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Did you know? 35 Facts about the Arnold School of Public Health
April 9, 2010
Dean Winona Vernberg,
the school's first dean
In 1975, the U.S. inflation rate was at 9.2 percent, the average income nationally was about $14,100, and the average cost of a new car was about $4,250 -- and the gas to run it was 44 cents a gallon.
The University of South Carolina campus was a quieter place than it had been during the tumultuous days of the Vietnam War, but there was great excitement that November when the Gamecocks’ football team defeated Clemson 56 - 20.
Nationally, public health education was changing. Until the mid-1970s, the traditional public health students had been men and women who already had obtained a medical degree. But by 1978, the majority of public health students – 69 percent, in fact – enrolled in public health schools with only baccalaureate degrees.
Public health training was evolving from a second degree for medical professionals to a primary health discipline. The nation’s schools of public health, which had been established for the study of hygiene and sanitation, expanded into five core disciplines -- biostatistics, epidemiology, health services administration, health education/ behavioral science, and environmental health sciences.
It was in this era of change that the University of South Carolina’s College of Public Health and Associated Health Programs opened its doors to 34 public health students in July 1975. They began a five-week summer session at the new school, the only school of public health in the state. The school had seven faculty and a total budget of less than $500,000.
Reflecting upon the school’s early days, Dr. Winona Vernberg, the school’s second dean, was quoted in a 2006 newspaper article as saying, “Scrounging was one of the things we did best back then … Our budget was low at the time. We started out in the nursing building and were grateful if we had eight or nine rooms. We thought it would be astounding to be in a building of our own; when we got one, we quickly outgrew it.”
Over the next 35 years, the Arnold School of Public Health grew in size and national reputation. In Fall 2009, the Arnold School welcomed more than 800 undergraduate and 650 graduate students to campus.
“We’re no longer the new kid at Carolina,” said Dr. Tom Chandler, dean of the Arnold School. “Today, the Arnold School is a ‘mature’ college at USC, and one of 43 schools in the nation accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). We remain the only school of public health in South Carolina, but we have grown and changed dramatically from a primarily degree-granting entity to a major research and service enterprise for the state.”
One of the most obvious changes since 1975 is the impressive cadre of Arnold School alumni, which now total more than 6,000, he said.
“Our graduates are serving in key public health positions here in the Palmetto State and throughout our nation and world. The breadth of their knowledge and the strength of their commitment to create a more healthful world are invaluable in our mission to protect and improve the health of children and adults and the environment,” Chandler said.
In observance of the Arnold School’s anniversary, here are 35 facts about the school, its history and its people:
- In 1975, the four core programs in the new school were public health administration, environmental health sciences, public health measurement, and public health education, each headed by a program director.
- Dr. Winona Vernberg, the school’s first dean, is widely credited as the driving force behind the early success of USC’s School of Public Health. Her career at the University spanned 28 years, including eight years as a biology professor and two years as interim dean and 17 years as dean of the School of Public Health, which established the annual Vernberg Lecture in her honor. She also served as interim provost of the University after her “retirement.”
- The school’s deans have included Dr. Harris Pastides, named dean in 1998 and selected by USC’s Board of Trustees as the university’s 28th president in July 2008; Dr. Donna Richter, named dean in 2003 and now is serving as the executive director of the S.C. Public Health Institute; and Dr. Tom Chandler, named Arnold School dean in 2009.
- In 1979, the College of Public Health at USC became only the 19th school of public health in the nation.
During its first decade, the school was located on the seventh floor of the Williams Brice Nursing Building and later expanded its offices to the Health Sciences Building at the corner of Greene and Sumter streets.
The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, whose chair is Dr. Robert McKeown, is a joint department of the two disciplines, which adds to the strength of the department and its students’ education. The department has grown substantially over the past decade, and, with that growth, research has grown substantially, both in amount and in range of subject matter. While cancer continues to be a major research focus, scientists also are studying nutrition and physical activity, health disparities, especially with the expansion of work in the Latino community, molecular epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, social epidemiology, reproductive epidemiology and child health, and psychiatric epidemiology. In biostatistics, exciting research is under way in longitudinal analysis, including survival analysis, spatial statistics, bioinformatics, innovative analysis approaches, and clinical biostatistics.
