Augusta University School of Public Health

09/18/2026

Our new Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree transcends the game. 💥

Interested in applying? Stay tuned for the link!

09/18/2026

09/16/2026

We have exciting news to share! 🎓 📚 ✏️

The School of Public Health is preparing to launch its first undergraduate program in fall 2027: a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH). The program will prepare students for careers focused on improving the health of communities, public service, disease prevention and disaster management, while helping meet Georgia’s growing public health workforce needs.

“We decided on the BSPH, partly to capitalize on the undergraduate ecosystem on the Summerville Campus and to connect our graduate programs with an undergraduate degree. I also think it’s just a fantastic bachelor’s degree for many health sciences careers,” said SPH Dean Teresa Waters, PhD. “I think our specialty is how closely we hope to be able to tie it to the pre-clinical programs unique to AU.”

The application for the new degree program will be available soon, and prospective students are encouraged to monitor the Augusta University application portal for updates.

More information in the comments!

09/15/2026

We're ecstatic to announce that Kim Dyches, our Master of Public Health Program Coordinator, has been honored by the Augusta University Staff Council with the 2026 Student Impact Award!

The Student Impact Award recognizes a staff member who has made a significant and lasting contribution to AU’s top priority — our students. The winner consistently embodies the university's values through exceptional service, integrity and commitment to student wellbeing, development and success. Their work enhances students’ personal, academic and professional growth while fostering a positive, supportive campus environment.

Kim goes above and beyond to support our MPH students through every step of their graduate program experience, and our students are so lucky to have her as a resource.

The award will be formally presented to Kim at the Faculty and Staff Service Recognition & Staff Council Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre from 10am- 12pm.

Congratulations, Kim! Thank you for all you do! 🎉

09/11/2026

The 2026 PACELINE Palooza was one for the books! 💙

Many thanks to everyone who joined us, took their shot at dunking Dean Waters and other amazing AU volunteers and helped support groundbreaking cancer research at the Georgia Cancer Center at AU.

Missed the fun? No worries — you can still make a difference by donating to the AUSPH4GCC PACELINE team through the link in the comments below! 🔗

09/08/2026

This has been a season of great achievements and meaningful community impact for AUSPH! Please join us in congratulating Marlo Vernon, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy for receiving a 2026 Golden Helix Community Award from Georgia Life Sciences. 🏆

The Golden Helix Awards recognize individuals, organizations and partnerships that are advancing innovation, expanding patient care, strengthening Georgia's economy and shaping the future of the state's life sciences ecosystem.

Vernon's recognition highlights her commitment to improving community health and implementing life-changing public health initiatives in counties across Georgia.

09/02/2026

The Augusta University School of Public Health is kicking off the new academic year with nearly 300 students, marking more than 150% growth in enrollment since the school’s creation in 2023.

Students, faculty and staff gathered for the annual Welcome Back and Orientation Event to connect, share their public health interests and learn more about resources available to support their success. With continued growth in its academic community, SPH remains focused on preparing future public health leaders and addressing Georgia’s public health challenges through education, research and community partnerships.

09/01/2026

Why does the U.S. health system continue to underperform despite high levels of spending?

School of Public Health Dean Teresa Waters, PhD, was cited twice in a new National Academy of Medicine discussion paper that explores how misaligned financial incentives shape system performance and what can be done to address them. The authors identify key structural drivers and outline a set of policy levers that could better align financing with outcomes, prevention and accessibility.

Read the paper below ⬇️

08/31/2026

Where is Dr. De Leo from? Wrong answers only.

08/28/2026

We're proud to announce that E. Andrew Balas, MD, PhD, a professor in the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy within the School of Public Health, has received a $2.5 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify how research errors arise, spread and affect scientific progress and develop practical tools to prevent them.

Biomedical research is facing a reproducibility crisis, with major scientific journals estimating more than 80% of published biomedical research is negatively affected by various defects, resulting in findings that are non-reproducible and useless.

“It’s a very timely topic because two or three years ago, it was not very commonly considered or recognized that there is this huge problem with wasted research that is either flawed or defective,” said Balas, the principal investigator of the study.

He will work with Wendy Burnett, PhD, an assistant professor at AUSPH; Melissa Powell, a professor at Augusta University Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and Peter Elkin, PhD, a professor and chair in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo on the five year-study.

Read more about the project in the comments. ⬇️