Welcome from the dean

I am honored to be the dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Here, we offer advanced degrees in the diverse field of public health including behavior sciences, genetics, and health care management.

Our diverse graduates are professional and innovative leaders of population health programs in universities, the private sector, and government organizations in Texas and across the nation. We are continually challenging ourselves to expand the educational mission to meet the growing demands of the workforce, and to expand our repertoire of excellence to lead the ever-changing field of health care.

Public health is a science that works with people and entire communities to keep them healthy by preventing disease and ensuring better health care outcomes. It is is also a profession. By offering degree paths and programs that cater to both aspects of public health, we are able to improve the health of Texas and Texans — something our faculty and students have been doing for over 50 years.

But the way we think about and understand public health is changing. We know that a person’s lifestyle, neighborhood, relationships, habits, and behaviors can dramatically impact their ability to cultivate and maintain good health. We know that these factors are deeply interconnected, and addressing only one piece of the puzzle is no longer a sustainable solution for our communities.

We have to think—and act—bigger and bolder. 

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has always been a convening agent. Our six campuses span and impact one of the most geographically and demographically diverse states in the U.S., and each of those campuses serves as a catalyst and conduit connecting people, agencies and organizations for better health outcomes for the populations that we serve.

As we move forward into the next 50 years, our focus will shift towards the pursuit of population health—a science that emphasizes the intersection of health, policy, industry and systems design. At the center of this shift is a greater emphasis on collaboration across sectors, powered by continued excellence in research, teaching, and relationship-building. 

I am the luckiest person on earth to have the privilege to work with so many varied, interesting, competent, and smart people. I look forward to working with you to achieve important and shared goals.

Thank you, and I hope you stay healthy.

 Eric Boerwinkle, PhD