Spring 2021

Health for all

HOW CAN WE TREAT THE DISEASE OF DISCRIMINATION? Rollins researchers are studying the health outcomes associated with various forms as racism along with interventions to begin to dismantle the scaffolding of white supremacy.

Illustration of a black woman standing and holding a sign reading "Black Lives Matter" in front of an urban mural

Keeping an Alaskan legacy safe

The Iditarod, already known as one of the most complicated sporting events in the world, got a lot more complicated this year due to COVID-19. Dr. Jodie Guest, vice chair of epidemiology, designed and led the protocol to manage that particular obstacle as the 2021 Iditarod COVID-19 Czar.

Emory researcher Dr. Jodi Guest stands in the snow, wearing a parka and face covering, surrounded by sled dogs and gear.

One in eight Americans have been infected with COVID-19

In a first-of-its-kind nationwide survey, Rollins researchers found that one in eight residents of the US—more than 39 million people—had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by the end of October 2020.

Illustration of a man isolated from others by a coronavirus shaped spotlight

Features

Not a moment but a movement

Whether the current focus on racism as a public health crisis will be a temporary uptick or a sustained push depends largely on the people now enrolled in public health graduate schools across the country. They are the next generation of scientists and practitioners who will do much of the heavy lifting required to disassemble the systems and structures that have supported racism for centuries. If talking to a few such Rollins students is any indication, they are up for the challenge.

Portrait of Izraelle McKinnon, smiling and leaning back against a brightly colored mural in dappled shade

Anti-racist agenda

The killing of George Floyd brought the horror of racism into sharper focus across the nation. Even institutions that have striven to promote social justice and equity within their walls recognized they were being called to do more. Rollins is no exception.

Illustration of diverse faces, in the style of a wall mural

Under new leadership

Rollins named three new department chairs in 2020. The fact that, after nationwide searches, two of the new department heads came from within Rollins’ own ranks speaks to the depth and breadth of talent within the school, according to Dean James Curran. The third, coming from another institution, has had close professional ties with Rollins for years. Meet our new leaders:

Going their own way

Keisha (Edwards) Hunt, Taroub Harb Faramand, Kelvin Brown, Meaghan Kennedy, and Elizabeth Sprouse all went through Rollins at different times. They studied different subjects in different departments. But they have one thing in common. They all started their own businesses. Read their stories.