September 17, 2026

By Renee Wagoner

Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health welcomed new students during its annual Welcome and Pinning Ceremony, held as part of the university’s 2026 Welcome Week.

Incoming public health students begin their Dornsife journey with a tradition rooted in health and human rights. The Health and Human Rights pin reflects the school’s mission to advance health as a human right, improve population health and eliminate health disparities. The pin serves as an early reminder of the role students can play in protecting and improving the health of communities.

Held in Nesbitt Hall’s Stein Auditorium and livestreamed online, the ceremony opened with remarks from Melissa Kaufman, EdD, associate dean for education. Kaufman shared the history of the tradition, which was initiated by the school’s founding dean, Dr. Jonathan Mann, a humanitarian, advocate, and visionary.

Gina Lovasi, PhD, MPH, Dana and David Dornsife dean and professor of epidemiology, spoke about the school’s responsibility through education “to grow capacities of an agile and resilient workforce so that future public health professionals are ready to meet the moment.”

She also emphasized Dornsife’s commitment to advancing the field: “We are not satisfied with the status quo. … We will not be complacent about the state of the science, but we’ll instead roll up our sleeves, develop better tools, and move our work forward in ways that can advance the frontiers of knowledge.”

Keynote speaker Charles Ellison, MPH, executive director of the Office of Immigration for the City of Philadelphia, built on that theme, drawing on his work in immigration and public health to encourage students to think broadly about how and where they can put their public health education into practice.

“If you take nothing else away from my words today, let it be this: There is hope, and there is the opportunity to uphold that promise for a better tomorrow,” Ellison said. “Your presence here is proof. It’s proof of resilience, it’s proof of growth, and it’s proof of purpose.”

Drawing on his experience in public health, immigration, and more than 23 years of military service, Ellison encouraged students to look beyond traditional career paths.

“Don’t limit your understanding of public health to what you might encounter in the classroom, or to organizations and career paths that fit those expectations of what public health is supposed to look like,” he said. “Public health skills are needed everywhere.”

Ellison also reflected on the value of bringing different perspectives to the field. “As someone who’s worked in both public health and immigration, I’ve seen firsthand the power of diverse experiences and perspectives to drive innovation, but also human compassion.”

Following the keynote, new students received their Health and Human Rights pins from Drexel Dornsife’s four department chairs.

Student government representatives then led the audience in a pledge based on the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, affirming dignity, freedom and justice for all. Participating students were Abir Alikerar, BS in Public Health major, representing the Undergraduate Student Government Organization; Emily Rainey, MPH Epidemiology student, representing the Dornsife Student Government Organization; and Annaka Scheers, MPH, doctoral student in Environmental and Occupational Health, representing the Public Health Doctoral Students Advisory Group (PHDSAG).

Throughout the day, new students also met Dornsife faculty, staff and peers through department presentations, a community tabling event, a doctoral student mixer, and a scavenger hunt through Nesbitt Hall.

A reception in the Nesbitt Hall lobby concluded the celebration, giving students another opportunity to connect with their classmates, professors, academic advisors, and support staff.