September 25, 2023

By Emily Gallagher

During Drexel Welcome Week 2023, the Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH) hosted its Welcome and Pinning Ceremony. This annual event is an opportunity for existing members of the DSPH community to formally welcome all new members including nearly 200 students, 10 faculty, and several professional staff.

Attendees gathered in the Stein Auditorium in Nesbitt Hall or virtually via livestream (watch recording below). The event kicked off with welcome remarks from Melissa Kaufman, EdD, Interim Associate Dean for Education, and Gina Lovasi, PhD, MPH, Interim Dean and Dornsife Associate Professor of Urban Health. Each spoke of the School’s long-standing commitment to health as a human right and the critical role each person at DSPH plays in fulfilling its mission.

Next, keynote speaker, Melissa C. Lyon, MPH, CPH, Public Health Director for Delaware County (PA), Department of Health, addressed attendees. She spoke of the importance of building trust in the field of public health, especially in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and democratizing public health data to maximize impact in communities. She noted the slogan, “nothing about us without us."

New members of the community were each presented with the Health and Human Rights pin by a faculty member representing each department — Community Health and Prevention, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Health Management and Policy. Attendees then stood together to recite the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights pledge. The declaration calls for dignity, freedom, and justice for all.

The event concluded with a reception in the Nesbitt Hall lobby. Attendees mingled, took photos, and enjoyed light refreshments.

Read Philadelphia Inquirer piece about event

View photo album

Watch event: