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A few months later, the mayor asked Kurt Ribisl, PhD, if the Gillings School’s Department of Health Behavior would get involved with Durham’s Back on the Bull campaign, where businesses could publicly share their health and safety practices in hopes of reassuring a wary public that they were safe places to visit. Ribisl turned to Master of Public Health student Marlyn Pulido to partner on the project, hiring her full-time to lead the work upon graduation.

Working with Patsy Polston, PhD, Yesenia Merino, PhD, and a team of master’s students, Pulido and Ribisl led a phased, community health-based plan focusing specifically on assisting Black-owned and Hispanic-owned businesses in Durham. Partnering with local nonprofit El Centro Hispano and using grant funds from the city, they hired and trained 14 local multilingual, multicultural community members to become Durham Health Ambassadors.

From sharing information on the latest mandates and best practices, to leveraging the University’s ability to order personal protective equipment when it was in short supply, to personally ordering and delivering masks and hand sanitizer, the ambassadors worked closely with local businesses throughout the next several months to reduce their risks and help them stay open for business.

When COVID-19 vaccines began to be distributed, appointments were extremely difficult to come by — and Black, Latinx and Indigenous populations already had disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 illness and death than white populations. The Ambassadors worked to reduce that disparity, focusing on making appointments for essential workers at the grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants they had gotten to know over the summer.

As vaccinations became more widely available, the group’s focus shifted from making appointments to promoting equitable access and ensuring Spanish-language access at vaccine events. The Ambassadors joined the Durham Vaccine Equity Advisory Coalition, a group of nine local community organizations trying to address disparities in vaccine access. By the end of the project, those large gaps in vaccine rates were significantly narrowed or closed altogether.

What’s your role in public health?

I call myself an advocate for evidence-based policymaking. I use my research to inform public health policies, and I mostly evaluate pharmaceutical policies. My background as a pharmacist and my research interests have also led me into the area of pain management and opioid use. I started teaching at the Gillings School in August 2021.

I see myself as trying to inform the best policymaking that prevents harm. A lot of my focus is on advocacy and translating my research to prevent harm to patients who need opioids to work and maintain their quality of life.

Can you describe your focus area in one sentence?

I use real-world data to inform pharmaceutical health policies that prevent harm.

What brought you to public health?

My interest in pain management brought me to the public health space. Pain is a universal human experience, but it’s not researched very often. I decided that I wanted to have a population health angle to my pharmacy degree.

There are a lot of pharmaceutical policies and procedures in place right now that are creating barriers to legal opioid access. The stigma on substance use is being applied to patients with very real pain, and you have algorithms that might flag a person seeking to fill opioid prescriptions to a pharmacy, to prescribers and to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The DEA also tracks high prescribers, which is difficult if you are a doctor who takes care of patients with conditions that are pharmacologically dependent on opioids.

This situation is different than a substance use disorder, but patients are being treated equally through existing policies. A lot of the work right now is approaching the issue from different angles — through federal, state and local policies that reduce harm.

How have you pivoted in response to the coronavirus pandemic?

I’ve been able to involve more people in my research because it doesn’t require a lab or dedicated space so long as you have computer and internet access.

Overdoses did increase during the pandemic, but they were mostly driven by illicit substances. Some of the changes with telehealth have really helped patients with pain. Telehealth accommodated some of their care, so they didn’t have to go to their prescriber to get a prescription refill.

Telehealth helped some patients get opioid use disorder medication like buprenorphine, but now we’re reverting to processes from before pandemic. It’s hard to tell what the future will look like.

Who are you when you’re at home?

I have a husband and two brindle dogs, Marley and Bella. I am originally from Colombia, so I visit there when I can.

I like running and being outside. I’m an ultra runner, and I enjoy rock climbing. I also love books — everything from psychological thrillers to nonfiction leadership development.

What’s your role in public health?

I am currently the representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Bolivia.

Can you describe your focus area in one sentence?

As the UN’s sexual and reproductive agency, we work to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths; zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage; and zero unmet needs for family planning or contraception.

What brought you to public health?

I am a nurse midwife by training. After working in a maternity hospital in Tokyo, I decided to attend the Gillings School to get a master’s degree in global maternal and child health. I was very affected on a trip to Bangkok where I saw huge disparities. Just next to skyscrapers, people were living in informal urban dwellings in a riverside area that was extremely congested and had sanitation problems.

How have you pivoted in response to the coronavirus pandemic?

When the coronavirus started, my family had just moved to Senegal. I worked with UNICEF as the interim senior partnerships adviser at their regional office for West and Central Africa, where my team helped country offices build partnerships and mobilize resources for the COVID-19 response.

In September 2020, we moved to Bolivia, where the UNFPA worked to ensure that vital public health measures continued. In many countries, these services had been scaled down amidst the pandemic, which led to a rapid increase in sexual and reproductive health challenges and risk of domestic violence. Together with partners, we advocated that the government put these issues back on the social agenda as essential services.

During the pandemic, lockdowns led to long school closures, economic crises, loss of employment and reduced social support systems, which all increased the risk of experiencing domestic violence. Reporting and monitoring gender-based violence, and providing services to women and girls who were affected by violence, were also challenging. We have worked to ensure continuity, develop communications around violence prevention and reporting, and bring multi-sectoral services closer to those most affected.

