Inaugural cohort of the MPH in Black Health program graduates
July 2/2025
DLSPH’s inaugural cohort of the MPH in Black Health program graduates this spring after two years in this one-of-a-kind program.
By Bonnie O’Sullivan
It is a milestone that Prof. Roberta Timothy, Director and Creator of the MPH in Black Health program, and the first cohort of graduating students will never forget. The inaugural cohort of graduates walked across the stage at Convocation Hall on June 4, prepared to improve the health outcomes of Black patients here and abroad with their specialized education earned over the course of two years. These new alumni made history, having graduated from the world’s first MPH in Black Health program.
“I felt like our Ancestors were crying, shouting, dancing and singing as I greeted the graduates on stage at convocation, for this dream was finally realized,” says Timothy.
Left to right: Adrianna Perryman, Josh Pratt, Tiya Samuel, Asli Nur, Simone Blais, MPH in Black Health Program Director Roberta Timothy, Amani Chabikuli, and Osatohanwe (Joanne) Okungbowa. (Photo credit: Asli Nur)
Having welcomed the students in Fall 2023, the program addresses a need for public health education that centres on “the impact of anti-Black racism on health, maternal health, the intersectionality of Black Elders and children, inter-generational relationships and their effects on community health, wellness and healing, resilience and resistance, infectious and chronic illness prevalence and treatment within the health-care system, among others.”
Tiya Samuel, a 2025 alum, says the program has acutely changed her perspective. “I’ve learned so much from Black literature, theory, and scholarship – things I wasn’t exposed to in previous academic spaces – and it has completely shifted how I understand public health.”
For Samuel, the MPH in Black Health program brought her closer to her career’s mission. “Throughout this journey, I’ve felt deeply connected to the work and to the goal of seeing my community thrive, and that connection is something that will stay with me forever.”
This first graduating cohort represents diverse backgrounds and disciplines. “They are creative, analytical, kind, smart, thinkers, actualizers and doers,” describes Timothy. “The students are connected to different regions of the African Continent, African diaspora and Turtle Island (Canada) among others. Countries such as Nigeria, Trinidad, Somalia, Congo, Ethiopia, Guyana, Metis Nation and Iceland.”
Recent graduate, Asli Nur, says the program taught her to see how various systems intersect to help or hinder a community’s health. “When examining health systems, education, housing, or immigration policy, I now approach these structures as interconnected forces that profoundly impact health outcomes, often to the detriment of Black and other marginalized communities,” says Nur. “This program equipped me with the skills to prioritize lived experiences, trauma-informed care, and community knowledge in both research and practice.”
Even when they were students, this first cohort of changemakers participated in research and fieldwork to improve the lives and health outcomes within communities. Now, Timothy sees a future where these seven alumni will continue to make an impact.
“My hope for the futures of the first graduating class is that they take care of their precious, wonderful selves and that they always engage in emancipation work that brings them joy, a sense of purpose, and that the changes they are so committed to are realized for themselves, our communities, and future generations!”
Timothy adds, “Congratulations, to our inaugural cohort. You have made our Ancestors so proud! Ashe!”