Public Health Matters The Magazine | Fall 2025

College of Public Health

Public Health Matters The Magazine Fall 2025

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 1

FROM THE

DEAN Greetings, “Our practice is our passion” is more than the COPH’s tagline. It is our mantra.

For more than 40 years, the COPH has led the state in preparing the next generation of public heath professionals. In fact, workforce development is in our mandate, given when the legislature established us as the first public health college in Florida.

As a college, we’ve been assessing the areas in which we think we are having disproportionate impact.

These include: (1) maternal, child and women’s health; (2) disaster preparedness, emergency management, injury, occupational risks and health resilience; (3) infectious diseases, global health and emerging threats; (4) genomics, data science, artificial intelligence and precision public health; (5) community engagement, health equity and health policy; and (6) workforce development and innovative education.

College of Public Health students, alumni and employees share a passion for service in these and other areas, and are committed to regional and global collaboration. We believe that every person deserves access to quality public health services and health care.

Faculty and staff are the architects and stewards of the college’s vision. Students are the principal constituents we are privileged to serve. Alumni are the college’s vision realized. The community at large is the benefactor of our (employees, students and alumni) collective research, service and practice.

Progress comes from listening, learning and working together across disciplines and within communities. So, thank you for listening to our stories in Public Health Matters The Magazine and collaborating with us to improve the public’s health.

Because of you we continue to be the highest ranked public health program in Florida, with ambition to be with the top schools in the nation.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely

Sten H. Vermund, MD, PhD Dean, USF College of Public Health

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Dr. Sten Vermund PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 3

Public Health Matters The Magazine Managing editor

Deputy editor

Lead designer

Creative assistant

Natalie Preston

James Taylor

Writers

Caitlin Keough

Abeja Castro

Liz Bannon David Brothers Dr. Jaime Corvin Caitlin Keough

Kurt Loft Patricia Roque Molly Urnek Dr. Sten Vermund

Photo credits

Cover designers

Special thanks

Proofreaders

Dr. Phil and Jean Amuso Nicole Kenna Caitlin Keough Hailee White Jared Hoffman Jennifer Lewis Dr. Karen Liller Dr. Christine McGuire-Wolfe Dr. Kristi Miley Zack Murray Dr. Michael Perry Natalie Preston Dr. Thomas Unnasch Dr. Sten Vermund Dr. Deanna Wathington Dr. Ronee Wilson College of Public Health University of South Florida USF Health

About the cover: Public health perseveres as a beacon of hope, making life better for populations around the globe.

Subscribe to USF COPH News

Beth Ahmedic Jay Evans David Hogeboom Kiley Mallard Dr. Donna Petersen

Cody Hawley Kurt Loft

Public Health Matters.

Connect with us: Bluesky@usfcoph.bsky.social Facebook@USF College of Public Health Instagram@usfcoph LinkedIn@South Florida College of Public Health X@usfcoph

© University of South Florida, 2025.

Public Health Matters The Magazine is published and distributed annually.

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Table of contents 34-37

A new generation of lab directors

4-5

Table of contents

38-41

Association of Public Health Laboratories Fellows advancing zoonotic disease research

6-7

College of Public Health historical milestones

42-45

Launching undergraduate careers into orbit

An idea whose time has come

46-49

Public health researchers fight diseases on a global scale

18-19

Six things to know about Dean Sten Vermund

50-53

Strengthening communities across Florida

20-21

College leadership team

54-57

Securing the future of public health through certification

22-23

Bold alumni

58-59

Fall 2025 enrollment snapshot

24-25

Learning beyond the classroom

60-61

Paying it forward one public health student at a time

26-27

Students abroad

62

Funding priorities

28-29

A global student body

63

40th anniversary

30-33

Research centers tackle the big health questions

2-3

From the dean

8-17

Photo courtesy of Zack Murray.

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COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

HISTORICAL MILESTONES

1980s • Founded in statute as the first school of public health in the State of Florida1 • Named Dr. Peter Levin as founding dean2 • Earned a provisional accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health

1990s • Founded the COPH Alumni Society

• Installed Dr. Larry Branch as the third dean of the college

• Hosted the first Social Marketing Conference

• Named Dr. Donna Petersen as dean. During her tenure she became the longest serving dean at USF and the COPH5

• Completed construction of the COPH building. Celebrated with a topping off party4

• Graduated the first MPH student, Barbara Glisson

• Drove anti-tobacco efforts in Florida to strengthen the Clean Indoor Air Act

• Established the Public Health Student Association

• Named Dr. Charles S. Mahan as the second dean of the college

• Presented the first Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health Award to Flora Mae Wellings

• Launched the Public Health Leadership Institute

• Established the Florida Health Information Center and Healthy Beginnings Program • Hosted Florida Governor Lawton Chiles for the Delta Omega charter ceremony3

• Offered the first satellite distance learning courses to host sites • Championed bicycle helmets law for Florida children

• Approved the college’s first undergraduate minor and graduated its first cohort of students • Celebrated Dr. Rony Francois’ appointment as Florida’s Secretary of Health • Established the interdisciplinary Global Health Infectious Disease Research Laboratory • Celebrated Dr. Carol Bryant as the first COPH faculty member named Distinguished Health Professor • Introduced the DrPH degree

• The Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies was established • Formed Center for Positive Health and Center for Biological Defense

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2000s

• Established an international office in Panama • Celebrated Dr. Larry Branch as the first COPH faculty member named Distinguished University Professor

2010s • Celebrated Dr. Adelwale Troutman’s appointment as president of the American Public Health Association, the lead organization for the profession6 • Graduated the first student with a DrPH degree Dr. Nicole Johnson aka Miss America 19997 • Received the first of many federal navigator awards to insure Floridians under the Affordable Care Act

• Celebrated Shahrzad Zamani as the first undergraduate invited to present at Delta Omega’s American Public Health Association poster session • Aided the community before, during and after Hurricane Irma • Established The Activist Lab • Created the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Onchocerciasis Diagnostics • Expanded to include the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

2020s

• Celebrated the Master of Health Administration degree’s inaugural accreditation from CAHME • Awarded the first Florida-based WHO Collaborating Center for Social Marketing and Social Change to Address Non-Communicable Diseases • Presented the inaugural COPH Outstanding Alumni Award • Joined one other college in the U.S. at the time to develop an integrated master’s degree core

• Published a COPH cookbook for the 35th anniversary

• Established Salud Latina USF to combat misinformation in Spanish speaking communities around the world • Named the College of Public Health building after the late Samuel P. Bell, III9 • Welcomed Dr. Sten Vermund as the fifth dean of the college10 • Celebrated Dr. Deanna J. Wathington’s appointment as president of the American Public Health Association11 • Opened the Bulls in Health Living Learning Community • Introduced the Lifelong Learning Academy in support of continuing education • Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health awardee Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos named acting chief of staff and senior advisor in the office of the U.S. Surgeon General12

• Led campuswide COVID response efforts and was a lead contributor to local and state response plans8 • Protected campus by conducting residence hall surveillance developing a COVID check-in app • Contributed to a bill to license genetic counselors in Florida

• Launched the MSPH concentration in genetic counseling and MPH concentration in nutrition and dietetics (first in Florida to offer these degrees) • Created DrPH in laboratory science and practice and Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program

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David Brothers, photos courtesy of COPH and various faculty | October 21, 2025

An idea whose time had come

Florida’s first college of public health

Story by David Brothers. Photos courtesy of COPH and various faculty.

This story originally published on July 15, 2015 in observance of the COPH’s 30th anniversary celebration.

Original artist rendering of COPH building.

Opposite page from left: Dr. Donna Petersen, the late Robert Hamlin and the late Samuel P. Bell, III 8 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

“USF was chosen as the place for Florida’s College of Public Health,” Dr. Peter Levin wrote in 1984, “because of the broad base of knowledge found in the many colleges of the University and the unique Tampa location.”

Levin, the college’s first dean, expounded further, noting that not only faculty from the colleges of medicine and nursing, but from business, education, engineering, natural sciences and social sciences were “key to the development of the college.”

Three decades of growth and innumerable success stories later, former Fla. Rep. Samuel P. Bell, III, shed more light on the founding of COPH. Like many created entities of any kind, it all started with one person’s idea and another person’s decision to act on it.

