UTMB's Public Health Symposium during National Public Health Week featured 90+ poster presentations, Dr. James Roth's keynote on global food insecurity and emerging diseases, and awards honoring outstanding students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community leaders. The event spotlighted the depth of public health scholarship and the local impact of UTMB’s academic and community engagement.
Poster Session: Research Meets Community Action
The Public Health Symposium, organized by the School of Public and Population Health (SPPH), opened with an energizing poster session that brought together over 90 presenters from across campus and the broader community. Students, postdocs, residents, faculty, staff, and local partners shared innovative work addressing public health issues—from bench science to grassroots community projects.
Participants showcased two general types of posters: research posters and practice-based posters, highlighting hands-on community engagement and public health initiatives happening right here in Galveston. Many SPPH students presented work tied to their Applied Practice Experiences (APE) or Integrative Learning Experiences (ILE), while MD/MPH students spotlighted clinical outreach at local underserved clinics. GSBS students added strong representation on the research side.
SPPH faculty and staff actively engaged with presenters, providing feedback and celebrating the breadth and depth of public health efforts at UTMB. As one organizer reflected, “When I first started, we had maybe 40 posters. Now we’re regularly seeing more than double that—and what impresses me most is how much our students care about this community. They aren’t just here for a degree. They’re here to make a difference.”
This year's poster session served as a testament to that commitment—connecting scholarship with service and showcasing a vibrant public health community that’s deeply rooted in local impact, with a growing reach far beyond.
Dr. Roth: Food Security Demands Global 'One Health' Approach
At the heart of this year’s Public Health Symposium was a compelling and urgent keynote from Dr. James A. Roth, Distinguished Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University. Dr. Roth’s message was clear: safeguarding food security in a rapidly changing world requires a unified, global “One Health” approach.
Drawing on a sweeping timeline of emerging infectious diseases—from HIV/AIDS and SARS to African Swine Fever and H5N1 avian influenza—Dr. Roth outlined how globalization, climate change, deforestation, and intensive livestock production are contributing to disease spillover from animals to humans. The result: Heightened risk of pandemics and increasing food insecurity—issues that affect even the most developed nations.
“Diseases that arise anywhere in the world quickly spread throughout the rest of the world,” Dr. Roth warned. “It’s in the developed world’s best interest to invest in public health globally—not just for humanitarian reasons, but for protection at home.”
He emphasized that infectious disease outbreaks aren’t just public health concerns—they directly impact agriculture, economies, and political stability. Roth illustrated how African Swine Fever and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza devastated global meat production in countries like China and the U.S., driving up prices and straining supply chains.
Roth also tackled the rise of backyard animal farming, the complexities of using vaccines in livestock, and even addressed questions about plant-based and lab-grown proteins as possible (but not simple) solutions to global protein needs.
Despite the daunting challenges, Dr. Roth struck a note of encouragement for the next generation of public health professionals. “This too will pass,” he said. “Prepare yourself. Be ready to take control. Maintain hope. It’s your future.”
The address left attendees with both a sobering understanding of today’s global health landscape and a renewed sense of urgency—and opportunity—to lead the way forward.
Awards Ceremony: Honoring Excellence in Public Health
The symposium concluded with a celebration of public health leadership and impact, honoring individuals whose work exemplifies service, scholarship, and community engagement. The ceremony concluded a day showcasing public health impact from campus to community and beyond.
Excellence in Public Health Award
Shilpa Rajagopal, MD/MPH Student, Class of 2026
This honor recognizes a student who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to public health through interdisciplinary practice and leadership.
Delta Omega Induction Ceremony – Delta Nu Chapter
Delta Omega, the national honorary society for public health founded in 1924, welcomed new members.
Student Inductees
Faith Adjei-Sarpong – MPH: Public Health Practice
Christopher (Chris) Connolly – MD/MPH
Alexandra (Alex) Holland – PhD: Population Health Sciences
Grayson Jackson – MD/PhD: Bioethics & Health Humanities
Briana Nguyen – MPH: Public Health Practice
Alumni Inductee
Sandra Kum, MPH – Class of 2022
Faculty & Staff Inductees
Dr. Jacques Baillargeon – Professor & Chair, SPPH Dept. of Epidemiology
Austin Taylor – Coordinator II, Public Health Practice
Honorary Inductee
Patricia Gray, JD, LLM
Community Representative, UTMB IRB
Former President, Galveston Sustainable Communities Alliance
Founding Board Member, The Immunization Partnership
Former Member, Texas House of Representatives
Former Chair, Texas House Committee on Public Health
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