Public Health Department

Professor: Martha Livingston, Chair
Associate Professor: Fetsum Rahwa Haile, Shijian Li
Assistant Professors: Christopher Hartmann, Sarah Smith

Consistent with the College’s core social-justice mission, Public Health at Old Westbury has been taught since the College’s inception. While the public health field has become increasingly popular at the undergraduate level in recent years, and especially given the recent worldwide pandemic crisis, Old Westbury students have the benefit of a longstanding program with a strong emphasis on the social determinants of health. And since 2019, our degree has been nationally accredited by CEPH, the Council on Education in Public Health (ceph.org) - one of the few standalone undergraduate programs to be so recognized.

Public Health is a critical, multidisciplinary field whose goal is to maximize the health and well-being of populations and communities. Students learn the core disciplines of public health, including epidemiology and biostatistics, research methods and program planning and evaluation. But they do so within a social determinants of health framework. That is, how our society is structured, how the resources of our wealthy society are distributed and in whose interest, profoundly shapes our ability to lead healthy, productive lives. Social class and economic inequality, racism, sexism and gender discrimination, the environment, the workplace and access to decent employment, access to health care and healthy food and housing, social and community relationships - all determine our health, the nation’s health, and the health and survival of our planet.

Public Health students complete internships and conduct research in community-based public health settings, developing contacts and real-world experience, and study a wide range of topics from health equity to environmental justice, from substance use to mental health, from health policy to global health, from gender and health to immigrant and refugee health. and numerous other areas of special interest.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Understand the philosophy, beliefs, history, core values, and fundamental concepts of public health
Demonstrate and apply an understanding of the social determinants of health framework to public health research, practice and prevention efforts
Demonstrate an understanding of the key components of health care systems, with a particular focus on the U.S.
Demonstrate the ability to define and use key epidemiological concepts and principles to identify and assess the causes of health problems
Communicate public health information and ideas in oral and written formats to diverse audiences using a variety of media
Conduct literature review on the health needs of a community as well as collect and analyze data to address the needs
Endorse and integrate ethical practices and social justice into public health practice and action
Demonstrate the ability to develop and carry out independent research to understand and assess the health status and needs of a community

Course of Study

Public health students are prepared for employment in public health departments, public health education and promotion, community-based agencies, health-care administration, social work, counseling, and numerous other health-related fields, and receive a solid foundation for graduate-level study. Our department has developed close relationships with graduate programs in our area.

As described in the Requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Society, which is the name of degree offered by the Public Health department, students must complete one semester of Biology and Introduction to Statistics as well as seven core courses in the major. In addition, students will choose three courses from among the Public Health electives. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Health and Society, B.S.