Proceso de exportación en el Ecuador

Director of Student and Alumni Affairs

Helena M. VonVille, MLS, MPH

Director of Library Services

History

The origins of public health can be traced to two roots, the requirement that a community protect itself from the ravages of mass disease, and an altruistic desire to ensure at least a minimal opportunity for a healthy life for underprivileged chil- dren. Early practical applications of these roots were the adoption of formal quaran- tine regulations in the 1300s by the cities of Ragusa and Venice and the child health movements of the late 1800s. Epidemics were an inevitable result of the growth of cities, and urban populations were forced to submit helplessly to the catastrophic epidemics of smallpox, cholera, plague, diphtheria, and other diseases until an ex- plosion of knowledge during the last half of the nineteenth century promised relief. The microbiological era in biomedical research was responsible for the identification of specific microbiological agents of disease and the development of the science of immunology. Precisely designed preventive procedures became available, and sim- ultaneously, advances in engineering made possible the provision of potable water, the removal of noxious wastes, and the construction of more hygienic dwellings and safer working places.

Community problems and community solutions cannot be managed by individual initiatives, so boards of health and health departments were created to protect the health of their constituents. By around 1910, the number of health departments in the United States, and the increasing complexity of their responsibilities, generated a need for specially trained physicians, nurses, and engineers. Educational programs were developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University, and from these programs evolved the concept of a spe- cialized school providing both professional and academic curricula in community health and related fields.

After World War II, the emphasis in community health changed greatly. Chronic diseases began to displace infections as primary causes of death in developed na- tions, and public concern was directed toward personal medical care services and health hazards of the environment. As the need for a skilled work force continued to grow, new schools of public health were established; enrollments were expand- ed, and curricula were altered to address the changing circumstances.

In 1947, the Texas State Legislature authorized a School of Public Health within The University of Texas System, but the authorization was not implemented until 1967. In that year, The University of Texas System, supported by many public-spirited citizens in Houston and elsewhere in the State, requested and received an appropri- ation for the School. The first class, admitted in the fall of 1969, occupied rented and borrowed space. Enrollment doubled in the second year and again in the third year. In response to this testimony to the previously unfilled need for graduate public health education in other geographic areas of the state, the School of Public Health at Houston initiated Regional MPH Programs in San Antonio in 1979, in El Paso in 1992, in Dallas in 1998, Brownsville in 2001, and in Austin in 2007. Strong research programs exist at each campus, addressing especially the health problems of Texas. By August 2011, graduates of the School of Public Health numbered more than 6,000. More than half of the School's graduates work in Texas, with the re- mainder addressing public health issues in the United States and internationally.

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the School and served from 1967 until 1986. His educational philosophy and his eminence in both epidemiology and graduate public health education were recog- nized by The University of Texas Board of Regents when they named the main School of Public Health building in his honor.

Mission and Goals

Education — The first responsibility of UTSPH is to provide present and future prac- titioners, teachers, and scientists the highest quality graduate education in the the- ory and practice of public health. The School’s educational philosophy is based on the premise that education is a lifelong process, and that, while the School and its faculty offers resources, support and guidance, the fundamental responsibility for each person's education resides with the individual. UTSPH offers programs, ad- visement and mentoring to help students acquire the knowledge and skills needed for career plans and goals. UTSPH teaches public health values and a diverse set of skills in the physical, biological, behavioral and analytic sciences needed by public health practitioners today. The School is committed to maintaining a broad perspec- tive on health, disease and the health care system.

Research — The School is committed to the pursuit of knowledge, which enhances both the theory and practice of public health. Faculty engage in research directed toward such activities as health promotion, environmental and occupational health, disease control, and health care delivery.

Service, Practice and Workforce Development Community — The School seeks to provide services to local, state, national and international organizations that are consistent with the School's instructional and research commitments. The School seeks to develop programs for workforce development both through degree pro- grams and through continuing education opportunities for public health practition- ers.