The School of Public Health established an Alzheimer’s Disease Registry in 1988. A comprehensive statewide registry of S.C. residents diagnosed with Alzheimerís disease or related disorders (ADRD), the registry is the nationís most comprehensive registry of its kind. It is housed in the Office for the Study of Aging. Carol Cornman is the director.
Dr. Edward Frongillo is chair of the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. Faculty and students in HPEB conduct research on a variety of topics, including health disparities and inequalities; community-based nutrition, diet, and obesity prevention; the health of children, adolescents, young adults, women and senior citizens; global health; cancer and HIV/AIDS prevention and control; and health communication.
In 1990, the nation’s first Department of Exercise Science was established at USC’s School of Public Health. This visionary move recognized the major link between physical activity and health, and its faculty are recognized internationally for their studies of this linkage. The Masterís of Public Health in Physical Activity is the first academic program in the nation designed to prepare health professionals who have a career interest in physical activity. The department also offers a doctoral degree in physical therapy, which was among the first programs of its kind in the United States. Dr. Larry Durstine is department chair.
A grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established a Prevention Research Center at the School of Public Health. One of the first 12 in the nation, the PRC was established with the theme, “Promoting Health through Physical Activity.” Dr. Steven Hooker is the PRC director.
The Department of Exercise Science has three faculty members who are past presidents of the prestigious American College of Sports Medicine: Dr. Steve Blair, Dr. Larry Durstine, and Dr. Russell Pate.
Dr. Jan Probst is chair of the Department of Health Services Policy and Management. The department’s research, highly regarded throughout the United States, includes healthcare financing, rural health, health disparities, HIV-AIDS policy, and healthcare quality.
The James A. Keith Excellence Teaching Award was begun in 1991 to recognize the school’s outstanding teachers. Named for a beloved faculty member Dr. James A. Keith, the award was first given to Dr. Francisco Sy, who taught infectious disease epidemiology at the school for 15 years.
The addition of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences to the School of Public Health’s academic departments underscored the importance of scientific study on the role that human interactions have on the environment. Research focuses on the adverse effects of environmental conditions or contamination on human health -- and the adverse effects of human activities on the environment. Graduate programs prepare students for careers in public and environmental health. Dr. Dwayne Porter is department chair.
The 25th anniversary celebration for USC’s School of Public Health was held April 7, 2000, and was marked by a “Rededication Ceremony” for the school. Noted public health scholar Dr. Andrew Sorensen, then president of the University of Alabama, was guest speaker. Sorensen was named USC’s 27th president in 2002 and served until 2008.
The Arnold School presented its first Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2000. Douglas E. Bryant, then the Commissioner for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, was the recipient. Bryant earned a bachelor’s degree in health education in 1976 from USC and a master’s in health administration in 1981 from the School of Public Health.
M. Edward Sellers, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina and the Companion group of companies, was the recipient of the Arnold School’s first Dean’s Service Award. Given in 2000, the award was established to recognize a member of the community who has made significant contributions to the mission and goals of the Arnold School.
In November 2000, Columbia business leader Norman J. Arnold and his wife, Gerri Sue, gave $10 million to create an endowment for the school that now bears their name. At that time, the Arnold School was only the third school of public health in the United States to be named for an individual.
The Norman J. Arnold Endowment supports the ìArnold Doctoral Fellowsî program to recruit and support top doctoral students in the schoolís funded research activities.
The S.C. Rural Health Research Center was founded in 2000 with a $2.5 million grant from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Since then, the center has received additional funding of more than $4.6 from ORHP, plus nearly $750,000 from other sources, for studies on rural healthcare needs.
Dr. Elaine Frank is chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, one of the longest accredited programs in the Southeast, with continuous accreditation for more than 40 years. Scientists in the department are recognized as national and international leaders in stroke research, particularly language recovery efficacy; research in voice and speech function – including the development of cutting-edge technology in high speech video imaging; and neuro-imaging of language and speech function in the brain.
The Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities at the Arnold School addresses problems associated with poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyles and obesity. The center also provides seed grants to encourage interdisciplinary research related to nutrition and health disparities.
The Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities works to develop community and academic partnerships in South Carolina and throughout the United States. The Institute recently produced a series of articles and studies on cervical cancer among S.C. minorities. Published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the S.C. Medical Association, these reports represent one of the nation’s first comprehensive statewide reviews on cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Dr. Saundra Glover is the Institute’s director.
The genome analytical services provided by the Environmental Genomics Core Facility has an international reputation in genetics analysis. Top researchers throughout the world depend upon EnGenCore to provide high-quality, accurate results in short order. Scientists at leading institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and MIT and from Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil and Colombia, South America, send their experiments in cancer, bio-fuels, populations studies, water quality and the human microbiome. Federal agencies, such as the USDA, NOAA and the Department of Energy, as well as commercial entities Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, depend on USC to support their cutting-edge research. Dr. Joe Jones is director of the EnGenCore facility.
Since 2000, the Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership has hosted participants, or scholars, from community-based organizations across the United States and its territories. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute works with CBOs that serve people and communities affected by or at risk for HIV/AIDS. More than 350 scholars have completed the Institute’s training program. Dr. Donna Richter is founder of the Institute, which has received more than $15 million in federal and foundation funding.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks in 2001, the CDC funded Centers of Public Health Preparedness throughout the United States. The CPHP at the Arnold School, one of the original 19 centers, has received $1.1 million in support and is charged with training the public health workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Dr. Jane Richter is director of the center.
The S.C. Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program (CPCP) is one of 25 National Cancer Institute-funded Community Networks Programs, and one of only three not at a university with an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The CPCP is one of only 10 CDC/NCI-funded Cancer Prevention and Control Research Networks nationwide, including such prestigious universities as the University of Washington, Harvard, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Washington University. The program, with Dr. James Hebert as its director, has received approximately $8.4 million in funding over the past decade.
The University broke ground for Public Health Research Center, the first building in the University’s Innovista research district, in 2003. The building, which has nearly 105,000 square feet of laboratory, office and classroom space, was built according to the “green design” principles of the U.S. Green Building Council. Dedicated in 2006, the PHRC features “Anne’s Garden,” whose centerpiece is a bronze fountain. The garden is named for Anne Edens Rainey of Columbia, a USC alumna and founder of Columbia Green, a civic beautification organization.
In Fall 2008, the Arnold School welcomed students in two, new baccalaureate programs – the B.A. and B.S. in public health. Before these degree programs, the school’s only other baccalaureate program was the B.S. in exercise science. The Chronicle of Higher Education lauded the school’s efforts in an August 2009 article, “How They Did It.”
The Office of Public Health Practice was established at the Arnold School to support students’ practice-based opportunities as part of their core curriculum. The office also works to ensure that non-degree students and public health professionals have continuing education courses for their field of practice. Through a grant from The Duke Endowment, online courses are provided. Dr. Lillian Smith is the director of the office.
In 2008, the Arnold School and the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities held the first annual James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture, named for the U.S. Congressman who serves S.C.’s Sixth Congressional District and has been House Majority Whip since 2006.a
In 2009, the Arnold School achieved a new, extramural research funding record of more than $27 million, with almost half coming from the prestigious National Institutes of Health. The Arnold School leads the University’s colleges and schools in extramural funding per tenure-track faculty (more than $450,000 per faculty member per year).
The Arnold School’s annual budget has grown from $500,000 in its beginning to almost $20 million today.
The Arnold School is a major contributor to the University’s recent recognition by the Carnegie Foundation as an institution of “high research activity” and “high community service activity.” Examples of the Arnold School’s community service activities and outreach abound. A few examples: Students, led by Dr. Kara Montgomery, have been volunteers at the Harvest Hope Food Bank as part of their class experience; USC’s Speech and Hearing Center provides speech and language services for more than 5,000 visits annually; the GoodBodies Program offers a weight management program for children and teens; the Preventive Exercise Program provides personalized exercise programs to the community; and the popular Columbia’s Cooking! is helping people discover that healthy living tastes great!
(Have a brag point that you’d like to share? Contact Karen Petit at the Arnold School, 803-777-5037, or kpetit@mailbox.sc.edu.)