The idea person was Robert Hamlin, a graduate of the Harvard University College of Public Health. He brought his idea to Bell, dubbed “the godfather of the college” by Charles Mahan, another founder who was COPH dean from 1995 to 2002.

“He had retired to Florida and realized that

there was not a college of public health in Florida,” Bell recalled of Hamlin. “He contacted my staff director, John Phelps, with the idea, and John and I discussed the idea and decided that we should pursue the project. When we began the effort, we discovered that there had not been a college of a public health created anywhere in the country for more than 20 years, and most emphasis was on clinical health.

“As a member of the Florida Legislature, I could see the results of public health problems – mental health issues, alcoholism, child abuse, heart attack and stroke brought on by lack of exercise and obesity, infant mortality, etc. – yet there was no focus to address these issues. In addition,” Bell said, “there was a shortage of trained public health workers as problems grew and population increased.”

Where to establish the college as a physical entity turned out to be fairly obvious. Logic dictated that the state’s first college of public health had to be part of a public university that had a medical school and was located in an urban area, and USF was the only institution in the state that met all three requirements.

“There was no bill,” Bell said of the necessary legislative action that followed. “The college was first created by a line item in the state appropriation. Of course, we had to work the proposal through the Board of Regents and the USF administration.”

All of it moved with surprising quickness and ease, he said, underscoring an idea whose time had come. Naturally, it didn’t hurt that its biggest proponent was in prime position to do it the most good.

“The college’s success must first recognize the man who made it all PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 9

to get support. After the college was initially approved, I was able to guide funding.”

If founding the college had seemed relatively easy, running it in the early days was not. Being the only college of public health in Florida created a heavy workload at the same time it underscored the demand for what a college of public health delivers.

From left: Drs. Martha Coulter, Heather Stockwell and Peter Levin, first dean of COPH possible,” said Dr. Heather Stockwell, the first faculty hire in the college’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

“Without Sam Bell,” she said, “there would be no COPH. Before our college was formed, there were no schools of public health in Florida. It was through the vision and leadership of Sam Bell that our college was formed and its funding secured in its early years so that it could grow and develop into the college we are all so proud of today!”

“Sam Bell was absolutely committed to the idea that there needed to be a strong college of public health in this state,” Dr. Martha Coulter agreed.

“He single-handedly got absolute support for us from the state legislature, so that we were not dependent completely on federal funds and training grants.”

“There was not much opposition to the effort,” Bell said. “It really flew under the radar. I was in leadership during all of this time and was chair of the appropriations committee in the House for the years 1985 through 1988, for four sessions.

Before that, I had chaired the rules committee and was majority leader, so I was in a position 10 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

The first year, Coulter and the other two faculty members in the Department of Community and Family Health traveled regularly to teach at the Florida Department of Health offices in Tallahassee and at USF-Sarasota, as well as in Tampa, said Coulter. There simply was no one else to do the job.

“Of course, this was before you could take things online,” she said, “and it certainly was a lot easier for us to go there than for all of them to come here.”

Simply finding space was another challenge.

Originally housed on the first floor of the present Continuing Education building, the fledgling college wouldn’t see its own building for another seven years.

Community and Family Health had a particularly hard time finding a permanent home, Coulter said. It would reside alongside the college’s other departments in the present Continuing Education building, then move to the first floor of the University Professional Center, then find space in the Florida Mental Health Institute (now Behavioral and Community Sciences) building.

“I had to bend my head down to get into the attic to get into my office,” recalled Dr. Paul Leaverton, first chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

“Then we took over the auditorium. It used to be a basketball auditorium – just wherever we could find room, and that was where we were ’til ’91, when we moved into this building. We kept moving around in funny little quarters, so this building was really nice – and it still is.”

A royal opening Almost everyone expects fanfare at any major debut, the opening of a new building at a major university posing no exception, but probably no one expected the kind of pomp and circumstance that played at the USF College of Public Health’s opening of its own building in 1991.

A month before the building’s official dedication, two weeks before faculty and staff even began moving in, the first lecture was delivered by a scientist, and yet the affair was literally regal.

With an entourage of attendants by her side, Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess

Chulabhorn of Thailand, a biochemist, arrived in a police-escorted motorcade of limousines to speak about her research on medicinal plants.

“Without Sam Bell there would be no COPH. Before our college was formed, there were no schools of public health in Florida.”

– Dr. Heather Stockwell Leaverton talked recently about how the building’s unusual opening came to pass.

“In the late ’80s, I had done a lot of work in Thailand with NIH and Thai scientists on the epidemiology of aplastic anemia,” Leaverton said.

Thailand had an unusually high rate of the rare but serious blood disorder, Leaverton said, and the group set out to investigate why.

COPH groundbreaking ceremony for its $10-million building PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 11

“My colleague over there was probably the top scientist in Thailand. He was a really good medical scientist,” he said, “and he was also the king’s doctor.”

The king was a believer in education, Leaverton said, and his four children eagerly shared that belief. All earned advanced degrees, and two earned doctorates. Leaverton’s Thai counterpart was a friend of Princess Chulabhorn’s, having done post-graduate work with him in Germany.

“So even though she’s a multimillionaire as the king’s daughter, they took it to heart that they should give back to the community. So she got an education in science and directs her own research institute, mostly in cancer.”

ringing, and it’s the ambassador from Thailand asking if I’d like the princess to speak at USF.” The answer was yes, and the ambassador personally flew down from Washington D.C. to make the arrangements.

“He sounded pretty upset,” Leaverton said, “but they have to handle the royal family with kid gloves. Turned out he was a wonderful man, and he came down a couple of times. We had to meet with the mayor of Tampa and the chief of police to make sure the princess got a motorcade from the airport to her hotel – she took over three floors at the new Wyndham – and from her hotel to USF and back again, no stopping at red lights.

So it was quite a show.”

“I had not met her, but I had heard of her and knew she liked to give lectures occasionally, so I asked my friend, ‘Do you think she’d ever like to give a lecture at USF?’ He said, ‘I’ll ask her.’”

“The building wasn’t scheduled to open until December, but to make her schedule, she could only come in November, so the dean opened the building just to accommodate her, which I thought was nice.”

A short time later, back at USF and ready to re-settle into his routine, Leaverton had a surprise waiting for him.

“It was a packed audience. She gave a very technical lecture that no one understood except the biochemists, but it was a big show, and we got to have lunch with the president of the university. It was a royal opening for the college.”

“The next thing I know, my phone’s

Photo credit: Adobe Stock 12 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

“When the college first opened for classes,” Leaverton said, “a few students were admitted even before the departments were created. After they were created, the departments didn’t last long initially.”

Dean Levin created the initial four of COPH’s present five departments and recruited four professors from other institutions to chair them.

Leaverton was brought in from the National Institutes of Health, and before that, the University of Iowa, to head Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Stuart Brooks would leave the University of Cincinnati to lead Environmental and Occupational Health. Dr. Stan Graven came from the University of Missouri to direct Community and Family Health. Dr. Tom Chirikos from Ohio State University would take the reins in Health Policy and Management.

“In early ’85,” Leaverton recalled, “the dean got to thinking maybe we didn’t need departments.

We could just follow what he called the Texas model – no departments, just one big happy family. But the four chairs who had been recruited to be chairmen of departments objected mightily, and besides, I tried to convince the dean, students tend to think of themselves along discipline lines anyway, whether you call them departments or not. So he relented and re-created the four departments.”

Typical of the new departments, “Epi and Biostats,” as Leaverton calls it, consisted of two people. He and Stockwell were it for the time being, but that was about to change, although maybe not as quickly as they would have liked.

“The legislature was wonderfully generous,” Leaverton said. “They gave us a lot of tenuretrack lines, almost unheard of in the creation of

a new school. As chairman of Epi and Biostats, I had six tenure-track lines. Two of them were filled by Dr. Stockwell and me, but we had to recruit for the other four.”

“The legislature was wonderfully generous.”

– The late Dr. Paul Leaverton

“Dr. Stockwell and I both had pretty high standards – she had been at Hopkins. We had a file of about 30 people. We rejected all of them.

We didn’t think they were good enough to be on our faculty.”

