Look to Michigan Public Health: 2025 year in review

December 11, 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, University of Michigan School of Public Health honors the moments that made up our year and extends deep gratitude to our community for your ongoing support. While federal priority and funding changes disrupted our work, we remain committed to our purpose: pursuing a healthier, more equitable world for all.

With our ranking as the #2 school of public health in the nation comes a responsibility that we embrace. We’re training the next generation of public health leaders and innovators. We’re establishing upstream measures to prevent suffering before it begins. We are creating the conditions to maximize human potential. When human potential is realized, fostered by excellent public health, humankind thrives.

For a healthier future in a changing world, Look to Michigan Public Health.

Leading the Way

Our committed faculty and staff power our pursuit. Leading our school is Lynda Lisabeth, an accomplished scholar and administrator, who was appointed interim dean in June.

Kelley Kidwell, an internationally recognized biostatistician, is serving as the interim associate dean for faculty affairs.
We welcomed six new faculty this fall following the addition of five new faculty in the Winter Semester.
Denise Anthony was reappointed as the Rubin Department Chair of Health Management and Policy.
April Zeoli won the university's Presidential Award for Public Engagement.
Justin Heinze was named an "Innovation Champion" by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

This year brought real challenges as funding and priorities shifted all around us, yet the Michigan Public Health community never lost sight of its mission. Every day, I am inspired by our students, faculty and staff who turn uncertainty into opportunity and setbacks into momentum. Together, we continue to ask difficult questions, find innovative solutions and push for a healthier, more equitable world. Our commitment is unwavering because the public depends on our work, and our hope for the future is grounded in the talent, resilience and compassion I see throughout our school.

-Interim Dean, Lynda Lisabeth, PhD, MPH

Interim Dean Lynda Lisabeth, smiling at the camera while standing on the stairwell of the School of Public Health front lobby — Lynda Lisabeth began serving her appointment as interim dean on June 16.

Education

Over the past year 573 students received their degrees from Michigan Public Health, including 55 doctoral students, 408 master's students and 110 undergraduate students. They have gone on to positions in industries like hospital administration, higher education, pharmaceuticals, governmental public health, and more, along with the pursuit of advanced degrees in medicine, law, and, naturally, public health to name a few.

Looking back a bit further, one year after graduation 94% of recent graduates reported having a job or pursuing an advanced degree. Our graduates remain in demand across the country and across the world.

This August we welcomed nearly 600 new students from 24 countries and 37 states and territories, along with Washington, DC. They are an endless source of curiosity, compassion, and inspiration, and are now part of our community stretching back 84 years to our founding in 1941

Graduation ceremony at Hill Auditorium with graduates in caps and gowns facing stage with faculty — The Class of 2025 was celebrated May 1 at historic Hill Auditorium.

Research

Michigan Public Health researchers advanced critical knowledge across public health this year, contributing to the university’s record $2.16 billion in research volume in FY25. Our school accounted for more than $107 million of that investment—resources that support rigorous inquiry in the health challenges facing our communities and our world.

Our faculty and students published more than 1,100 peer-reviewed articles this year, examining everything from the effects of harmful algal blooms on life expectancy with ALS to the mental health outcomes of HBCU students. They used machine learning to improve risk prediction for recurrent health events, studied biological changes in wildland firefighters that may explain increased cancer risks, examined healthcare job recovery post-pandemic, and collaborated with Apple and the World Health Organization to understand sound exposures' impact on health.

To demonstrate the real-world value of this work, we launched our Research Impact Campaign—a series of short videos showcasing how public health research creates tangible benefits for people and communities. In a time when research funding faces uncertainty, making this connection with the public has never been more important.

We also strengthened our research infrastructure this year. The Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science, and Practice expanded our capacity to address critical issues affecting families. The Center for Midlife Science was renamed the Center for Lifecourse Epidemiology and Aging Research (CLEAR) that better reflects its work across populations by age. And the Michigan Genomics Initiative, led by Michigan Public Health researchers, joined with two other health-focused initiatives at the university to become AI & Digital Health Innovation.

Through this work, our researchers remained focused on what matters most: creating knowledge that improves lives and advances health equity for all.

Jennifer Head, the John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, on the left, and student researcher Sarah Dobson working with a drone outdoors — Jennifer Head, left, the John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, and Sarah Dobson, MPH ’24, load an air filter on a drone to sample air for the fungus that causes valley fever.

Practice

Michigan Public Health faculty demonstrated an unwavering commitment to translating knowledge into real-world impact. Leading this effort, Anand Parekh returned to the school of Public Health as the inaugural chief health policy officer, bringing decades of experience in medicine, public service and policy. His role bridges academic research with policy solutions and mentorship, reflecting a vision for public health rooted in prevention, collaboration and community trust.

Faculty members’ expertise captured widespread attention, with over 10,000 media mentions amplifying voices on urgent public health topics—such as Kate Bauer’s evidence-based response to proposed SNAP restrictions and Michael Shepard’s insights on Medicaid cuts. These contributions have informed public discourse and advanced equity-focused solutions.

We celebrated 16 faculty, staff and students at the annual Public Health Honors, highlighting those who “walk the walk.” Paul Fleming earned the Excellence in Practice Award for championing hands-on, equity-driven education and community-led health initiatives. Diversity efforts shone through honorees like Bambarendage Pinithi “Pini” Perera and Peter Slutzker, whose inclusive outreach and engagement set new standards for educational equity and community partnership.

Through policy leadership, media engagement, and direct community collaboration, Michigan Public Health faculty continue forging pathways toward a healthier, more equitable society: