DPH Newsletter 1/27/26

[Maia Feinman-Welcher]

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The Department of Public Health

 

January 26, 2026

 

 

 

Dear Public Health Scholars, 

 

Welcome to the spring semester, 2026! And, a special WELCOME to our new students, recently declared public health majors and transfers from other schools! We are so happy to have you as part of our learning community.

Public health is about transformation and social change in the name of justice, equity and the health of all populations. We are in a difficult and uncertain time—marked by national crises, threats to democracy, and shrinking public investment in education and research. These realities affect our lives and the health of our communities, and they can feel heavy. But hopefully they also remind us why public health work grounded in equity, justice, and solidarity is so essential.

Throughout this semester, we encourage you to take care of yourselves and one another. Learning and working in public health often means sitting with discomfort, wrestling with complexities and responding to injustice, and your well-being matters as much as the work itself. We are committed to supporting you as you learn, grow, and contribute to improving the public’s health.

As always, I welcome ideas for this newsletter and I am also eager to include your contributions. If you know about upcoming events that may be of interest to our community, please share them with me (email: j...@sfsu.edu).

 

I hope you use this time off to rest, rejuvenate, and enjoy the holidays. Looking forward to a 2026 where we can together rebuild a healthy and just society for all.

 

To our new alumni, congratulations and please stay in touch!

Warmly,

Juliana van Olphen, PhD, MPH
Chair, Department of Public Health

 

Important Updates and Reminders:

• Check your syllabi for important dates related to adding and dropping classes, withdrawal, etc.                                        
• The Basic Needs Initiative supports students with food, financial crisis and housing resources. Click here for more information             
• Join our student organizations! For undergraduates, join the Public Health Scholars Network (PHSN) and for graduates, join PHOGS!                                                                
• Check out Student Life at SF State and ways to get involved at the university
• Save the dates for Spring 2026 Commencement:  DPH Commencement is on Tuesday, 5/19/2026, 2-4 p.m. at the SFSU Annex 1 (North State Drive, SF, CA 94132) and the university commencement at Oracle Park is on Thursday, 5/21/2026        
• Free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) for 2026-27 due MARCH 2, 2026. The Office of Student Financial Aid is committed to being of help! Their office hosts Zoom info sessions every other Friday through December 19. For more info: https://financialaid.sfsu.edu/fin-aid-fridays                                                 
• California Dream Act Application is also due March 2, 2026. For more info, https://csac.ca.gov/apply & https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing.  
• For our graduating seniors, MPH applications are open! The final application deadline is 4/1.                                    

In this newsletter you will find:

• SF Build Opportunities
• Perez Research Fellowship Opportunity Due Feb. 13, 5 p.m.
• SFSU MPH Alumni Association Mixer Jan. 31, 3-6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Perez Research Fellowship Opportunity Due Feb. 13, 5 p.m.

 

Bright Research Group located in downtown Oakland invites our MPH students to apply for the Perez Research Fellowship beginning in March 2026. You can view last year’s opportunity here. We will share more information as it becomes available. This opportunity could serve as a student’s applied practice experience (APE), but please be sure to consult with the our internship coordinator (Georjean Morado) and your faculty advisor.

 

 

 

 

SFSU MPH Alumni Association Mixer January 31, 3:00-6:00 p.m.