“So we had to start the recruiting process all over again, and she and I did all the teaching for that first year, because we were a two-person faculty. We did have a few adjuncts, maybe, here and there, and we eventually filled the faculty positions for the next year.”

Leaverton chaired the department until 1995, then remained as a professor for another six years. He retired as an emeritus professor in 2001.

Memories The founders and early leaders of COPH have more memories than just those that deal with the college’s inception and its early operation, more memories than space could ever allow, including a few on the lighter side.

“When she was president of the university, she knew everybody on campus,” Coulter recalled of Betty Castor, “and when I got the funding to start the Harrell Center, I was walking across the campus behind the administration building, PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 13

and she was walking back to her office from somewhere. She saw me all the way across the grounds and yelled out, ‘Hi, moneybags!’

“She knew everybody and supported everybody, and no matter that I was an associate professor in the College of Public Health, she knew.”

“I recall conducting a final exam in epidemiology one evening in which two unusual events occurred,” said Leaverton. “First, a student came to me in pain. She had accidentally put the wrong kind of eye drops in her eyes, which were nearly swollen shut. Okay, she was excused.”

“Then, another lady went into labor. We called 911 and sent her to the hospital. It turned out to be a false alarm – she delivered two weeks later.

Maybe my exams were too frightening.”

“Being a fan of Chevy Chase and SNL, especially his take-offs on the clumsiness of President Gerald Ford, I purposely stumbled up the

auditorium stairs and fell against the podium on the stage, scattering papers everywhere,” Mahan recalled. “This was at one of our graduation convocations. Instead of the audience laughing at my parody of Chevy, they all thought it was real and rushed to the stage to help me – very embarrassing! I think it’s funny now, but I have a very bizarre sense of humor.”

The particulars vary from person to person, but the size, scope and overall success of the college are unanimous themes for the people who were there in its earliest days. In one way or another, all said they could not have foreseen in 1984 what it is on its 30th anniversary.

“I don’t think we could have imagined,” Coulter said, “the ability to move as strongly as it has in the direction of being a research one university – USF as a whole and the College of Public Health as a leader in that regard. I don’t think we quite envisioned it that way. That has been very exciting.

COPH student Sherri Berger as a model for a 1996 National Public Health Week poster.

She went on to become the chief operating officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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“Also, the expansion of the whole Global Health Department, the global health focus, and the ability to do international public health work with researchers that are in the global health unit.

That really hadn’t been anticipated,” she said.

“Donna Petersen coming here was a huge milestone,” Coulter added. “I think she is absolutely extraordinary. Without Donna’s leadership, we could not have gone as far as we’ve gone. She’s given us a lot of support for community-based research. That’s been critical in terms of the direction that we’ve gone.”

“I’m very pleased with how well our students have done,” Leaverton said. “It’s kind of shocking, in a way. As I look back, we must have organized the curriculum pretty well, Heather [Stockwell] and I. We had to basically design it from scratch. We set up some pretty good courses, and they essentially stayed the same for a long time. We had some good faculty who kept the standards high.”

“I actually saw some memos that said, ‘Don’t take epi and biostats at the same time, it’s too hard. You have to take them separately,’” Leaverton said. “Sometimes I would take some pride in that. We never made soft courses. Our courses were tough.”

Past, future and present The few shortcomings the college’s founders can think of actually only further reflect the college’s success.

“If I could change one thing,” Stockwell said, “it would be to have a much larger building. The college’s rapid growth has resulted in a need for more space. Maybe we could add a floor?”

“Our beautiful building should have been built

to be able to add additional stories,” Mahan concurred.

For Leaverton, it would be an epidemiology laboratory, something he said he and Dr. Doug Schocken, a cardiology professor, tried twice to get funded by NIH. “If I could do that over, I would pursue that even more vigorously. But we tried,” he said.

Mahan said he sees the college’s future dependent upon “a stronger marriage” between the college and the state and local health departments.

“What if you got your medical degree or nursing degree but never saw a patient and never went into a hospital? Well, why are we giving people public health degrees, and they never set foot in a health department, and they don’t work in the community, which is where the problems are?”

Mahan believes that national accreditation of health departments should be as universal as accreditation for colleges and universities, and that closing the gap between public health education and practice is the way to achieve it. COPH would help a health department earn accreditation, with the understanding that once it became accredited, it would become an “official outpost of the USF College of Public Health.”

“I hope the emphasis on a strong research program will continue,” Leaverton said. “Public health programs need to be based upon sound science, of course. I hope that never changes.”

“What I would like to see the college do is continue on the path that it’s on in terms of really being a leader in the country in PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 15

From left: Former COPH Dean Dr. Charles Mahan participates in an exercise with the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Unit. community-based research,” Coulter said, “increasing its role as an intermediary between research and practice, and having a committed sense of responsibility to community service providers.”

emphasis on the development of high-quality, collaborative, community-based research seeks to provide critical information to policy makers to address current and future public health concerns locally, nationally and internationally.”

“Over the next five years,” Stockwell said, “I think – or at least I hope – that public health in general will focus on a positive approach to health, not just disease prevention but improving the quality of health and health maintenance for all our citizens. To do this there will need to be a strong interdisciplinary approach to developing strategies that focus on primary prevention and sustainability at the community level.

Stockwell remained with COPH until 2014, when she retired as professor emerita.

“I think our college is uniquely positioned to address these issues,” she said. Its interdisciplinary educational focus positions it as a leader in public health education, and our

But between all the memories of COPH’s beginnings, all its history, successes, scarce shortcomings and envisioned futures stands the here and now.

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“I think our college is uniquely positioned to address these issues.”

– Dr. Heather Stockwell

“If imitation is the greatest form of flattery,” Bell said, “then we should be flattered, because every university in the state wants a college of public health.”

“I am very proud of what the college has become and what it has done to touch lives around the world,” Bell concluded. “It has far exceeded my hopes and expectations.”

“The college is having impact around the world. I had thought it would be a mecca for public health in Florida and a source of information and advice for state decision-makers. It has done that and much more. We now have graduates working on every continent. Our faculty are internationally recognized. Our students are studying and doing internships around the world. We are attracting major grants, and the research continues to grow.”

“I had thought it [COPH] would be a mecca for public health in Florida and a source of information and advice for state decision-makers. It has done that and much more.”

– The late Samuel P. Bell, III

From left: Susan Webb and Drs. Michael Reid and Phillip Marty establish the Public Health Leadership Institute with a grant from the CDC and ASPH. PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 17

Six things to know about Dean Sten Vermund

Story by Molly Urnek. Photos courtesy of USF Health and Dr. Sten Vermund.

In January, Dr. Sten Vermund joined the university as dean of the College of Public Health, as well as Distinguished University Health Professor and senior associate vice president of USF Health. Also the chief medical officer of the Global Virus Network, he brings four decades of infectious disease epidemiology and prevention experience to his new role.

Here are six facts to help you get to know Dean Sten Vermund.

1) He welcomes Florida’s warmer weather.

Vermund, whose parents immigrated from Norway, was born in Minnesota, and grew up in Wisconsin and California. He most recently moved from New Haven, Connecticut, where he served as dean and professor of the Yale School of Public Health and professor in pediatrics in the Yale School of Medicine.

Now that he can play golf year-round, he spends his free time teeing up, swinging a tennis racket and jogging when his running app reminds him to. “I’m kind of a pathetic jogger,” he says. “If you saw my pace, you might say, ‘That’s an interesting old man running down the street.’”

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Most likely in his ear buds? “New York Tendaberry’’ by Laura Nyro, “Rubber Soul’’ by the Beatles, “Elis & Tom” by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Elis Regina, or “Breakin’ Away’’ by Al Jarreau.

2) He suggests the answer to a greener future is right above our heads.

Vermund strives to live an eco-friendly life and used to bike to work. In Connecticut, his family switched to all solar housing and bought an electric car. Their monthly electric bill dropped to zero.

“In Florida, the amount of solar energy that can be economically harvested by homeowners is vast, a high return on investment.”

5) He loves history and once contemplated being an archaeologist.

A secret weapon on trivia nights, Vermund is obsessed with history, the Spanish Civil War and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement since the 1950s.

A bucket list item? “Someday I would like to visit Egypt with my family to see the Sphinx, the Pyramids, Luxor and the great museums,” he says.

