The Augusta University School of Public Health has taken an important step as the first application submission to transition from an accredited Master of Public Health program to the School of Public Health has been accepted by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH).
Over the past several months, CEPH has revised the School's guidelines, assessment practices, and the School's Seven Schools to ensure that Augusta University has the critical components as a complete School of Public Health. We have reviewed detailed curriculum information for graduate programs.
“I am excited about what our School of Public Health will do for Augusta University, our students, the people of Georgia and beyond,” said Dr. Brooks A. Keel, president of Augusta University. Ta. “As the state's only public academic health center, we provide students with a comprehensive educational experience to help ensure the health of Georgia's people and communities while preparing leaders who understand the critical role of public health in Georgia.” It is our responsibility and privilege to provide for society today.”
AU's School of Public Health will enter a period of self-study over the next 24 months, with a final report expected to be submitted by March 1, 2026. The self-study period will be followed by a formal certification site visit in fall 2026. A final certification decision will be made.
“We already had a great foundation in place, and that certainly helped in this process,” said Dr. Neil J. McKinnon, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Towards this goal, Dean Waters and the School of Public Health leadership team, faculty and staff have shown their hard work in recent months as we continue to prepare our students for their future careers and conduct important research.” Thank you very much.”
“When Dr. Keel and Dr. McKinnon brought me to Augusta University to lead this effort, I knew it would be both an opportunity and a challenge. I never imagined how great it would be to work with such a team of leaders, faculty, staff, and students,” said founding Dean Teresa M. Waters. “We are so grateful for their dedication, solidarity, and passion for public health. And now the real work begins. , we look forward to building on the great work we've already done, focused on our mission to help everyone achieve their full health potential. We are committed to building on our world-class students. We will do that through centered education and training, impactful research, and true community partnerships.”
AU's School of Public Health has seven programs: the Master of Public Health and Master of Science degrees in Biostatistics, Clinical Translational Science, Data Science, and Epidemiology, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biostatistics and Applied Health Sciences.
The initial leadership team includes Waters. Dr. Jie Chen, Interim Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and Interim Director of the Department of Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology. Dr. Gianluca de Leo, interim director of the Office of Health Care, Economics and Policy; Dr. Aaron Johnson, interim associate dean for research and community engagement and interim chair of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion; Bobby Wilcox, Assistant Interim Administrator;
