Dear Friends of the College,
The warm weather has returned to Tucson, and spring is in full flower. This is National Public Health Week, a chance for us all to reflect on what we have achieved in public health, and all the challenges we are determined to meet in the months ahead. As we approach the end of the Spring 2023 semester, we have had many events and some sad news.

In Memory of Mel Zuckerman, Public Health Champion
We are all grieving for the recent loss of Mel Zuckerman. As you are probably already aware, Mel passed away in March at the age of 94. He was a visionary, a man of extraordinary compassion and generosity, and a transformative philanthropist.

Mel and his wife Enid gave the funding that established the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Since it launched in the year 2000, our college has educated more than 5000 students who have gone on to become leaders in public health and helped to improve health and wellness for millions of people in communities here in the United States and around the world!

Mel will forever be remembered for his kindness and for his public health legacy. He truly changed the world. The Zuckerman family will continue to build on his legacy, and the college will continue to grow and transform health and wellness. We will honor Mel’s legacy at a tribute event on the evening of Monday, April 17 in the HSIB building from 4:30-6:30pm.

Recent Events
Last month, several faculty and staff travelled to Washington DC for the annual meetings of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) where we heard about new ideas and approaches in public health higher education. While in DC, we hosted a reception for our DC area alumni at the University of Arizona’s DC Center in central Washington. We were very pleased to join so many of our graduates who are now professionals working in federal agencies, and in national or state public health organizations, in the greater Washington DC area.

Recently our Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion hosted a panel discussion, The Role of Spirituality in Black Health, moderated by our own Dr. Kelly Palmer. The panel featured Reverend D. Grady Scott, Pastor Jonathan Smith, and Dr. Amanda Sokan and the insightful discussion illuminated opportunities and challenges related to black health and communities of faith.

Towards the end of March, we hosted our annual Scholarship Luncheon which brings together donors who fund scholarships with the students who receive them. Many donors and students attended, and we heard powerful stories from our students about their educational journeys. We also heard from our alumnus Mark Smolinski who leads the nonprofit Ending Pandemics, and from JoAnna Westcott, Chairwoman of our Community Advisory Board. Thank you to everyone who helped to organize and orchestrate this event! You can see photos and watch videos of the speakers in our recap story about the event.

We also recently hosted our annual Public Health Poster Forum, an event that highlights student research and projects, all organized by students. The Forum theme this year was One Health, and it was a great success. Congratulations to all the students who organized and participated in the forum, to the award winners, and to our staff mentor, Michael Tearne, and our faculty mentor, Dr. Amanda Wilson. Watch for our follow-up story with photos and recognition for the Poster Forum award winners!

Upcoming Events
As I mentioned, it was great to connect with our alumni in the DC Area last month! At the end of this month, on April 29, we will hold an event for our alumni in the San Diego and Southern California area, hosted by Nicole Zuckerman-Morris, granddaughter of Mel Zuckerman. If you’re one of our graduates living near San Diego, we hope to see you there! Follow up with Amber Richmond, amrichmond@arizona.edu, for more information.

The college will host an International Health Career Panel on April 13, 1-2pm that will feature two of our alumni, Erin Lockley, MPH, and Preshit Ambade, DrPH, to talk about careers in global health and answer questions. This event is organized by our Global Health Alliance student group and our Office of Student Affairs.

There are many other college events happening in the weeks ahead, please check our Calendar list at the end of this Newsletter to see them all.

Faculty, Staff, and Students: Honors, Profiles, and Awards
We are very proud of all that our students, staff, and faculty accomplish and appreciate the recognition that comes their way. Please join me in congratulating the following:

• Denise Moreno Ramirez, PhD, MS, has joined the Department of Community, Environment, and Policy as a UArizona Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow
  • publichealth.arizona.edu/news/2023/dr-denise-moreno-ramirez-featured-at-sxsw-festival
• Sheila Soto, DrPh, joined the Department of Public Health Practice, Policy, and Translational Research as a Research Assistant Professor.
• Jeff Burgess, MD, MS, MPH, received a continuation of his National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) training grant to support his graduate program in industrial hygiene.

Gratitude for Our Community
I thank all of you for your ongoing support of the College and our public health mission. We live in troubling times, and so often public health offers solutions to the widespread suffering in this world.  As we approach the end of our 2023 Spring semester, I look forward to working with you to support our diverse communities, both locally and globally, with the best public health education, service, and research.

Best Wishes for your Health and Safety,
Iman

UArizona Pain Center wins $1 million grant from state for new cannabis education program

Benjamin Brady, DrPH, CPAC, director of the cannabis education initiative, is quoted in this article about $1M grant from Arizona Department of Health Services to the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center at UArizona Health Sciences to develop a program that promotes awareness and respect for Arizona's marijuana laws and to encourage responsible use of cannabis.

Got ticks? UArizona researchers want them

UArizona researchers are asking the public to contribute to an important community health effort: The Great Arizona Tick Check. The research project is a collaboration among the UArizon Cooperative Extentsion, the Zuckerman College of Public Health, and the Arizona Department of Health Services. This story appeared in multiple media outlets.

Mel Zuckerman, co-founder of fitness resorts, dies at age 94

Mel Zuckerman, founder of the world-renowned Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort and Spa died last weekend at home surrounded by family. He was 94. Zuckerman and his wife, Enid, are the founding funders of the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. This story was covered in many media outlets.

Psychedelic Therapy

Six MPH students from the college wrote a letter to the editor calling for increased awareness, advocacy and education towards exploring drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA as therapeutic treatments for the nearly 1.6 billion people globally who suffer from PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder or other such mental health conditions.