DECEMBER 26, 2022 —Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 10, 2022.
Bexar County Commissioners Court this week gave preliminary approval to an award of $10 million to UT Health San Antonio and UTSA for development of The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio.
The allocation is from Bexar County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and will support startup programmatic, operational and educational costs including renovation of existing spaces at UT Health San Antonio and UTSA. A student census of almost 400 is planned within the first five years, with a Master of Public Health degree to be offered beginning in 2024 and a Doctor of Public Health degree program to be developed.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents recognized that the region’s persistent disparities in key health outcomes require a public health approach. In November 2021, the Regents voted to authorize UT Health San Antonio and UTSA to develop a new public health school.
“A free-standing, independent school of public health in South Texas has been a shared vision of the leadership of UT Health San Antonio and UTSA for some time,” UT Health San Antonio President Dr. William L. Henrich said. “Formation of The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio results from close collaboration between two UT System universities united around a shared mission to establish a research-intensive, community-centric school to improve health outcomes, reduce morbidity and mortality and educate the next generation of public health professionals for our city and region.”
“We are immensely grateful to our Bexar County Commissioners for their support and significant $10 million investment in this collaborative effort to meet the demand for public health education in San Antonio, as well as the growing public health needs of South Texas’ diverse population,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said. “Both institutions are deeply committed to building upon our areas of expertise to ensure the new School of Public Health becomes a regional leader in preparing the next generation of public health leaders while creating healthier communities.”
San Antonio is a majority-minority city that, with its large and growing Hispanic population, reflects the demographic future of the nation. Many areas of the city and South Texas region are identified as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. San Antonio is the largest city in the U.S. without a school of public health.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic produced a strong demand and need for public health education surrounding vaccination, masking, social distancing and handwashing. The new school will enable local residents to train for public health careers to meet ever-emerging health challenges.
“Bexar County is primed for a school of public health, and we are pleased that ARPA support will help create it,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said. “The pandemic that we have weathered demonstrated the need for public health solutions for our population more clearly than ever before.”
Total startup costs for the School of Public Health are budgeted at approximately $40 million, including existing building renovations, programmatic development and recruitment of a nationally renowned dean.
The public is invited to tour The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio website.
The University of Texas at San Antonio is a Tier One research university and a Hispanic Serving Institution specializing in cyber, health, fundamental futures and social-economic transformation. With more than 34,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region.
UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property—for Texas, the nation and the world.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Finalist candidates for the dean of the College of the Sciences will discuss their vision for the college.
Assembly Room, JPL 4.04.22, Main CampusIn this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI to make your voice recordings sound professional, edit with easy text-based editing, and create high-quality recordings with royalty-free music, so you can focus on your story. You will also plan your own mini-podcast during the session.
Academic Innovation Center (MS 420)Meet representatives from 80+ law schools and learn about law school programs, admission requirements, financing, scholarship opportunities.
Denman Room (SU 2.01.28) and Galleria, Student UnionHave questions about making your OER accessible on UTSA Pressbooks? The OER Team and the Digital Accessibility Team are ready to answer them! Bring your questions about OER and accessibility and receive guidance from our two teams.
Virtual EventUpon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to: explain the history of Creative Commons, summarize the role of copyright law in the creation of Creative Commons, differentiate between different CC icons, identify the different layers and elements of CC licenses and tools, and list factors to consider when choosing a license for your project.
Virtual EventJoin UTSA Librarians for this introductory workshop for early career faculty on how to build your online scholarly identity. We will discuss how to set up author profiles as well as find existing and emerging metrics for measuring research impact, including Impact Factor, Altmetrics, and beyond.
Virtual EventThis workshop explores the intersection of digital activism, data collection, and visualization techniques in the context of gender-based violence and feminist movements. Participants will learn how to harness the power of GraphCommons to create impactful visualizations that can amplify marginalized voices and reveal hidden patterns in complex social issues.
CEDISH Co-Lab 3.02.38, 3rd Floor, John Peace LibraryThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.