UofM SPH Receives 2024 Harrison C. Spencer Award

Dean Ashish Joshi talking about ASPPH HCS Award

March 21, 2024 - "Our school has been named one of two recipients of the 2024 Harrison C. Spencer Award alongside East Tennessee State University College of Public Health!" dean Ashish Joshi said."The ASPPH Harrison C. Spencer Award for Outstanding Community Service was created to honor Dr. Spencer, who had a long-standing commitment to principles of social justice with a focus on community engagement to address the social determinants of health. The University of Memphis (UofM) School of Public Health (SPH) has been tirelessly working to leverage our community’s rich heritage to uplift and unite our university, community, and local stakeholders," Dean Joshi added.Following the SPH-CARES model, the SPH is committed to being a Community-engaged Anchor Institute, offering Research-based solutions, supporting Entrepreneurship and innovation, while remaining Student-centric.The UofM SPH is driven to RE-AIM all educational, research and service endeavors by maintaining focus on: Research, Entrepreneurship, Analytics, Informatics, and Management.The SPH also strives to maintain the IDEAS framework for addressing public health challenges, using the lens of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Sustainability."Through our trusted and deep community partnerships with the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), local hospitals, Memphis Veterans Healthcare, Memphis and Shelby County School System, Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Courts, and the City of Memphis, we aim to serve the growing public health needs of our highly vulnerable and impoverished communities. Our innovative approaches have demonstrably strengthened the public health workforce and helped develop and implement community-based solutions to promote health equity and social justice in the area." he further said."With our various initiatives, we continue to grow as a community-engaged, impactful, and innovative school of public health that strives to improve overall population health. By working with the school system and various local organizations, the UofM SPH is tending to the future of public health in the community." dean Ashish Joshi said.The award ceremony took place during the Awards Luncheon at the ASPPH Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia on March 21.