A Message from the Dean

I am pleased to welcome you to VCU’s School of Public Health. We are VCU’s 15th and newest school, founded in 2023. It brings together four founding departments previously part of the School of Medicine. The School of Public Health offers degrees in biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, and healthcare policy.

I am honored to serve as interim founding dean, leading award-winning faculty, dedicated staff, and passionate students. Through our commitment and strong community partnerships, we can address public health and health equity challenges in Virginia and beyond.

We are one of a few Virginia universities recognized as a minority-serving institution. The School is part of a robust health sciences campus, with schools and/or colleges in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and health professions. We are part of an academic health system with a teaching hospital, a children’s hospital, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, and a Center for Clinical Translational Science. Together, we are uniquely positioned to impact health disparities.

The School was the first in the Commonwealth to have an accredited public health program. It currently offers a Master of Public Health degree in three concentrations: applied public health, epidemiology, and cancer health equity science—the only one in Virginia!

Our downtown location, steps from the State Capitol, makes us uniquely positioned to work with policymakers to address health inequity and advocate for positive health policies.

Again, welcome to the School of Public Health. Whether a student, faculty, staff, researcher, or community member, I am happy you’re here and look forward to partnering with you for a healthier future for all.

Sincerely,

   Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D.

    Interim Founding Dean

    VCU School of Public Health