University of Memphis’ School of Public Health receives award from Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health

The School of Public Health at the University of Memphis has received national recognition from the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health, which has awarded the school the Harrison C. Spencer Award for Outstanding Community Service.

According to a news release on the University of Memphis’ website, Ashish Joshi, who serves as the dean of the School of Public Health, was quoted as explaining how the award will motivate the school to do even more for the Memphis community, saying, “By demonstrating our deep commitment to addressing the needs of the Memphis community, the School of Public Health hopes to be a beacon of hope to other communities across the Mid-South. The adage ‘it takes a village’ could not be more accurate because I am inspired daily by the dedication of our school to engage with the community to improve public health. The award motivates us to do more and continuously build multiple cross-sector partnerships that help advance our school to become an engine of social and economic growth for the city of Memphis and beyond.”

Under the direction of Joshi, the School of Public Health has recently undergone a transformation, with increased community outreach, establishing knowledge hubs, and creating a dual-degree for high school seniors.

The award letter that the University of Memphis received to explain the reasons why it was named a co-winner for the award along with East Tennessee State University said that the University of Memphis shows “unwavering dedication to addressing the pressing public health needs of our communities and serves as a testament to their relentless commitment to serving the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the Mid-South region.” The letter added, “Their innovative approaches have not only strengthened the public health workforce pipeline but have also spearheaded the development and implementation of community-based solutions aimed at promoting health equity and social justice.”

In winning the award, the University of Memphis joins the impressive ranks of other schools who have done so, including Drexel University School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at the Houston School of Public Health, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, among others.

For more information about the University of Memphis, visit the school’s website.