6) His favorite food? His wife’s cooking.

3) He’s keen on collaboration and AI-integration.

The fields of epidemiology, health economics, biostatistics, health policy, laboratory science and others have undergone a radical expansion thanks to machine learning and data science, Vermund says. He looks forward to a curriculum that prepares students by integrating new technology like geosensing and includes collaboration with other colleges, such as the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, and community partners like Tampa General Hospital.

4) He says you must be both aggressive and patient to achieve.

Vermund’s wife, Dr. Pilar Vargas, is a native of Puerto Rico whose mother is from Spain. She serves up some of Vermund’s favorite dishes, which include Caribbean and Spanish cuisine, comida criolla.

“If she’s in the mood to whip up some of her local cuisine,” he says, “I’m there.”

As a retired child and adolescent psychiatrist, Vargas is helping ground the couple in Tampa and support her husband.

“The Tampa community has been most welcoming, and Pilar and I are most proud and pleased to be here in the vibrant USF ecosystem,” Vermund says.

This interview originally published in the spring 2025 issue of the USF Magazine.

Reflecting on his successful intervention to reduce HIV transmission from mothers to children in Zambia, he credits two qualities: aggressiveness and patience.

“You have to be aggressive because you have to find out, if you launch an initiative in a clinic, why is it not working optimally, and you have to be patient because you need to do the implementation science to figure out exactly how to fix it.

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College leadership team

Vice dean finance & operations, COO

Vice dean faculty & global affairs

Senior associate dean academic & student affairs

DR. ELLEN DALEY

JAY EVANS

DR. TRICIA PENNIECOOK

DR. JANICE ZGIBOR

Interim department chairs

Senior associate dean research & practice

Associate dean, academic affairs

Assistant dean, faculty affairs & staff relations

Assistant dean, undergraduate studies

DR. JAIME CORVIN

JUNE LAKE

DR. ALISON OBERNE

Biostatistics and data science

Community health sciences

DR. HENIAN CHEN

DR. KAREN LILLER

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Epidemiology DR. JASON SALEMI

Global, environmental and genomic health sciences

Health policy and systems management

DR. AMY STUART

DR. KATHERINE DRABIAK

We asked our leadership team four key questions — looking back at milestone moments and ahead to the future of public health. Here are some of the impactful insights they shared.

What accomplishment or moment are you most proud of during your time at the COPH? Over the past decade, Champions for Children’s Positive Parenting and Partnership reached thousands of families across the Tampa Bay area, delivering parenting and relationship programs that have strengthened parent-child bonds, reduced the risk of family violence and lowered rates of parental depression, anxiety and stress.

– Dr. Jaime Corvin

Helping to establish USF’s first office in another country (Panama). So many students received an opportunity to engage in true global health work through our team there, plus we contributed to the education of Panamanian professionals who continue to impact their country’s public health systems.

– Jay Evans

Interacting with the students. I committed myself to educating and directing them so that they felt supported and seen. It wasn’t just about connecting them to resources, it was about building trust, showing up consistently and helping them see that their goal was attainable.

– June Lake

How has the field of public health, and the college, evolved since you began your career?

The field and our training have expanded to educating undergraduates and have become more transdisciplinary.

– Dr. Amy Stuart

When I started I was submitting statistical programs on a mainframe computer and now I can have AI assist with analytical methods.

– Dr. Janice Zgibor

What seems new, unprecedented or disruptive has often come before in another iteration, and the profession already has the tools to approach it with prudence and insight.

– Dr. Katherine Drabiak

What lessons from the past 40 years do you think still guide our work today?

Strong leadership was and will always be pivotal.

The college has been lucky in terms of our deans and the administration. These leaders inspire me every day to be a better leader in what I do.

– Dr. Karen Liller

We continue to produce evidence-based research and practice, which assures our ability to speak confidently and clearly about public health issues.

– Dr. Ellen Daley

What are the greatest opportunities or challenges for public health in the coming decade?

How we communicate with the public about public health’s role in their lives. Part of communication is meeting your audience where they are and listening with intention.

– Dr. Alison Oberne

The real challenge – and the real opportunity – lies in ensuring that our innovations expand equitable opportunity for all people.

– Dr. Jason Salemi

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 21

Bold alumni Story and photos courtesy of Liz Bannon.

In the spring of 1989, the University of South Florida College of Public Health invited alumni to attend a meeting to determine interest in forming an alumni group. A year later, the USF national alumni board officially recognized the college’s alumni as a society on February 17, 1990. In the years that followed, dues-paying members reached nearly 300 and the group was recognized as USF’s outstanding society in 1993-94 and 1996-97!

Fast forward to now. Alumni are involved in every facet of the COPH, serving on the dean’s advisory board, mentoring students in practice experience, speaking with prospective students and more.

Public health alumni can count on recurring events at conferences and around graduation season. Throughout the year, alumni can take part in a variety of events designed to inform, inspire and bring Bulls together. Plus, one of the exclusive benefits of staying engaged is discounts made available on professional development and continuing education through the COPH Lifelong Learning Academy.

Stay connected with the alumni-only group on Facebook, network within the COPH community via LinkedIn group, meet-up with fellow alums at In Your Neighborhood events and help advance the college through the COPH Alumni Society.

Clockwise from left: COPH alumni and LBGTQ+ Alumni Society volunteer at USF’s Stampede of Service, Working Bulls Happy Hour, holiday Jingle and Mingle. Opposite page: COPH alumni 7@7 panelists.

22 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

By the numbers State by state vs. international alumni

Living alumni

1.4%

International

21.4% Non-Floridians 77.1% Florida residents

12,572 Out-of-state hot spots GA 322 TX 176 CA 166 Undergraduate | Graduate NC 165 alumni MD 156 7,800 6,496 VA 154

14,515 degrees awarded to 14,001 alumni MPH 5,295 HSS 4,401 PUB 3,399 MSP 571 MHA 402 359 PhD DrPH 109

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Public Health (MPH) Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Health Administration (MHA) Bachelor of Science in Public Health (PUB), Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (HSS) PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 23

Learning beyond the classroom:

Experiential learning at COPH Story by Patricia Roque and Caitlin Keough.

Each year, students at the COPH engage in Applied Practice Experiences (APEs) that allow them to apply classroom knowledge in real-world public health settings. In 2025, more than 175 MPH students completed or are completing their APEs, contributing more than 23,625 hours to community health initiatives across Florida, the U.S. and abroad.

relationships with organizations dedicated to improving population health. These opportunities not only enhanced academic learning – they prepared students to enter the workforce with confidence, experience and a deeper understanding of the communities they will serve.

These experiences reflect the breadth of the field. Students collaborated with hospitals and health systems, public health agencies, community-based organizations, research institutes and government partners. Their work supported efforts in health equity, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, emergency management, epidemiology, environmental health and health promotion.

• AdventHealth Tampa • BayCare Health System • Florida Department of Health (multiple counties) • H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center • Metropolitan Ministries • National Weather Service Western Region Headquarters • Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay • Tampa Bay Health and Medical Preparedness Coalition • Tampa General Hospital

Through these immersive placements, students strengthened professional skills, contributed to community-informed solutions and cultivated 24 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

Examples of partner organizations:

• Tampa-Hillsborough County Reproductive Well-Being Collaborative • USF academic and research programs

Global engagement and international APEs Experiential learning knows no borders. In 2025, 19 students completed international APEs or research experiences with partners in Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, Uganda, Australia, Japan and Ghana.

These opportunities provided firsthand exposure to global health systems, community-driven care models and cross-cultural collaboration.

International placements offered students the chance to support locals. Additionally, they supported projects in community health promotion, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, infectious disease surveillance, environmental health, nutrition and behavioral health. Many students worked directly with local clinicians, public health practitioners, researchers and community leaders.

Study abroad programs Beyond APEs, 48 students participated in study abroad programs in Japan, Canada and London.

Canada – Montreal and Québec Students examined differences between Canadian and U.S. health systems while participating in service-learning experiences with local community organizations.

London Students combined coursework and field visits, learning from public health professionals throughout the city and engaging with community health initiatives.

Japan Students explored public health approaches related to preventative care, school nutrition, aging populations and disaster preparedness while visiting multiple cities to experience diverse cultural and policy contexts.

