey-White
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Lisa Waddell
Chief Medical Officer, CDC Foundation
Jyll Walsh
Program Manager, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia
Consultants
Ken Bernhardt
Regents’ Professor of Marketing Emeritus, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University
Ian Lapp
Provost, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Ed Baker
Expert in Residence, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University
Valerie Hepburn
Retired President and Faculty Member, College of Coastal Georgia
Historical Milestones for Public Health at Georgia State University
- 2002 – Graduate Certificate in Public Health launched
- 2004 – Master of Public Health program launched
- 2007 – MPH degree program initially accredited
- 2011 – Doctor of Philosophy program launched
- 2012 – MPH program re-accredited
- 2012 – Public Health becomes standalone institute at GSU
- 2013 – School of Public Health established
- 2013 – MPH/Juris Doctor program launched
- 2016 – School of Public Health initially accredited
- 2016 – Bachelor of Science program launched
- 2017 – MPH/PhD Community Psychology program launched
- 2018 – Doctor of Public Health program launched
- 2021 – Maternal and Child Health Graduate Certificate launched
- 2021 – School of Public Health re-accredited
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Mailing Addresses
School of Public Health
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3995
Atlanta, GA 30302-3995
Express & Overnight Mailing
Name of Faculty or Staff
School of Public Health
Georgia State University
140 Decatur Street - Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30303