Dean's Message

Greetings from the School of Public Health (SPH) at the UNT Health Science Center!

Have you ever stopped to think about how much the study of public health affects our world and just about everything in it – the air we breathe, the water we drink, our surroundings, and the trends that impact our health and well-being?  In short, public health makes the world we live in safer and protects the health of all of us.

Public health is all about our lives here in the North Texas area, within our state, around the country, and across the globe. It’s exciting at UNT Health Science Center to be a part of this larger effort, and our diverse faculty, students and staff are truly involved in the community, both locally and beyond, with research, collaborations and partnerships, volunteer efforts, committees and causes to help make our world a better place.

It’s interesting to note how much public health has changed our way of life over the course of the 20th century.  Just to give you a few examples, the field of public health has been instrumental in making important strides through the control of infectious disease; advances contributing to the decline in deaths from chronic diseases like coronary heart disease, cancer and stroke; efforts to address childhood obesity and the potential for diabetes; the fluoridation of drinking water, which has resulted in reduced dental cavities and tooth decay in both children and adults; factors impacting healthier mothers and babies; continued efforts toward a healthier, safer food supply; the recognition and promotion of tobacco use as a health hazard; measures creating safer vehicles and highways; safer workplaces; vaccinations; and much more.

To learn more about our programs, degree opportunities, research studies, activities and events, please feel free to explore our website.  See for yourself how public health is changing the world!

Best wishes,
Richard S. Kurz, PhD, Dean

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