Learning that lasts Whether working in local organizations or collaborating with partners across the world, COPH students embraced learning that extends well beyond the classroom. These experiences helped them: • Build professional confidence • Strengthen cultural competence • Contribute meaningful work to communities • Grow a sense of purpose in the field of public health University of South Florida College of Public Health students didn’t just study public health they practiced it.

Our practice is our passion.

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 25

Students Abroad Photos courtesy of various students.

COPH students on study abroad experiences (from left) in Japan, Panama, Canada and London.

26 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

Australia This experience gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in cultures I knew very little about prior to going to Australia. The skills I learned in developing health promotion and disease prevention programs here in America are not only transferable to locations worldwide, but also grow and develop with international field experiences.

Brittany Rummers

Panama By interacting with staff, participating in programming and engaging with the community, the data I had spent months sorting and analyzing came to life. More importantly, I believe my presence created opportunities to have an ongoing impact, one that will last months, if not years, into the future.

Dr. Lori Sevald

London

Kiara Perez-Cans

I had never traveled far from home or been on this side of the world before. Taking this trip felt like a leap of faith. I was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I grew as a global citizen and can confidently say this was just the beginning of my travels. I believe it’s essential to engage with different cultures and places outside of our comfort zone to better understand different populations. It will help me become a more compassionate and well-rounded health care professional.

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 27

A global student body with 256 students from 58 countries

AUSTRALIA BAHAMAS

CANADA

• Additional countries 28 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

CHINA

DOMINICAN COLOMBIA REPUBLIC ETHIOPIA

FRANCE

GERMANY

GHANA

INDIA

JAPAN

NIGERA

PANAMA

PAKISTAN

RUSSIA

SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

SOUTH AFRICA

UGANDA

UNITED KINGDOM

UNITED STATES

VIETNAM

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 29

Research centers tackle the big health questions Story by Kurt Loft. Photos courtesy of Zack Murray and Dr. Christine McGuire-Wolfe.

E

vident in the sheer amount of work being done at the 13 interdisciplinary centers within the Office of Research, USF’s College of Public Health is a magnet for science-based study.

Broad areas of excellence include global infectious diseases, genomics, public health workforce development, maternal and child health and disease surveillance and epidemiology. The office generated $36 million in research awards and $6 million in student support in 2024.

“The combined efforts of the centers are far from academic – they make a real-world difference in communities across the country and the world.”

– Dr. Ellen Daley “The centers are a combination of research, training and practice-based programs,’’ said Dr. Ellen Daley, professor, senior associate dean for research and practice and director of the Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families. “Every one of the centers has the far-reaching purpose of improving the public’s 30 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

health, while some address specific issues, such as the prevention of a certain disease.’’

In addition to diseases, the centers address public health issues that include: • Injury prevention • Disaster management • Emergency response • Family violence • High-risk pregnancies Together, the combined efforts of the centers are far from academic – they make a real-world difference in communities across the country and the world, Daley said.

“The work of the centers has a genuine impact on the public’s health and welfare,’’ she said.

“Each one of them has a different focus, often a different population that’s affected by some circumstance or condition.’’

“And we’re growing at an impressive rate,’’ she added about the history of the programs. “That’s all about a cadre of very productive faculty members who work with staff and students both in research and in public health practice.’’ Here’s a look at the varied disciplines within the college:

Students in the USF Infection Control for Emergency Responders program swab vehicles and equipment for cleanliness.

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 31

World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Onchocerciasis Diagnostics Supports the elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness).

USF Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice Prepares professionals across disciplines to address health and safety challenges affecting women, children and families.

USF Center for Social Marketing Applies evidence-based strategies to strengthen community capacity for disease prevention and health promotion.

Sunshine Education and Research Center Promotes graduate training and research in occupational health and safety.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Education Center (OSHA) Advances worker health and safety through two key programs: USF SafetyFlorida, Florida’s OSHA Consultation Program and the OSHA Training Institute Education Center.

Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center integrates evidence-based research, education, practice and service to advance public policy that supports the health and well-being of mothers, children, families and communities.

James and Jennifer Harrell Center for the Study of Family Violence Translates research into practice to strengthen community responses to family violence.

COPH researchers use drone technology to identify mosquito habitats.

32 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

Florida Health Information Center Provides accessible, evidence-based public health information for Florida’s residents, health professionals and policymakers.

Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice Strengthens the public health workforce through leadership training programs that integrate systems thinking and experiential learning.

Center for Global Health and Inter-Disciplinary Research Advances the control and elimination of vector-borne and infectious diseases.

Center for Environmental / Occupational Risk Analysis and Management Conducts scientific risk assessments to identify and manage health hazards from environmental, agricultural and occupational chemical exposures.

Center for Applied Lifestyle Medicine Promotes evidence-based approaches, including nutrition, physical activity and stress management, to improve health outcomes, particularly in low-income and underserved populations.

COPH students partner with community agencies and hone their laboratory skills to find solutions that make life better for Floridians.

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 33

A new generation of lab directors

Story by Kurt Loft. Photos courtesy of USF, Jared Hoffman, Jennifer Lewis and Dr. Michael Perry.

I

n 2006, a Public Health Leadership Institute report said America’s scientific laboratories could face a crisis: A serious shortage of qualified, doctorate-level laboratory directors would follow in the wake of a retiring generation of experts in the field. Who was going to take their place?

“It was pretty evident that there was going to be a dearth of laboratory scientists who were both available and qualified to take over public health laboratories in the next 10-to-20 years,’’ said Dr. Jill Roberts, professor in the Department of Global, Environmental and Genomic Health Sciences (GEGHS). “Lab directors were going to retire and there was no plan to replace them.’’

Then in 2013, the report “Developing a Doctoral Program in Public Health Laboratory Science and Practice” supported the evidence but added some hope. It summarized the current and possible future shortage of public health laboratory directors and stated that a dedicated doctoral program was “urgently needed’’ to ensure a future workforce in the field.

In 2016, USF developed the DrPH in public health and clinical laboratory science and practice as a concentration within the doctor of public health program. Its premise, then and today, is to meet the needs of laboratory professionals and strengthen the pipeline of public health laboratory leaders.

34 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

“This program was designed to address a growing absence of leadership in the public health laboratories. It offers not only science training, but training in lab management and leadership.”

– Dr. Jill Roberts

COPH didn’t act alone. It worked with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), whose pivotal involvement helped build the new program in Tampa. USF also aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its highly specialized lab team in training the next generation of directors.

The CDC and APHL published the Competency Guidelines for Public Health Laboratory Professionals, considered a major step towards developing a set of national workplace competencies for scientific and technical employees of public health laboratories. These competencies are embedded in the curriculum developed for the USF DrPH and clinical clinical laboratory science and practice.

The momentum continued and, in 2021, APHL received $337 million in federal funds to strengthen the country’s public health laboratory workforce. The APHL awarded $1.2 million of these funds to USF to support its DrPH program.

Dr. Jill Roberts PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 35

DrPH students Jared Hoffman with (opposite page) Jennifer Lewis and DrPH alumnus Dr. Michael Perry Eligible COPH students continue to receive stipends to offset their expenses through 2026.

As of September 2024, 14 students graduated from the program and some are now leading major public health laboratories around the country.

The shortage of laboratory directors relates to the challenges in qualifying for the certification exam. Qualification requires a doctoral degree and COPH works closely with the certification agency to ensure that students meet their criteria to sit for the board exam.

Kimberly McCarthy, a student in the DrPH program, said her experience has been invaluable in helping her learn the ropes of directing a lab while earning an advanced degree.

36 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

Public health laboratories are critical for responses to public health issues that are not typically revenue generating. For example, testing mosquitoes for the presence of arboviruses such as Zika and Chikungunya, or newborn screening for the detection of underlying diseases in infants and food/water testing. Public health labs have determined which strains of COVID and influenza are in circulation and their leadership ensures that the laboratory has the supplies, manpower, validated testing and safety measures in place for these tests to continue.

But the need for lab directors is as critical today as it ever has been, industry experts say. The current shortage stems from a combination of factors, including an aging workforce with high retirement rates, increased diagnostic testing and a shrinking pool of qualified new

professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation, highlighting burnout and driving more experienced professionals to leave or retire, according to a George Washington School of Medicine study.

