Public health in the spotlight
Binghamton students are prepared to help
In May, Binghamton University celebrated its first graduating class of Master of Public Health students. Meanwhile, COVID-19 continued to make headlines worldwide.
The disease is just one of many public health concerns the inaugural cohort is well equipped to handle, thanks to a curriculum that includes interdisciplinary field experiences and strengthens skills in research, analysis and leadership.
Support from donors such as retired Binghamton faculty member Mary X. Britten (known to many as Masha) has been important to the program’s development, and it’s funding recognition awards for the new graduates and providing support for emergency student aid and the program’s continued growth.
“The MPH program admirably prepares graduates who are knowledgeable about national and global healthcare systems, ready to evaluate the healthcare needs of populations based on data, and able to propose necessary solutions and policy change to promote health,” Britten said. “The comprehensive curriculum makes a commitment to diversity, inclusion, advocacy, moral/ethical dimensions and social justice — all important values for me.”
Britten has had many roles at Binghamton, including associate professor and associate dean of the Decker School of Nursing. She remains a trusted mentor.
MPH Program Founding Director Yvonne A. Johnston ’93, MS ’97, received two nursing degrees from Binghamton before she earned a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Public Health in epidemiology from the University at Albany. During that time, Johnston and Britten worked together on multiple grants and presented at conferences together. They also served on many of the same committees, both on campus and as members of professional nursing organizations.
“I’ve relied on her guidance for years,” Johnston said. “She’s been supportive of the program in so many different ways. When you think about all the ways people give back to the University, Masha is one of those people who has given in all categories.”
MPH CAPSTONE PROJECTS
Some of this year’s student projects:
- “The Birds, Bees and STDs: Exploring Safer Sex Practices Among College
Students” - “Mass Incarceration in the Southern Tier: A Community Needs Assessment of the
Formerly Incarcerated” - “Proper Disposal of Unused Prescription Medications and Assessment of College
Students’ Perceived Risk for Misuse”
It is my pleasure to provide financial support for an excellent program focused on promoting health at a time when we are witnessing increasingly complex diseases and issues facing the United States and around the world.
— Mary X. Britten