Accreditation

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is accredited by the South- ern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges to award cer- tificate, baccalaureate, masters, doctorate and special professional degrees. The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The MPH degree program satisfies the academic requirement for certification by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in the areas of public health, occupational medicine, aerospace medicine, and preventive medicine (See “Programs, Centers, and Institutes”), and by the National Board of Public Health Examiners, and by the Nation- al Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Non-discrimination Policy

To the extent provided by applicable law, no person shall be excluded from partici- pation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under, any program or activity sponsored or conducted by The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.

The School has a system of five regional campuses that serve the major population centers and border areas of the state. These campuses in Austin, Brownsville, Dal- las, El Paso and San Antonio are integral parts of the UT School of Public Health at Houston and provide onsite public health education to local populations. Degree and non-degree programs are designed to enhance the ability of the public health workforce to respond widely to the needs of the Texas population.

Each campus has 10-12 onsite faculty led by a regional dean. Educational programs and administration of the School, headquartered in Houston, are integrated across all campuses. Thus, regional campus faculty and students regularly interact with the Houston main campus and other regional campuses. Each regional campus is equipped with state-of-the-art communication systems so that students and faculty are full participants in the same class with those at other sites. The School provides courses and learning experiences at each campus and across campuses through a variety of distance education modalities, including interactive TV, webcam, and online offerings.

Students are admitted to a specific campus and complete all or a majority of their educational program at that site. Students are encouraged to engage in research with faculty at any site and may relocate, if warranted.

Austin Regional Campus

Regional Dean: Cheryl L. Perry, PhD

The Austin Regional Campus was established in March 2007 to offer graduate level courses leading to the Master of Public Health degree. Since that time, other degree programs have been approved. The University of Texas at Austin serves as the host institution for the campus. The campus is currently housed at 1616 Guadalupe Street, in the Administration building near campus.

Degree and Non-Degree Programs

The Austin Regional Campus offers public health education, including all of the non- degree certificate programs the School offers, as well as the Customized MPH, MPH in Epidemiology, MPH in Health Promotion/Health Education, DrPH in Health Pro- motion/Health Education, MS in Epidemiology, PhD in Epidemiology, and PhD in Behavioral Sciences programs. These doctoral degree programs are described under the Division listings. There are three dual degree programs with UT Austin’s School of Social Work (MSSW/MPH) and the LBJ School (MGPS/MPH, MPA/MPH).

Special areas of research interest at the Austin Regional Campus include child and adolescent health promotion, obesity prevention with children, tobacco and alcohol use prevention, and community-based policy and programs to support children’s health.

Centers

The Austin Regional Campus also houses the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, an international leader in research and programs that promote healthy living for children, their families and communities. The Center’s work fos- ters improved health behaviors among youth and influences policy and environ-

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Brownsville Regional Campus

Regional Dean: Joseph B. McCormick, MD

The Brownsville Regional Campus was established in 2001 on The University of Tex- as at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Campus (UTB/TSC) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The campus is less than a mile from the Mexico border and is part of the Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC). The Brownsville Regional Campus is housed in a 26,000 square foot building with classrooms, computer research labora- tories, offices, and a commons.

Degree and Non-Degree Programs

The Brownsville Regional Campus offers public health education, including all of the non-degree certificate programs the School offers, as well as the Customized MPH, MPH in Epidemiology, MPH in Health Promotion/Health Education, DrPH in Health Promotion/Health Education, MS in Epidemiology, and PhD in Epidemiology pro- grams. These doctoral degree programs are described under the Division listings. There is a dual degree program with The University of Texas at Brownsville (MBA/MPH).

The campus’ research and community outreach programs focus on the health prob- lems and their solutions in the border area. Special areas of interest include obesity and diabetes and their interaction with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, and with cancer. Students in Brownsville also have an opportunity to gain invaluable experience in International Health with numerous bi-national programs with Mexi- can organizations.

Centers

The Hispanic Health Research Center is housed on the Brownsville Regional Campus. The purpose of the Center is to conduct research into diseases prevalent in Hispanic populations.