Looking ahead to a golden era

This year marks our 40th anniversary as a program, our 25th as a school, and my 20th year as Dean. This issue explores the varied and vast contributions Rollins has made toward promoting health worldwide—both through educating students who go out and do the work of public health and through discovering solutions to public health problems.

Through the years, we have been able to recruit world-class faculty who have made crucial contributions in their fields. These professionals are committed to educating the next generation of public health leaders, and they find a receptive audience in Rollins students. With each incoming class, I find myself impressed with the talent and commitment of the students.

Rollins researchers have made great strides in discovering solutions to challenging public health issues. With our uniquely close ties to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory and Grady hospitals, and leading public health agencies in Atlanta, our findings have been quickly translated into clinical and public health practice.

These remarkable accomplishments would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the family of O. Wayne Rollins and other generous donors. The health and lives of countless people have been improved through the generosity of our supporters.

I see a bright future for our school and our profession. Public health is entering a golden era. The challenges we’ll be facing in the coming decades, including globalization, an aging population, and unsustainable health care costs, require a focus on prevention and populations. Public health is uniquely suited to play a central role in addressing these issues.

Fortunately there is a growing understanding of the profession’s importance. In the past, many people didn’t quite comprehend what public health was. The general public now understands that having a healthy population requires a broader focus on populations, behavior, and environment, in addition to caring for people who are ill. In a world facing global threats, pandemics, environmental hazards, poverty, and failing health care systems, public health offers a powerful solution.

So on the occasion of our 25th anniversary as a school and 40th as a program, I look back at all that has been accomplished with a tremendous amount of pride. Future challenges will provide us with ever greater chances to succeed.