October 17, 2013

The Drexel University School of Public Health held its annual Pinning Ceremony to officially welcome all of the Philadelphia campus Full-time and Executive MPH, MS in Biostatistics, MD/MPH, DrPH, and PhD students on October 10, 2013.  The event provides encouragement for the new students, while focusing on the school's guiding principles and importance of connecting health and human rights.  It is the formal welcome into the field of public health.

The guest speaker this year was Estelle Richman (shown above, right), the former senior advisor to the secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a national expert on issues of behavioral health and children’s services with extensive public policy, advocacy and government experience. Prior to this position, Ms. Richman served as HUD’s acting deputy secretary and chief operating officer. With more than 30 years of public service, Ms. Richman joined HUD from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare where she served as secretary of public welfare for 7 years.

The students at the annual ceremony received the School of Public Health pin, which was initially designed by founding dean Dr. Jonathan Mann, and also recited a public health pledge that included passages from the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the World Health Organization.  A small group of current students led the new students in reciting the pledge.

The ceremony was also originally conceived by Dr. Mann. The department chairs presented new students and faculty with their pins.  The formal program was followed by a reception.