July 27, 2026

The Public Health Institute for Leadership & Advocacy (PHILA) Pre-College Program, hosted by the Dornsife School of Public Health, is a one-week summer academic program held each July in two sessions. It's designed for ambitious high school students looking to learn more about health professions and gain experience that will help them prepare for college life.

Running July 6–10 and July 20-24, the program gave high school students a hands-on introduction to the field, combining case-based learning, campus life, and direct access to some of the city's leading public health professionals. Tariem Burroughs, PhD, Executive Director of External Partnerships at Dornsife, leads this program with some help from Dornsife staff, faculty, and public health leaders throughout the city.

"We plant the seeds of public health early in order to grow a lifetime of healthier communities, stronger advocates, and informed leaders," shared Tariem.

Each week opened with a program overview from Tariem and Cindy Ngo, Student Engagement Coordinator, and a welcome from Gina Lovasi, PhD, the Dana and David Dornsife, and Melissa Kaufman, EdD, Associate Dean for Education. 

They each set the tone for the week, introducing students to the field before they dove straight into their central project: a case study they would research, develop, and ultimately present by week's end.

Monday of the program students got their first taste of public health policy in action, hearing from Charles Ellison, Executive Director of the Office of Immigration for the City of Philadelphia, who spoke about the intersection of immigration and public health.

Day two shifted the focus to community engagement and disease prevention. Group one visited the Dornsife Center, where Executive Director Chris Spahr discussed the center's work connecting the university with West Philadelphia neighborhoods. Later, Kathleen Brady, Director of the Division of HIV Health at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, gave students an inside look at how the city tackles public health challenges at the population level. Group two heard from Amy Carroll-Scott, PhD, Chair of the Department of Community Health and Prevention and Professor, as well as Jessica Caum, MPH, Director of the Division of Disease Control at Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

On Wednesday, students toured Drexel's Science Institute before hearing from Loni Philip Tabb, PhD, Professor of Biostatistics and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Dornsife, and Ana Martinez-Donate PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and External Relations. Their sessions gave students a window into the data-driven side of public health research and the academic path toward a career in the field.

Thursday combined college readiness with media literacy. Students took a campus tour led by Katie Kantor, Associate Director of Admissions, offering a glimpse of what life as a Drexel student might look like. In the afternoon, the group traveled to WHYY, Philadelphia's public media station, where they met with Craig Santoro, Director of Educational Programs, and Maiken Scott, Host and Executive Producer of "The Pulse," learning how public health stories get told to a broad audience.

Both weeks culminated with a session "College 101," led by Erin Durkin, MS, Executive Director for Student Events and Engagement, preparing students for the transition to college life. Students then presented their final case study projects, showcasing a week's worth of research and analysis. The program closed with a public health evaluation, recap, and a closing ceremony celebrating the students' achievements.

Between morning sessions, case study work blocks, and daily debriefs, students left the program with more than just a certificate — they gained direct exposure to the people and institutions shaping public health in Philadelphia, from City Hall to the newsroom to the research lab. For many, the week likely marked their first real glimpse into what a future in public health could look like.

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