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DLSPH Open: Anniversaries, Student & Alumni Engagement, Renewing our Story

November 6/2017

Dear colleagues,

Like many of you, I’m in the midst of teaching, conferences and a slew of activities that make for a full calendar, but it’s fantastic to see members of our community coming together at our various events and celebrations. We have lots about which we should be proud.

Students are the driving force behind a number of our extracurricular activities and they demonstrated their leadership and research prowess at Research and Practice Day, and will continue to do so at the Ignite Practicum Showcase and at The Next150 student-led conference, to name a few upcoming opportunities.

In addition to strong student engagement, our alumni communities are also very active this fall. On October 24, IHPME’s Alumni Association hosted Moonshot 2017, a signature alumni networking event hosted in partnership with Health Quality Ontario, where long-serving faculty honoured the Institute’s history of impact through song, photos and story-telling. Later this month, the Public Health Alumni Association will host their annual meeting, award presentation and new alumni welcome, which is a great opportunity for all of us to connect and reconnect.

Our efforts are not going unnoticed. A few weeks ago, DLSPH was named number 13 globally by the U.S. News & World Report for Best Global Universities for Social Sciences and Public Health, up one spot from last year. This recognition is largely based on our reputation, which is built by our teachers, researchers and staff, and echoed by our students, graduates and partners. We should all take pride in our advancement in this ranking and feel reenergized to maximize the last two months of 2017.

This year also marks a number of important anniversaries for our community. It is the 100th anniversary of Connaught Laboratories (now Sanofi Pasteur Canada), the 90th anniversary of the School of Hygiene (DLSPH’s predecessor) and the 70th anniversary of the Department of Hospital Administration (IHPME’s predecessor).

Next week, our community will have another opportunity to come together at an event celebrating the history of innovation at U of T featuring an all-female panel of scientists who are narrowing the gap between research and impact, making health-care accessible to everyone, and improving health worldwide. In partnership with U of T’s Vice-President of Research and Innovation and the Faculty of Medicine, we will celebrate our contributions to the University’s innovation agenda with a panel discussion and reception at Hart House.

I encourage all members of our community to attend because it’s important for our Faculty to come together to enjoy a lecture and networking while taking stock of our achievements, and participate in a discussion around where we are going. This year is a milestone for our School’s storied history, as well as a jumping off point for our bright future.

Many of you have participated in the DLSPH Brand Exercise, and I am confident that with your input, this exercise will provide a framework for the Faculty’s story that will carry us into to the future. More to come on this, but one important take-away from the exercise is that DLSPH is a vital connector that bridges past and future; students and practice; evidence and change, and this is an important component to our narrative.

The DLSPH is entering the next 100 years as a globally recognized, top ranked school of public health with a renewed focus on improving health and advancing health systems and we will continue to have a strong impact with your continued support and engagement.

Adalsteinn Brown

Interim Dean
Dalla Lana Chair in Public Health Policy
Dalla Lana School of Public Health