School of Public Health

UofM SPH Kicks Off 2nd Public Health Diplomacy Summit at Opening Reception

Monday, 23 March 2026

March 23, 2026 - The University of Memphis School of Public Health kicked-off its 2^nd Public Health Diplomacy Summit with the theme of Regional and International Cooperation to Advance Public Health Diplomacy Among the Schools and Programs of Public Health at its inaugural reception on Monday, March 23 at the FedEx Institute for Technology, at The University of Memphis.

The three-day summit convenes a diverse array of stakeholders, including academicians, civil-society representatives, diplomats, and partner organizations from nearly 15 countries, to advance public health diplomacy.

At the opening reception, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, of the University of Memphis, Dr. David J. Russomanno, welcomed esteemed summit contributors and guests, followed by Tennessee Department of Health, Deputy Commissioner, JW Randolph, MPH, who emphasized the significance of hosting this pivotal event in Tennessee.

Dr. Ashish Joshi,  Dean and Distinguished University Professor of the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis, expressed gratitude to international contributors for traveling to participate and extended thanks to the SPH team for their efforts in organizing the summit.

Additional remarks were offered by Interim Shelby County Health Department Director, Dr. Bruce W. Randolph, Dr. Laura Magaña, President and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and Dr. Robert Otok, Director of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER).