University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Encyclopedia
The Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) is one of 17 schools comprising the University of Pittsburgh
. The school, founded in 1948, was first led by Thomas Parran
, surgeon general
of the U.S. Public Health Service. It is ranked as the 11th best such school in the United States by US News and World Report. In addition, it is ranked third among public health schools for funding received from the National Institute of Health. It was the first of only two fully accredited schools of public health in Pennsylvania (the other being Drexel University
's School of Public Health in Philadelphia). The school offers Masters of Public Health and doctoral degrees in areas such as Behavioral and Community Health Services, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Human Genetics, Infectious Disease and many more.
, the school was accredited on April 6, 1950 and admitted its first class of 29 full-time and 5 part-time students in September 1950. The school moved into a new facility, now named Parran Hall
, completed for it in 1957. The School's first Dean, Thomas Parran
, had previously founded the World Health Organization
and served for twelve years as Surgeon General of the United States
. Parran guided the early development of the school and recruited many of its prominent early faculty. An early focus of the School was occupational and industrial health and hygiene in the steel mills of Pittsburgh. These studies, and GSPH investigations of black lung among coal miners, strongly influenced the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 which, based mostly on GSPH generated data, created the first national standards for on-the-job worker safety and health. Although the scope of the school has greatly broadened, this theme of research at GSPH has continued throughout the years with significant implications, including among other things, information on the hazards of asbestos
. GSPH has grown through the years to become one of the top such schools in regards to sponsored research funding. It has also pioneered research directions, for instance, by being the first school of public health to have a department of human genetics, creating the first and only public health school chair in Minority Health, and playing critical roles in understanding diseases such as AIDS
for which it initiated the longest-running national study of the natural history of the disease. It continues to maintain strong relationships with regional and national government agencies such as the Allegheny County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
, and has produced over 5,000 alumni in its 60 years of history.
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. The school, founded in 1948, was first led by Thomas Parran
Thomas Parran, Jr.
Thomas Parran, Jr. was an American physician and Public Health Service officer. He was appointed the sixth Surgeon General of the United States from 1936 to 1948.-Early years :...
, surgeon general
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
of the U.S. Public Health Service. It is ranked as the 11th best such school in the United States by US News and World Report. In addition, it is ranked third among public health schools for funding received from the National Institute of Health. It was the first of only two fully accredited schools of public health in Pennsylvania (the other being Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
's School of Public Health in Philadelphia). The school offers Masters of Public Health and doctoral degrees in areas such as Behavioral and Community Health Services, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Human Genetics, Infectious Disease and many more.
History
A desire by Pittsburgh residents to better understand the health risks involved in the pollution released from the city's many steel mills in the early 20th Century led to the creation of Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health in 1948 due to a $13.6 million grant from the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust. Originating in the renovated former Municipal Hospital, now Salk HallSalk Hall
Jonas Salk Hall at the University of Pittsburgh is a Pennsylvania state and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark. The Art Deco building is named after Jonas Salk, who conducted his research on the first polio vaccine in a basement laboratory while on the faculty at the...
, the school was accredited on April 6, 1950 and admitted its first class of 29 full-time and 5 part-time students in September 1950. The school moved into a new facility, now named Parran Hall
Parran Hall
Parran Hall is an academic building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The building, constructed to house the Graduate School of Public Health, was completed in 1957, and designed by Eggers & Higgins, architects of the Dirksen...
, completed for it in 1957. The School's first Dean, Thomas Parran
Thomas Parran, Jr.
Thomas Parran, Jr. was an American physician and Public Health Service officer. He was appointed the sixth Surgeon General of the United States from 1936 to 1948.-Early years :...
, had previously founded the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and served for twelve years as Surgeon General of the United States
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
. Parran guided the early development of the school and recruited many of its prominent early faculty. An early focus of the School was occupational and industrial health and hygiene in the steel mills of Pittsburgh. These studies, and GSPH investigations of black lung among coal miners, strongly influenced the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 which, based mostly on GSPH generated data, created the first national standards for on-the-job worker safety and health. Although the scope of the school has greatly broadened, this theme of research at GSPH has continued throughout the years with significant implications, including among other things, information on the hazards of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
. GSPH has grown through the years to become one of the top such schools in regards to sponsored research funding. It has also pioneered research directions, for instance, by being the first school of public health to have a department of human genetics, creating the first and only public health school chair in Minority Health, and playing critical roles in understanding diseases such as AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
for which it initiated the longest-running national study of the natural history of the disease. It continues to maintain strong relationships with regional and national government agencies such as the Allegheny County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
, and has produced over 5,000 alumni in its 60 years of history.
Departments
- Behavioral & Community Health Sciences
- Biostatistics
- Environmental & Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Health Policy & Management
- Human Genetics
- Infectious Diseases & Microbiology
Centers
GSPH is responsible for or participates in the operation a variety of different public health centers including:- Center for Global Health
- Center for Minority HealthCenter for Minority HealthThe Center for Minority Health , part of The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, was established in 1994 through a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation...
- Center for Public Health Practice
- Center for Public Health PreparednessCenter for Public Health PreparednessCenters for Public Health Preparedness program was established in 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen terrorism and emergency preparedness by linking academic expertise to state and local health agency needs....
- Pennsylvania & Ohio Public Health Training Center
- University of Pittsburgh Epidemiology Data CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Epidemiology Data CenterThe Epidemiology Data Center is recognized as an official University Center at the University of Pittsburgh and is part of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The EDC was formed in 1980 by Katherine M. Detre, M.D., Dr.P.H., and is...
- Center for Healthy Environments & Communities (CHEC) - CHEC was founded in 2004 under a grant from the Heinz Endowments at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health. CHEC's mission is to improve environmental health in Western Pennsylvania. They take a community-based approach to analyze the social, economic, political, policy, behavioral and geographical variables associated with environmental health issues, as well as the traditional physical-chemical aspects of local environmental health problems. Their aim is to: provide community-based participatory environmental research projects; perform exposure and risk assessment studies; offer access to local environmental health data, and provide opportunities for collaboration, prioritization of environmental problems, and conferencing, and outreach that helps people improve their lives and neighborhoods. The Principal Investigator for and Director of CHEC is Conrad (Dan) Volz, DrPH, MPH.