School of Public Health at University of Memphis

Each day of the EMPOWER Summer Initiative students had the opportunity to explore different aspects of public health.

On Day 2 students learned about access to health care for underinsured people in Memphis and Shelby County at Church Health where they were able to see first hand the innovative ways the center is helping Memphians gain quality, affordable healthcare and wellness services needed to live their healthiest lives.

The University of Memphis School of Public Health recently hosted the 2025–2026 RE-AIM Public Health IDEAS Hackathon Celebration on March 27, which brought together students from around the world to present innovative solutions to pressing public health challenges.
 
Organized in collaboration with   partners including DAV UNIVERSITY, JALANDHAR (India), Universidade do Minho (Portugal), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (Saudi Arabia), L-Università ta' Malta (University of Malta) (Malta), and the East Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), the event showcased the creativity and problem-solving skills of youth working at the intersection of public health, technology and community wellbeing.
 
During the Hackathon, finalist teams presented their work through short video pitch presentations, explaining the public health challenge they identified, their proposed solution, and the potential impact on communities. Projects demonstrated a wide range of creative approaches from AI-driven healthapplications and disease surveillance tools to podcasts, educationcampaigns, and youth-led health initiatives.
 
Student pitches were evaluated by a panel of judges including Ashraf Elmetwally, MD, PhD; Nathalie Occean, MHA, CPHQ; Lori M. Ward, PhD; Lauren Beaupre; and Scott Laster.
 
The Hackathon included 85 student participants forming 37 teams across 11 countries—Canada, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Nigeria, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Taiwan, Tanzania, and the UnitedStates. Over 80 attendees participated in person at the awards celebration, with additional students joining virtually from international locations.
 
Local participation included students from White Station High School, Central High School, Kingsbury High School, and Cordova High School, while university teams joined online from institutions such as National Taiwan University (Taiwan) and Chithram College of Paramedical Science (India).

On April 2nd, SPH hosted its Spring Career Fair, which was a great success featuring 22 community organizations offering jobs, internships, and information about ways students can get involved. 

We caught up with some students who were able to secure internships through attendance of the fall career fair as well as community partners and SPH faculty who offered some helpful advice for student success. 

We cannot wait for the next one!

Recently, our Public Health on Wheels initiative took University of Memphis School of Public Health students on a journey to Inc., where they learned about the programs The Works offers, including initiatives dedicated to affordable housing, nutrition, locally grown food and physical activity.

As an organization The Works Inc. demonstrates a deep understanding of community interconnectedness, through its initiatives to rebuild, restore and renew Memphis neighborhoods, they are a true example of Public Health in action.

The School of Public Health would like to extend a special thank you to team, especially Karen Bernard, Mary Schmidt, and for leading a neighborhood tour, sharing samples of their freshly picked vegetables and herbs and offering valuable historical context about their growing community impact.

Thanks again to The Works, Inc. for helping the School of Public Health take learning beyond the classroom and into the community!

Friendship Friday at SPH 💙

The 1st SPH Campus Meet & Greet

SPH students, faculty and staff represented our school at our first-ever Campus Meet & Greet. There were lawn games, watercolor painting, yoga, music, and FUN!

Our SPH representatives spoke to UofM students about SPH programs and the school's many offerings. We greatly enjoyed our time meeting with everyone!

The Annual SPH Plant & Picnic Event 🌱🪴

Today, the School of Public Health got new plant beds! Our new plant beds are located at McCord Hall - so make sure you stop by when you get the chance💙 We planted tomatoes 🍅 and squash!

Art Johnson, the TIGUrS Urban Garden Coordinator, taught us how to garden and maintain our new plants. Thank you, Art!

We had such a wonderful NPHW! ⭐