Building a healthier future: The Joint School of Public Health and National Public Health Week
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Every April, people across the country celebrate National Public Health Week, a time to recognize the contributions of public health professionals and to highlight the challenges and opportunities these professionals and the communities they serve collectively address.
This year, National Public Health Week (April 7-13, 2025) carries special significance in Hampton Roads thanks to the establishment of the Joint School of Public Health, a partnership between Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University.
The Joint School of Public Health, the first school of its kind in Virginia, offers a unique educational experience that combines hands-on learning, research opportunities and community engagement to prepare students for careers in public health, healthcare systems, government, military service and beyond. The school is part of the newly formed Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University — the largest, most comprehensive academic health sciences center in Virginia.
"This is a historic moment for ODU, NSU and the broader Hampton Roads community,” said Li-Wu Chen, Ph.D., founding dean of the Joint School of Public Health. “We are excited to offer students, faculty and community stakeholders expanded and enriched opportunities under the umbrella of a forward-thinking, collaborative joint school that brings together the expertise from partner institutions with a history of exceptional public health education, research and community engagement.”
The need for this kind of innovation is clear. According to the Virginia Community Health Assessment, the Hampton Roads region faces significant health gaps, including high rates of avoidable hospitalizations, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, firearm-related injuries and poor maternal and child health outcomes.
By emphasizing a holistic and preventive approach to health, the school aims to transform public health education, foster innovative research and drive proactive community engagement.
According to Dean Chen, the Joint School of Public Health represents “a new standard for inter-institutional collaboration.”
“The school fosters an environment where students, faculty and researchers can collaborate across disciplines to develop groundbreaking public health solutions,” he explained. “As we observe National Public Health Week, the launch of the Joint School of Public Health serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when institutions, communities and visionaries come together to address pressing public health challenges for a healthier future.”
Academic programs include undergraduate degrees in Public Health, Environmental Health and Health Services Administration, as well as graduate-level programs in Public Health, Healthcare Administration and Health Services Research. Certificate programs are also available in Occupational Safety, Applied Data Science, Epidemiology, Global Health and Healthcare Management.
Look for an expanded interview with Dean Chen later this spring in Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University magazine and on Pulse.