IHSD Newsletter: 2025

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Greetings from New Orleans. We hope you all are doing well, wherever you are.

In this period of unprecedented change in global health, we know that many of you, our valued alumni, have been personally affected by the recent federal funding changes. Throughout the winter and spring, many experienced job losses, and more than 5,300 grants and contracts worth $27 billion globally were affected. IHSD as a department lost several USAID projects, significantly impacting our sponsored research programs. Despite being disruptive, these changes represent a transformative opportunity, accelerating the "localization" trends that were already underway in global health and creating greater space for the sustainable, collaborative partnerships that Tulane has long practiced. Our strong ties with universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, and elsewhere position us as natural partners for locally led initiatives.

In this context, we are pleased to share several significant achievements that demonstrate our department's continued strength and forward momentum. This year's highlights include major research breakthroughs, innovative educational programs, celebrations of distinguished faculty, as well as advocacy activities.

Research

We are actively working to adapt to the evolving global health landscape by diversifying our sponsored research portfolio and exploring partnerships with private foundations and other funding sources. We are excited that Associate Professor Julie Hernandez, PhD, has been awarded an $18 million grant from the Fonds National REDD+ and the Central African Forest Initiative, with support from the Norwegian government, to continue scaling up access to family planning in the DRC. This project marks a major expansion of work Tulane first launched six years ago in partnership with local Ministry of Health programs. The innovative model mobilizes young, locally trained health professionals to provide family planning services in their own communities. Since its launch, the approach has reached more than 850,000 clients from 2019 to 2023, working with more than 150 nursing schools in the region. As Dr. Hernandez notes, "Family planning is one of the simplest and most effective anti-poverty tools we have in global health."

Academic programs

We are also thrilled to launch an innovative, online Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program in Leadership for International Health and Sustainable Development. This significant IHSD milestone addresses a growing need to support the training of top-level managers who can apply research skills to shape global health policies and lead innovative projects in low- and middle-income countries. Under the direction of Associate Professor Mai Do, MD, DrPH, the part-time program features flexible online coursework that accommodates mid-level, working professionals across time zones, real-world case studies, and learning from our world-renowned faculty with decades of experience across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and beyond.

We are excited to welcome an inaugural cohort of ten professionals to the program this fall, selected from a large pool of highly qualified applicants. Check the department’s website for more information about this program.

Faculty celebration

We are pleased to recognize two of our most distinguished colleagues who have made remarkable contributions to our department and to public health education over the decades. Jane Bertrand, PhD, MBA  has been appointed as an Emerita Professor, a well-deserved recognition of her academic excellence and service. As many of you know, Jane has been an integral member of the Tulane community since the 1970s and played an instrumental role in developing our international health program.

We are also immensely proud to celebrate Emeritus Professor Bill Bertrand, PhD, on receiving the ASPPH Welch-Rose Award for Distinction in Public Health. This prestigious honor reflects the highest standards of leadership and scholarship in public health and recognizes Bill's remarkable, lifelong contributions to improving the health of populations globally. Like Jane, Bill has been with Tulane since the 1970s, and together their visionary leadership and commitment have helped shape generations of public health professionals and researchers.

Advocacy

We stand with our alumni and friends during these challenging times. Our faculty and staff have taken part in a number of efforts to advocate for continued support for foreign aid and international development, from writing op-eds to participating in hearings and providing testimonials. The “Mission in Action” piece in this newsletter is another example of how our faculty used scientific evidence to advocate for systematic changes.

The remainder of this newsletter shares updates and stories on research, faculty, and students in IHSD. We hope you enjoy reading about our activities and stay in touch with your news!

David Hotchkiss (Chair)

Mai Do (Vice Chair)