“The United States is grappling with a substantial deficit in laboratory personnel,’’ the study notes. “While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a need for 10,000 new medical laboratory professionals annually, academic programs are producing only about 5,000 graduates each year.’’

COPH leaders hope to change those figures in the near future by giving students what they need to enter the profession, said Dr. Amy L. Stuart, professor

and interim chair of Global, Environmental and Genomic Health Sciences Department.

“Overall, our department vision is to be a leader in global, environmental and genomic health sciences, leveraging our diverse expertise to tackle the grand challenges of our time,’’ she said. “We aim to foster an environment where students feel empowered in their scholarly pursuits and public health passions.’’

Photo credit: Adobe Stock PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 37

USF lab welcomes

APHL Fellows advancing zoonotic disease research Story by Caitlin Keough. Photo courtesy of USF Health.

T

he University of South Florida College of Public Health is now home to two Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Fellows – a milestone that positions the university as a training site for emerging leaders in public health laboratory science.

Dr. Lynn “Marty” Martin, professor of disease ecology, is serving as mentor for the fellows, who joined his lab this year. Martin said the program is a natural extension of his lab’s focus on multihost zoonotic pathogen disease ecology – a field he notes is often underrepresented in traditional public health training.

“Hosting fellows in my lab gives me the chance to mentor colleagues with little background or exposure to disease ecology,” Martin said. “I enjoy, and I think the fellows benefit from, exposure to a major body of ideas that they will unlikely have otherwise seen.”

Both fellows are USF graduates who discovered their passion for disease ecology in Martin’s classroom and lab.

Caroline Merriman began as an undergraduate volunteer in the lab before shifting her academic path entirely.

38 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

“She became so excited by the work we’re doing that she switched her major from creative writing to biology,” Martin said.

Merriman hopes to pursue a PhD in conservation science. Before doing so, she is gaining handson experience in zoonotic disease surveillance and research to better inform her future dissertation work.

Kirsten Yeomans, a recent MPH graduate from the COPH, was drawn to the field after taking Martin’s disease ecology course.

She aims to begin doctoral studies in two years and saw the APHL fellowship as a critical step toward advancing her skills in zoonotic disease ecology and preparedness.

In Martin’s lab, the fellows are immersed in high-level scientific training, including RNA sequencing, digital droplet PCR and computational genomics. They are also learning to identify key research questions and build strong study designs.

Each fellow contributes to ongoing projects, such as Lyme disease ecology and animal pest genomics, while also developing their own independent lines of inquiry.

Dr. Lynn “Marty” Martin PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 39

visit to Australia to study cutting-edge genetic techniques.

“The plan is to help them become competitive and competent for either admission to a PhD program or to work in a federal or state health lab.”

– Dr. Lynn “Marty” Martin

He credits the APHL partnership with strengthening the lab’s connection to practical public health needs.

“We’re working together to complete work on a topic they like but that my lab is suited to support,” Martin said.

Beyond the bench, the fellows participate in regular lab meetings, one-on-one mentorship conversations and collaborative writing projects designed to lead to publication. They are also paired with senior trainees to gain perspectives from multiple career stages.

Martin said their professional development extends far beyond technical skills.

“The plan is to help them become competitive and competent for either admission to a PhD program or to work in a federal or state health lab,” he said.

Martin describes his lab as “research active with diverse projects in all types of systems and around the world.” Already, one Fellow has traveled to Oslo, Norway, to learn new analytical methods, while another is preparing for a 40 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

“Working with APHL has helped me sculpt some of my lab’s efforts to be of more practical use to the community,” Martin said.

While still early in their training, the fellows have already become integral members of the team.

“I’ve been incredibly impressed and excited by their efforts, enthusiasm, creativity and overall positive demeanor,” Martin said. “I expect great things from both.”

Photos credit: Adobe Stock

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 41

Launching undergraduate careers into orbit

Story by Kurt Loft. Photos courtesy of Zack Murray, Natalie Preston, USF and USF Health.

U

ndergraduates are the backbone of the University of South Florida student body and they draw plenty of sustenance from one of the best programs in the state.

and other relevant subjects. Graduates go on to pursue clinical, public health, dietetics, law, health care administration and many other graduate programs.

Since the first undergraduate College of Public Health program began in 2011, students have more educational options than ever. The various fields of study also underscore the need for a larger health care workforce to address the nation’s problems, said Dr. Alison Oberne, associate dean for undergraduate studies (UG).

Most recently, the college launched three new undergraduate programs focused on a healthier society. They include bachelor of science degrees in health and nutrition science and in health and physical rehabilitation science, plus a new bachelor of science in health sciences with a concentration in healthcare simulation science.

“We are a one-stop shop for students who are interested in health.

We provide a strong foundation in public health, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills so students can be successful no matter which path they choose. It may be health care administration, public health or clinical pathways.’’

– Dr. Alison Oberne

The UG program helps students develop a foundation of knowledge and skills that support their educational paths. They learn about the tenets of public health, health care systems, ethics 42 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

The simulation science concentration is the first university-based undergraduate concentration of its kind and leverages a partnership with the USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), one of the world’s largest free-standing health care simulation facilities.

Students take courses from faculty who work in simulation centers and the concentration culminates in an internship where students gain real-world experience. Upon graduation, students are “workforce ready.’’

“The fields of nutrition science and rehabilitation science are growing, as is the demand for preparing a new workforce,’’ Oberne said. “These new programs were developed to help students learn the information and skills needed to either be job ready or to apply for graduate programs.’’

Undergraduate programming in COPH started

Health care simulation exercise at USF CAMLS PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 43

Undergraduate student Liberty Sales practices her passion with USF Campus Recreation. with academic minors followed by the bachelor of science in public health which began in 2011 as the first CEPH accredited BSPH program in Florida.

In addition, the Florida High Tech Corridor and USF Research & Innovation are expanding opportunities for undergraduate research across USF. Through the continued Corridor Undergraduate Research Initiative, more than 200 students will gain faculty-mentored research experience in disciplines ranging from engineering and artificial intelligence to public health, education, sustainability and the arts.

For one undergraduate, the program solidified her interest in pursuing a career in health policy or even law.

44 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

“COPH now has the largest undergraduate program in the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, with more than 4,000 students.”

– Dr. Alison Oberne

“Being part of a faculty-led project gave me a sense of purpose and introduced me to the collaborative nature of academic and policy work,’’ said Annabelle Zielinski, who is completing her BS in public health. “It’s empowered me to think more critically about how policy shapes health outcomes and how I, as a future professional, can contribute to making the system more equitable and effective.’’

Maria Ivanova, an undergraduate in health sciences, said her experience so far opened her eyes to the many moving parts of the public health system and research methods.

“One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of an organized, systematic approach to research,’’ she said.

“From conducting literature reviews to making presentation posters, I’ve gained experience in various aspects of the research process.

This has not only deepened my knowledge of professional identity formation in public health but also honed my critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”

Top, Miss USF (far left) strikes a bullish pose with undergraduate instructor Laura Rusnak (second from left), former USF President Betty Castor (far right) and public health students. Bottom, students living their best life at the Marshall Student Center.

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 45

Public health researchers fight diseases on a global scale

Story by Kurt Loft. Photos courtesy of COPH and Drs. Kristi Miley and Thomas Unnasch.

A

s any epidemiologist will tell you, disease doesn’t recognize geographic borders.

In the College of Public Health Department of Global, Environmental and Genomic Health Sciences (GEGHS), researchers view the Earth as a single breeding ground for threats to the human population, and for the last 20 years they have focused on some of the most infectious and deadliest vectors on the planet.

“There is no such thing as a ‘faraway’ country today because you can get anywhere in 30 hours or less,’’ said Dr. Thomas R. Unnasch, Distinguished USF Health Professor emeritus in COPH’s largest department, and director of the Center for Onchocerciasis Diagnostics.

“And Florida is ground zero for mosquito-borne viruses (arboviruses) in our country.’’

