On Friday May 4th, the Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities (ERHD) graduate online program graduated our first set of students. The four students to graduate this spring were:
1. Ashley Allsbrook
2. Brittany Brown
3. Marc Stevens
4. David Taylor
We also had another student to graduate, but she was not able to participate in the graduation ceremony. Our first ERHD graduate was Brittany Parker. We are very proud of her achievement and excellence throughout the program. Brittany Parker actually became our FIRST ERHD graduate.
These five graduates completed or about to complete the four online MPH courses during the Spring/Summer 2012 academic year. Not only did they successfully complete the coursework but they also developed a specific ethnic and rural health disparity fieldwork proposal or project designed to SOLVE and ELIMINATE a particular health disparity. Therefore, each ERHD graduate is a pioneer and innovator in the areas of public health and health disparties because there are no other Certificate Programs in the United States focused on these critical health and medical issues.
Of course, I want to also thank our Co-Director, Dr. Justin Moore, who helped to provide specific suggestions, guidance and direction to the early phases of our program. Additionally, I want to thank the Department of Public Health (Dr. Lloyd Novick), the Brody School of Medicine (Dean Paul Cunningham), and East Carolina University Graduate School for adding these courses to the university’s graduate curriculum. I also want to thank all of the staff from the Department of Public Health that helped me with the procedural forms and steps to solidify the program in the graduate school.
Finally, I want to thank the federal public health agency — the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for supporting our program for the past 3 years. The grants including a stimulus grant provided the necessary funds to support student scholarships for tuition. Their support was very instrumental in helping our students to graduate in a timely basis.
We look forward to new ERHD graduates in the Fall and many more in years to come!!