Public Health 101

Richard K. Riegelman, MD, MPH, PhD is Professor of Epidemiology, Medicine, and Health Policy, and Founding Dean of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Healthin Washington, DC. His education includes an M.D. from the University of Wisconsin plus a M.P.H. and Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins. Dr. Riegelman practiced primary care internal medicine for over 20 years. Dr.Riegelman has over 70 publications including 6 books for students and practitioners of medicine and public health. He is currently editor of the Jones and Bartlett book series Essential Public Health. The series provides books and ancillary materials for the full spectrum of curricula for undergraduate public health as well as the core and cross-cutting competencies covered by the Certification in Public Health examination of the National Board of Public Health Examiners. He has taken a lead role in developing the Educated Citizen and Public Health initiative which has brought together arts and sciences and public health education associations to implement the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommendation that “…all undergraduates should have access to education in public health.”. Dr. Riegelman also led the development of George Washington’s undergraduate major and minor and currently teaches “Public Health 101” and “Epidemiology 101” to undergraduates. Brenda Kirkwood MPH, DrPH, has experience in higher education spanning public and private institutions on the associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels including development and teaching of undergraduate and graduate public health courses, development and management of public health academic programs, student mentorship, and contributions to national educational initiatives. She has held faculty and administrative positions at the University at Albany State University of New York School of Public Health, The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, American University College of Arts and Sciences, and George Mason University College of Health and Human Services. She currently works in academic administration at the University at Albany State University of New York School of Public Health. Prior to her career in higher education, Dr. Kirkwood held positions with the New York State Cancer Registry and the Bureaus of Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Injury Prevention within the New York State Department of Health. She received a Bachelor of Science from Ithaca College, Master of Public Health from the University at Albany State University of New York, and Doctor of Public Health degree from The George Washington University. Dr. Kirkwood has been actively involved in national efforts to expand public health education and strengthen the public health workforce. As a researcher and educator, she has collaborated with a number of academic and public health workforce organizations. Her recent research explored the adoption of public health curricula in community colleges, contributing toHealthy People 2020, a collaborative initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her publications and presentations at numerous national professional conferences have focused on undergraduate public health education, contributing to The Educated Citizen and Public Health movement.