Message from the Regional Dean
Welcome to The University of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH) San Antonio Regional Campus! The goal of our campus is to build on the existing capacity of the San Antonio region and South Texas to better respond to public health demands and to assist the community in promoting health and preventing disease and injury to improve the health status of the region. With ongoing and new health threats such as obesity, diabetes, substance use, workplace hazards, bioterrorism, pandemic flu, child abuse, barriers to accessing health care, and underlying poverty, the need is as great as ever to train high quality public health professionals with a population level focus and a goal of prevention.
The San Antonio Regional Campus is closely aligned to and supported by UT SPH from its main campus in Houston as well as by colleagues and programs found at the school’s other regional campuses in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, and El Paso. This network of public health education is unique among schools of public health in the US and provides a wealth of educational, research and service resources. All of the campuses are linked electronically, which facilitates communication, shared governance, expanded course offerings, and research collaborations. The campus is strategically located in the vibrant city of San Antonio in South Central Texas with a mission to be a research, teaching and service partner with its network of campuses, as well as with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and the Regional and Metropolitan Public Health agencies, a County Hospital District, and many dedicated community partners. Established in 1979, we are the largest and oldest regional campus. We currently have approximately 75 MPH students, and have produced more than 700 MPH graduates, many who have gone on to prominent careers in public health. The San Antonio Regional Campus also has a highly subscribed MD/MPH program in collaboration with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine, and the opportunity to obtain a concentration in Global Health (http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/ghc/) or a Certificate in Public Health (http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/cert/) . Our faculty have expertise in epidemiology, demography, health behavior and health promotion, organizational psychology, community health assessment, management and policy sciences, occupational and environmental health sciences, and biostatistics.
We have a growing research focus that is enhanced by our participation with research and training centers. The San Antonio Regional Campus is home to the Center for Transforming Public Health Systems and is closely tied to the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness and the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, providing additional research and continuing education opportunities. Plans for adding a doctoral component to our regional campus should be completed in the next year. South Texas and the Texas-Mexico Border region offer excellent potential for program growth and abundant research opportunities in multicultural communities. We welcome your interest in our campus.
Sharon Cooper, Ph.D.
Professor and Regional Dean
San Antonio Regional Campus
