Dear Alumni and Friends,
Our second year as the Department of International Health and Sustainable Development (IHSD) has brought good news on many fronts.
On the academic front, our PhD program continues to thrive and excel. Since its inception as a stand-alone program in Fall 2022, the program has built on the strong foundations established by our origins in prior departments. Our recent graduates have successfully ventured into diverse career paths, securing prestigious positions in academia (e.g., Aga Khan University in Pakistan) and the field (e.g., FHI 360, World Health Organization). Last fall, the department, along with Program Director Paul Hutchinson, PhD, enthusiastically welcomed our first cohort of five talented students. Highlighting the caliber of our applicants, three of these students secured the highly prestigious Dean's Research Council scholarships, showcasing their exceptional potential.
The PhD program's popularity remains high, as evidenced by the surge in applications this year. In fact, IHSD secured the second-highest number of applications among all PhD programs in the school for this admissions cycle. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of another remarkable cohort of new students, who will join our vibrant academic community in the upcoming fall semester.
This spring, we introduced the foundational course "Sustainable Human Development: Theory and Practice," co-created and co-taught by Julie Hernandez, PhD (IHSD), and Dauphine Sloan, PhD (Department of Political Science). This interdisciplinary course, which enrolls students from both public health and political science, delves holistically into the concept of sustainable human development, exploring its origins, evolution, and implementation while emphasizing its aim to enhance quality of life for all without jeopardizing future generations' needs.
In the MPH program, we continue to be amazed by our stellar students, many of whom have provided outstanding contributions to the department, the school, and the community in New Orleans and globally, while maintaining excellent academic records. One of these students, Layla Babahaji, is featured in this newsletter. Our recent graduates have also been successful in getting jobs in the field. For example, one of our graduates is leading educational programs at Planned Parenthood of the Gulf South and another is a country communication program officer at JSI.
Under the leadership of MPH Program Director Eva Silvestre, PhD we are working to develop several new certificate programs in collaboration with other departments in the school that will strengthen our ability to equip students with the analytical skills needed in the rapidly changing global health job market.
We also welcomed the first cohort of medical students enrolled in our new MD/MPH program. This dual degree program arms medical students at Tulane with public health knowledge and skills that can enhance their ability to care for their patients and communities and increase their career opportunities. Olivia French, a member of this cohort, recently received a DeBakey Scholars award to conduct reproductive health research in Thailand. She will work on this project under the guidance of our vice-chair Mai Do, MD for the next four years.
Meanwhile, our sponsored research portfolio keeps growing. Our faculty have won highly competitive grants and contracts in several areas, including: food security, nutrition, and resilience; mental health of immigrant populations; and family planning. In addition, the Center for Reproductive Health Policy and Programs, currently in the Department of Health Policy and Management, will move to IHSD starting on July 1. The center, led by Jane Bertrand, PhD aims to increase access to quality reproductive health services in low- and middle-income countries, in close collaboration with governments, non-governmental organizations, communities, and other stakeholders.
This newsletter shares a selection of updates and stories on research and people in IHSD. We hope you enjoy reading about what we’ve been up to, and please be in touch with your news!
David Hotchkiss, PhD
Professor and Chair
Mai Do, MD, DrPH
Associate Professor and Vice Chair
