School of Public Health

UofM SPH Welcomes Spring 2026 Cohort at Orientation

UofM SPH Welcomes Spring 2026 Cohort at Orientation

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Dr. Ashish Joshi, SPH Dean and Distinguished Professor, opened the orientation by welcoming the incoming students and providing an overview of recent developments at SPH, including new research centers and labs, along with highlighting innovative PH initiatives such as Public Health on Wheels, Changemakers and Public Health Hackathon, which are all opportunities available for student engagement.

Joining Dean Joshi in welcoming the new cohort were Shirl Sharp, the SPH Manager of Academic Services, along with Dr. Ilias Kavouras, Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, and Professor; Dr. Hongmei Zhang, Division Director and Professor in the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and  Environmental Division (EBE); Dr. Dale Sanders, MHA Interim Division Director and Professor in the Health Systems Management and Policy division, Dr. Meredith Ray, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor, EBE Division and Dr. Alex Parkhouse, Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division. 

The Spring 2026 cohort includes students enrolled in the MHA, MPH, and MS in Biostatistics programs, as well as the Certificate in Population Health Informatics. Enrollment in the certificate program has seen a notable increase, reflecting growing interest in health technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics across the public health field.