Message from the Chair
Chair, Department of Family Medicine
and Public Health Sciences
Dear DFMPHS Community,
As we move through the summer months, I’m pleased to share several exciting achievements and updates from across our department.
First and foremost, I’m delighted to announce that our Master of Public Health program has been officially reaccredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for a full seven-year term, effective through July 1, 2032. This outstanding outcome follows a comprehensive review process and reflects the quality, dedication, and impact of our MPH program.
This milestone would not have been possible without the thoughtful engagement and generous support of so many who contributed to the CEPH site visit last November. A heartfelt thank you to our students, alumni, community partners, staff, faculty and SOM and university leadership. Your voices and commitment powerfully conveyed the strengths of our program to the CEPH reviewers. Each of you played a critical role in telling the story of our collective mission to advance public health education, research, and practice.
In April this year, we also have had our 9th Annual Department Research Day successfully when over a dozen abstracts were presented by our students, residents and faculty and competed for awards of excellence. Shaurel Valbrun, Michal Ruprecht and Mujeebulla Hussaini were all awarded Certifcates of Excellence in the category of "Master of Public Health Student/Medical Student/Resident Physician" abstract submission and oral presentation.
Our keynote speaker Dr. Renée Branch Canady gave a truly inspiring and timely talk entitled Room at the Table: Advancing the Public’s Health as Leaders & Partners.
Another highlight from this spring was the annual Michigan Family Medicine Research Day, held on May 22nd in Lansing. This important statewide event brings together students, residents, faculty, and other professionals in family medicine and public health from across the state each year. I’m proud to share that two of our own were recognized for their exceptional scholarly work: Maha Albujuq, BS, Post-Baccalaureate Research Volunteer, and Dr. Samar Haroun, MD, MSc, Preventive Medicine Resident. Congratulations to both and their mentors/advisors!
Lastly, it has also been a very busy time logistically for us, as we are transitioning our primary departmental offices from Woodward Gardens (3939 Woodward Ave) to University Health Center (4201 St. Antoine, 7C and 9A) Our administrative team has been working hard to ensure a smooth and efficient transition for faculty, staff and students alike.
Thank you all for your continued support, collaboration, and contributions. I wish you a restful and enjoyable remainder of the summer.
Warm regards,
Jinping Xu, MD, MS
Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences
