New Major Focuses on Creating Healthier World

Graduates of the new public health major will join a growing number of alumni, such as Allison Kolbe ’12, working in the field. With a background in biology and bioinformatics, Kolbe is a health science policy analyst at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Photo by Mike Morgan)

Ohio Wesleyan is adding a new public health program and public health major in fall 2023 to prepare students for careers focused on promoting wellness and preventing disease.

“Public health workers are critical to keeping communities healthy, preventing and managing pandemics, working toward social justice, managing disaster relief, and increasing access to health care and quality of life for all,” says program director Christopher Fink, who is overseeing the program with Vanessa Hildebrand, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology.

Students who earn a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health at OWU will be prepared to enter the workforce or any graduate program related to public or global health, says Fink, who also is an associate professor of health & human kinetics.

“This could be in a government, nonprofit, or private sector setting, and could include work in community health education or research, data management, health system administration, and more,” Fink says, “or graduate study in a range of public health subdisciplines, as well as medical school, veterinary school, public policy, or law school.”

Every Ohio Wesleyan student majoring in public health will complete a hands-on learning experience outside the classroom, such as an internship at an agency or healthcare organization, or a research project with faculty.

The interdisciplinary program builds on OWU’s strong programs in areas such as biology, health & human kinetics, economics, politics & government, sociology & anthropology, and nutrition. Students will develop skills to identify, analyze, and help solve public health problems and inequities.

Graduates of the program will join a growing pool of OWU alumni working in public health, including physicians, nurses, academics, researchers at the Centers for Diseases Control, government officials, and a public health leader at The Carter Center whom you can read about in this issue’s So Close feature story.