– Dr. Thomas Unnasch

“Many of the most impactful health threats we face today are from emerging infectious diseases that gain a foothold in ‘faraway’ places and 46 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

rapidly spread across the globe,’’ he added. “One only need look at the major health crises of the 21st century to see this: the West Nile, Zika and Ebola viruses; swine flu and of course, COVID. “Political boundaries and geographical distance are no protection from diseases any longer. All health is now global and we must recognize this fact and act accordingly.’’

This sense of urgency – locally, nationally and globally – is what guides the GEGHS vision.

Researchers here know that work being done in Tampa can be a bridge to addressing health issues in the rainforests of western Africa.

The department’s boots are on the ground in a number of distant lands. PhD student Emma Underwood, for instance, has been working in Cameroon for her research on onchocerciasis.

Commonly known as river blindness, the disease is second only to polio in the amount of socioeconomic disruption it has caused worldwide.

The department’s work in other countries, especially those with inadequate health care systems, is critical in understanding the nature of diseases even in countries with stronger health care systems.

Dr. Thomas R. Unnasch PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 47

A vector without borders is the mosquito.

“And Florida is ground zero for mosquito-borne viruses (arboviruses) in our country,’’ Unnasch said. “The work I did in Africa allowed me to get research grants for NIH, NSF and CDC to study eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus and Zika virus here in Florida.’’

This funding further allowed the department to establish research collaborations with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and several mosquito-control programs around the state.

Former COPH students are now heading up the FDOH arbovirus laboratory as well as working in state arbovirus reporting group in Tallahassee, various Florida mosquito control districts and in the vector control arm of the U.S. Army.

“We also have current work that is diving into the recent uptick in both travel-related and locally acquired Dengue cases in Florida in collaboration with FDOH,’’ said Dr. Kristi Miley, a research associate in GEGHS. “The threats of pandemics, persistent environmental degradation and ongoing humanitarian disasters require well-educated practitioners and scientists who are equipped to apply cutting-edge and impactful methods.

This ranges from genomics and bioinformatics to community engagement,” said Dr. Amy Stuart, chair of GEGHS. To address these needs, the department offers a range of degree programs that include a 48 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

master of public health (MPH), doctor of public health (DrPH), master of science in public health (MSPH), and doctor of philosophy (PhD).

Specialization areas include environmental and occupational health; genomics; global communicable diseases; and global disaster management, humanitarian relief and homeland security; global health practice; health safety and environment; infection control; public health and clinical laboratory practice; and toxicology.

But the department doesn’t work in situ. Rather, over the years it has developed partnerships with organizations that enhance COPH’s research and training capabilities. These include the Moffitt Cancer Center; Tampa General Hospital; Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization; Environmental Protection Commission; and the USF colleges of medicine, engineering and arts and sciences.

“The threats of pandemics, persistent environmental degradation and ongoing humanitarian disasters require well-educated practitioners and scientists who are equipped to apply cutting-edge and impactful methods. This ranges from genomics and bioinformatics to community engagement.”

– Dr. Amy Stuart

The department was founded in 2005 to address the need for a center for global health at USF. With funding from USF and the Center of Biological Defense, the department made its home in USF’s Interdisciplinary Research Building, featuring state of the art laboratories.

“This enabled the COPH to recruit several

Dr. Kristi Miley established faculty, including myself and Dr. John Adams, who were the first two recipients of State of Florida World Class Scholars at USF,” Unnasch said. Later the location became the home of the Center for Global Health Infectious Disease Research, or GHIDR, which includes faculty not just in global health, but internal medicine, chemistry, integrative biology and microbiology.

Diagnostics, established in 2018. The center makes possible research supported by international agencies and programs in Africa and the Americas that work to eliminate river blindness.

“So, the center formed a nucleus around which USF’s research activities in global health infectious disease, biodefense and emerging infectious disease could be centered,’’ Unnasch said.

A feather in the cap for the department is the WHO Collaborating Center for Onchocerciasis

Photo credit: Adobe Stock PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 49

Driving change, advancing health

Strengthening communities across Florida Story by Caitlin Keough. Photos courtesy of the Activist Lab and Black Maternal Health Week.

Activist Lab Empowering public health advocates one voice at a time The Activist Lab at the USF College of Public Health serves as a hub for advocacy education, research and service. Through hands-on experiences, students learn to amplify community needs, influence policy and lead change in real-world settings.

Anchored in six core pillars – advocacy, education, research, leadership, service and applied practice – the lab equips future practitioners with the practical skills needed to drive sustainable public health solutions.

Students participate in: • Advocacy training and skills workshops • Seminars, webinars and podcast conversations • Community engagement and volunteer programs • Research and outreach activities that support graduation requirements, including PEs and ILEs

50 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

Every experience is grounded in evidencebased practice and fueled by collaboration with community partners. Through this model, the lab not only supports student success but also advances equity and meaningful local action.

Spotlight: Advocacy through film Among this year’s major honors was the selection of the Activist Lab’s short documentary “Under the Florida Sun” for the APHA Film Festival.

The film examines how rising temperatures and climate change endanger Florida’s farmworkers, while emphasizing the importance of advocacy programs such as the Fair Food Program that have improved protections for outdoor laborers.

“We hope the film educates everyone who views it about the dangers of heat and changes to our climate for farmworkers.”

– Dr. Karen Liller

Photo credit: Adobe Stock PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 51

Dr. Karen Liller (third from left) visits an AVID class with student Activist Lab members.

“I can say that having the film in the festival was so rewarding and a testament to the hard work of the Activist Lab in creating the film,” said Dr. Karen Liller, professor and director of the Activist Lab. “We hope the film educates everyone who views it about the dangers of heat and changes to our climate for farmworkers.”

Liller said the recognition reflects both the mission and spirit of the Activist Lab. “I couldn’t be more proud that the film now has a broader global audience and that the strong role for advocacy for outdoor farmworkers is shown,” she said.

Our practice is our passion and our platform for impact.

52 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

Black Maternal Health Week Honoring mothers. Elevating voices.

Transforming outcomes.

Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), recognized annually from April 11–17, shines a spotlight on the urgent need to improve maternal health outcomes within the Black community. In Florida, Black mothers are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white mothers.

“If you want to go far, then go together, reflecting the collaborative spirit behind the movement.”

– Dr. Marshara Fross

Led by the COPH Community Hub in collaboration with more than 25 organizations, Black Maternal Health Week of Tampa Bay mobilizes community leaders, students, health care providers and policymakers to drive change through advocacy campaigns, education initiatives, community-centered events and fundraising efforts that directly support perinatal health priorities across the region.

Inaugural launch highlight In March 2024, the USF College of Public Health launched its inaugural BMHW campaign to amplify Black voices, expand community partnerships and foster sustained conversations around reproductive and birth justice. The initiative grew from an intentionally structured collaboration led by the Community Hub, bringing together perspectives across disciplines, age groups, gender identities and locations throughout Tampa Bay.

The campaign also highlighted the stark disparities facing Black mothers in Florida – nearly twice as likely to experience a severe obstetric event and four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes in 2020. These realities underscore the urgency of coordinated efforts and the importance of elevating community expertise.

Driven by postdoctoral scholar Marshara Fross and a steering committee of more than 25 community organizations, BMHW offers tangible opportunities for involvement. “If you want to go far, then go together,” Fross said, reflecting the collaborative spirit behind the movement.

The week honors the resilience and strength of Black mothers while acknowledging barriers rooted in inequity. Together, the community advocates for solutions that ensure every birth is safe, supported and celebrated.

Drs. Tricia Penniecook, Ronee Wilson, Marshara Fross and Vickie Dugat display proclamations from across Florida declaring Black Maternal Health Week.

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 53

Securing the future

of public health through certification Story by Dr. Jaime Corvin, COPH associate dean and NBPHE certification committee chair. Photos courtesy of USF Heath, Caitlin Keough and Dr. Deanna Wathington.

P

ublic health is the foundation of community well-being, yet its complexity and preventative nature often keep public health out of sight – the invisible shield.

The University of South Florida College of Public Health (COPH) embraces the belief that visibility and credibility are vital to the continued success of the profession. For more than 20 years, college leadership and faculty have advocated for certification in public health (CPH).

