Messages Of Leadership And Change Resonate To Public Health Graduates

The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health held its 36th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 8 at the UIC Forum.

Of the 161 graduates, 111 received Master of Public Health degrees, 18 graduated with a Master of Science, 15 with a Master of Healthcare Administration, and 14 with a Doctor of Philosophy. Three students received Doctor of Public Health degrees.

Dean of the UIC SPH, Paul Brandt-Rauf, welcomed students while James Galloway, assistant surgeon general for the United States Public Health Service and Stephen Martin Jr., chief operating officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, also made brief remarks.

Former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, Kenneth Olden, reminded graduates of the importance of leadership and teamwork in his keynote address

“I thought I would speak about the most important lesson that I learned over the past 25 years as head of two research institutions. That is, the necessity to collaborate, to bring people together to solve complex problems,” said Olden, who is also the founding dean of the City University of New York School of Public Health. “Many of the challenges that we now face as a society cannot be solved without partners, without collaboration with other Nations with different priorities and cultural values.”

“The future health and well being of this Nation will depend on how well we build collaborative interactions between communities and stakeholders that are not limited by geographic or national boundaries,” he added. “It is the kind of leadership that brings diverse populations together for constructive engagement. It is the kind of leadership that can appreciate and respect the values and experiences of others.”

Olden challenged graduates to use collaborative leadership to eradicate chronic disease, eliminate wars and reform health care as they embark on their future careers.

“Reach out to others in your community and around the globe,” he said. “Become a catalyst for change.”

Wade Ivy, III, provided encouraging commencement remarks after having been named the Alan W. Donaldson Award winner, the highest honor given to a graduating student at commencement. Reinforcing Olden’s emphasis on collaboration, Ivy reminded his peers to remain connected and to believe in their ability to make an impact in the lives of others.

“I have learned that public health is not a silo within which we are confined in our efforts to effect positive change. Education reform is public health reform. Criminal justice reform is public health reform. Housing reform is public health reform. All these disciplines are inextricably linked, and if we are to maximize our effectiveness, we must embrace and promote opportunities to collaborate with other disciplines that can contribute to the health of the public,” Ivy said.

He continued by quoting Margaret Meade, an American anthropologist. “ ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’ Change is the next step,” he said.

Alumni and faculty were also recognized at the ceremony. Lisa Kritz and Victoria Baum, daughters of the late Bernard Baum, a former faculty member at the school, presented Community Health Sciences Clinical Associate Professor D. Patrick Lenihan, with the newly endowed Bernard H. Baum Golden Apple Award for teaching excellence, chosen by the student body. Kritz said Lenihan often served as a guest lecturer for her father.

“I’m sure he’d be happy to know that Patrick is the recipient of this award,” she said. “He [Bernard Baum] believed in treating everyone with dignity. As my father would say to you all - go and make the world a better place.”

Lenihan, who is also director of the doctorate of public health program at the school, said he shares the honor with his colleagues and thanked students and faculty alike.

“Bernie exemplified the best in teaching and working with students as colleagues, and it is highly fitting that the Golden Apple Award carries his name,” he said. “While I am proud for the acknowledgement of following Bernie’s Golden Apple tradition, and am grateful to the students for their recognition, I must honestly say that the award more properly belongs to the DrPH program and the work of several other faculty members who have made it successful in the eyes of the students.”

-- Tina Daniel

During the post-ceremony reception, graduates pose for a picture.

Students recite the Statement of Values, pledging “to act with integrity and collegiality in learning, teaching, research and public service” as public health professionals.

Keynote speaker, Kenneth Olden, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, challenged graduates to become collaborative leaders to eradicate chronic disease, reform health care and create global change.

Photo by Michael Lavoie, Lavoie Photo Graphics