College of Public Health

Sinoxolo “Susan” Favor was doing public health work in her native South Africa long before she enrolled in the College of Public Health at George Mason University. Now Favor is graduating from this spring with a BS in community health from the first college of public health in Virginia.

The George Mason College of Public Health has achieved major advancements in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, marking a moment of recognition for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation in health education. The institution proudly announces that five of its programs are now ranked among the top 100 in their respective fields, with two distinguished graduate degrees—the Master of Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)—securing positions within the top 10.

The funding will help develop new tools in imaging technology using a light source that is five times better than white light for identifying and visualizing bruising across all skin tones for use by forensic nurses, social service providers, and law enforcement.

Kayla Moore sees testing for sexually transmitted diseases as a key part of public health, and the doorway to a healthy community. Moore is currently getting her Master of Clinical Social Work at George Mason University’s College of Public Health, and in recognition of the 25th anniversary of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, has organized a two-part event at Mason’s Fairfax Campus that speaks to public health.

Dr. Allison Miner is a licensed dietitian and educator. Dr. Miner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She also provides medical nutrition therapy at the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA, Health Unit). At the TSA she moderates a virtual weekly weight loss support group which is available to its 68,000+ employees.

Six graduate students from George Mason University’s Department of Global and Community Health presented a four-pronged solution to address health care and homelessness among Washington, D.C., area women at the D.C. Public Health Case Challenge.

Mason graduate student Archana Vardhan was one of 20 students nationwide selected for a summer fellowship through the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. Her area of expertise is the mental and physical health of postnatal mothers of color.

Melissa Perry, dean of Mason’s College of Public Health, is an ardent proponent of virtual reality as a tool to help solve the nation’s health challenges. But she also worries that technology has helped create an “epidemic of loneliness” that has heightened the importance of a shared humanity and “being present for each other.”

Arion Lillard-Green, already a Mason alum, returned to complete her PhD in health services research.

Rather than the traditional way we think of health care as treating people once they are already sick, public health is about prevention and empowering the public by giving them the tools to maintain their own health and safety. Let’s dive into why the public health field is an excellent launching pad into medical school.