History of CPH at USF COPH That National Board of Public Health Examiners, which administers the CPH exam, might never have existed without the tireless efforts of former USF College of Public Health Dean Charles Mahan. While serving as Florida’s state health officer, Mahan was puzzled by the fact that the professionals working in service to the public’s health had no certification or licensure and therefore no means to be accountable to the public nor to seek continuing professional development. As COPH dean, he joined with other academic leaders to advocate for the creation of the National Board and invited his successor, former Dean Donna Petersen to be an inaugural member of the Board.

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Early adopters Known as innovators and early adopters, the USF College of Public Health embraced the CPH before it became a national expectation. The college helped normalize the idea that public health professionals deserved parity with other health professions, all of which require licensure, registration or certification.

When the National Board of Public Health Examiners introduced the CPH credential, college faculty and leadership recognized its transformative potential. As such, the College of Public Health was among the first schools in the nation to adopt CPH as a graduation requirement, signaling a commitment to professional rigor and accountability. This decision positioned the University of South Florida as a leader in shaping the future of public health education.

Faculty worked tirelessly to integrate CPH competencies into the curriculum. This ensured students were prepared to pass the exam and excel in real-world practice.

Fast forward to 2025 where every MPH student who graduates from University of South Florida

Graduating students recite the public health oath during the college’s celebration.

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enters the workforce with their degree and their CPH credential. They are joined by current USF College of Public Health Dean Sten Vermund who earned his CPH earlier this year.

Why certification matters In an era of misinformation and eroding trust in institutions, certification provides a national standard of excellence. It assures employers, policymakers and communities that certified professionals have mastered the science, ethics and principles that underpin public health practice.

As former American Public Health Association (APHA) President Dr. Deanna Wathington explained in her final address at the 2025 annual meeting, “Public health certification helps make our work visible, credible and respected. It’s a signal – not just to employers or policymakers, but to each other – that we are part of something bigger than a job description.

If we want to be seen as essential, we have to act like it.

That starts with professional standards. It starts with certification.”

She closed her remarks with an often cited call to action during her yearlong tenure as president, “We are certified. Are you?”

Impact on careers Employers don’t just prefer certified professionals, but as Petersen shared in her 2025 APHA Ignite presentation, “They seek them out. Why? Because CPH signals readiness, competence and a commitment to lifelong learning.”

For graduates, this means a competitive edge in the job market, higher earning potential, leadership opportunities and credibility that lasts. For the profession, widespread certification is a game-changer. It strengthens public health’s voice, critical in times of crisis and serves as a unifying force, connecting professionals across the field.

If public health is the invisible shield that protects communities, then CPH is the credential that makes that shield visible – a clear, credible and trusted hallmark of excellence.

Visit https://health.usf.edu/ publichealth/overviewcoph/ points-of-pride to learn more about how the University of South Florida College of Public Health champions professional excellence.

Then, begin a journey toward becoming nationally board certified in public health at https://www.nbphe.org/.

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Clockwise: Drs. Sten Vermund, Donna Petersen, Deanna Wathington and Jaime Corvin

“Public health certification helps make our work visible, credible and respected. It’s a signal – not just to employers or policymakers, but to each other – that we are part of something bigger than a job description. If we want to be seen as essential, we have to act like it.

That starts with professional standards. It starts with certification.”

– Dr. Deanna Wathington

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Who we are:

Fall 2025 enrollment snapshot Photos courtesy of USF and Zack Murray.

Who are the Bulls behind the breakthroughs? The numbers tell a compelling story. From enthusiastic undergraduates discovering their path in public health to graduate scholars leading research and driving innovation, our students represent a vibrant mix of perspectives and experiences.

The fall 2025 enrollment snapshot provides an inside look at the demographics shaping our academic community, revealing not only who we are today, but how we are growing into the future of public health leadership

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Students by level and citizenship Undergraduate

Graduate

All students

3522

561

4083

Students by level and citizenship Undergraduate

Graduate

403

227

Out of state

Citizen Foreign national Permanent resident Grand total

73

51

3302 22

132

3705

634

4339

630

In state

124

110

All students

407

3705

3709

634

4339

Grand total

Students by level and gender

Students by level and age

3,705

UNDERGRADUATE Female - 2,899 Male - 805

634

GRADUATE Female - 503 Male - 131

ALL STUDENTS Female - 3,402 Male - 936

Students by veteran status UNDERGRADUATE

UNDERGRADUATE

GRADUATE

Minimum age

17

20

Maximum age

75

69

Median age

20

27

4,399

Term academic year hierarchy GRADUATE

ALL STUDENTS

Active duty personnel

9

4

13

Eligible dependent

37

1

38

National Guard

1

0

1

Undergraduate 3527 178

Graduate 478

No military status

3658

629

4287

Grand total

3705

634

4339

3705

634

All students 4339

156

4005

334

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Paying it forward

one public health student at a time Story by Dave Scheiber. Photos courtesy of the Amuso family.

Jean and Phil Amuso’s philanthropic roots run deep at USF, entwining many facets of the institution they love. Among their passions is the College of Public Health, where they have endowed a scholarship to create new opportunities for global health students.

The Jean E. and Philip T. Amuso Global Health Scholarship supports full-time graduate students pursuing a degree focused on global health, and students pursuing degrees in the concentrations of global communicable disease, genomics and in the doctor of public health.

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The path that led the Amuso’s to USF and support the college is a long and winding one – with a twist of fate that ultimately saved Phil’s life.

Jean began her post-secondary education at the University of Tampa, leading to a budding career in social work. She eventually became an adjunct teacher at USF in the School of Social Work, becoming the school’s director from 1994-2003.

Phil, meanwhile, didn’t have his eyes set on USF when he graduated from high school in 1969.

Instead, he wanted to continue playing football in college as a preferred walk-on at Marshall University in West Virginia. A family health crisis, however, forced him to abandon the dream of playing for the Thundering Herd, a deep disappointment at the time.

Instead, he enrolled at USF to be close to his family in Sarasota, two decades before the arrival of the Bulls football program. Yet, because of that decision, he was not on the Southern Airways plane carrying the Marshall football team that crashed on Nov. 14, 1970, killing all 75 passengers.

“I would have been on that plane,” he said.

“As a young person, something like that has a tremendous effect on you. It was a life-changing moment.”

Instead, Phil decided to go for his master’s at USF in microbiology, leading to a job with the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.

Along the way, he and Jean met on a project in the early 1980s and married in 1988, while Phil gradually climbed the ladder in the state’s Bureau of Public Health Laboratories.

“In the late 1990s, I realized I wasn’t going to get any further without a PhD,” he says, “so I returned to USF and earned it at the College of Public Health.”

With three USF degrees under his belt, he eventually became a public health laboratory director for the Florida Department of Health, and for 10 years a faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, retiring in 2012.

Phil and Jean are active members and proud supporters of the USF Alumni Association. Phil has served on the College of Public Health Dean’s Advisory Council since 2008 and currently serves as chair.

Together, they have made it a regular practice to give back to USF, believing the university has given them so much in return.

In addition to establishing their scholarship, Phil and Jean played an active role in the fundraising initiative that led to the naming of the building that houses the USF College of Public Health in memory of Samuel P. Bell, III. “When Phil and I were in a position to make donations to USF, we wanted to look at scholarships because we hated the thought of the debt students accrue to get through college,” Jean said.

“It’s about paying it forward and helping students get an opportunity they might otherwise not enjoy – even if we just help one student at a time,” Phil added. “That’s our philosophy.”

If you were inspired by this story and would like to make a gift, go to usf.to/Amuso.

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our

practice is our passion.

TM

MAKE YOUR IMPACT! SUPPORT OUR GREATEST NEED: USF Fund for the College of Public Health (Fund #540010) Fund purpose: To support the operating needs of the College of Public Health.

SUPPORT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS: Sam Bell Endowed Scholarship (Fund #546020)

Fund purpose: Scholarships for full- or part-time graduate students in the College of Public Health on the Tampa campus.

SUPPORT HIGH PRIORITIES:

For more information about the College of Public Health’s strategic priorities and opportunities to make an impact

contact the dean, Dr. Sten Vermund at svermund@usf.edu. and Beth Ahmedic at betha@usf.edu.

Photo courtesy of Zack Murray 62 PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

USF COL L

EALTH CH

F PUBL O E I EG

YEARS

Photos courtesy of Liz Bannon and USF Health PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS 63

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