Finally, together with partners, we advocated that the government put these neglected issues back on the social agenda as essential services. While our office normally does not provide much in the way of supplies, in 2020 we procured more than $1 million of personal protective equipment for service providers to ensure that they were protected while providing much needed services.

Pandemic restrictions forced us to think outside the box. In rural areas, we provided counseling sessions to adolescents via WhatsApp. Many capacity development activities were converted into online certification courses. Through UN interagency collaboration, we also supported communication campaigns to promote COVID-19 vaccination.

Who are you when you’re at home?

I live in La Paz, Bolivia, with my family. I am a working mom of two daughters. At the same time, I am a part-time doctoral student focusing on gender norms and socialization among early adolescents. I am trying to learn how they build these norms, and how the gender norms affect sexual and reproductive health.

During my free time, I enjoy going for a walk, doing yoga and watching documentaries.

The simple truth that communities are stronger when they care for all their members made all of this possible and is the basic principle that led to our peerless system of public higher education and emergence as a center for innovation.

This community’s response to multiple recent public health crises is a particular point of pride. The Gillings community stepped up and shattered barriers and expectations in the process. Thanks to this commitment, the Gillings School not only met but surged past milestones in the most ambitious fundraising drive in our history, the Campaign for Carolina, which to date has raised more than $4.25 billion from across the University. In the words of our chancellor, the impact of these resources “will echo for generations to come.” The resolve of this community is heartening, and the Advancement unit is proud to play a role in this success. We are contributing to a legacy that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Through many ways, including bequests, planned gifts, endowed funds and individual gifts, donors are helping to lift us out of the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting career-defining educational experiences. Most of the public health accomplishments outlined in this impact report benefited from donor support, and we’re grateful for everything we have done, and will do, together.

Thanks to your support, we surged past our $200 million milestone in the Campaign for Carolina by raising more than $276 million — and counting. The Campaign for Carolina, the most ambitious comprehensive fundraising drive in University history, publicly launched in October 2017 with a $4.25 billion goal.

Since reaching the $200M milestone in UNC’s historic Campaign for Carolina, we’ve increased our focus on student support. Other institutions have more resources for scholarships — but by offering timely awards to students to study key areas, we can continue to graduate scholars who lead in their field. They bring Gillings values and expertise into industry, government and the nonprofit sector, where they work to ensure our air and water are clean, that new medical interventions are safe and effective, and that we will be prepared for future pandemics.

Give today to support top talent at the nation’s top public school of public health.

Read about how other generous members of the Gillings community have stepped up to fund transformative experiences for students. Two of these come in the form of planned gifts that include the Gillings School in an estate. Learn what motivated them and the legacy they would like to leave for N.C. and the world.

After a career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dedicated to environmental enforcement and compliance, Sherry Milan, JD, MSPH ’80 (epidemiology), created a new scholarship to continue her work. Established through a planned gift, the Sherry D. Milan Environmental Justice Scholarship will support Gillings students with a demonstrated commitment to environmental justice. Sustaining the mission of Gillings School — to promote individual well-being and eliminate health inequities across North Carolina and the U.S. and around the world — calls for a new generation of public health professionals who have experience working directly with communities to address needs at the intersection of equity and the environment.

Todd A. Durham, PhD ’16 (health policy and management), MS ’95 (biostatistics), and his wife, Heidi P. Durham, PharmD, are planning for the future. They’re not just thinking of themselves but also about family, their state and public health. They recently made a planned gift by donating an independent retirement account to the Gillings School to support priority initiatives under the discretion of the dean. Todd is deeply connected to the Gillings School; as well as being an alum, he serves on the board of the UNC Gillings Public Health Foundation — a 501(c)3 organization that manages the School’s endowments and charitable gifts. These experiences give him and Heidi confidence the value of their gift will be maximized in service of a healthier N.C.

“We are pleased to contribute to the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, its future success and the improved health of the citizens of N.C. and the world in this way.”

Sandra B. Greene, DrPH ’77 (biostatistics), professor of the practice of health policy, made an addition to a fund she’d established previously, to continue and add to the practice of public health at the Gillings School. The purpose of the Sandra B. Greene Scholarship in Health Leadership is to enable a highly qualified doctoral student with a demonstrated commitment to public health practice to seek a degree at the Gillings School’s Department of Health Policy and Management. Based on Greene’s extensive experience with health insurance claims data, Governor Roy Cooper appointed her chair of the N.C. State Health Coordinating Council, which oversees health planning across the state including the annual plan that guides expansion of health care services. Additionally, she works with the Cecil G. Sheps Center to ensure valuable datasets about health care utilization and cost are available to researchers across UNC. Her philanthropy will help make sure N.C. benefits from leadership and decision making that is informed by timely data about the health of North Carolinians.

Nicole K. Bates, DrPH (‘08) MPH (‘00), was honored with the University Distinguished Alumna Award. She is a public health leader and strategist with decades of experience working to improve health and development opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. She currently serves as director of strategic partnerships and initiatives for Pivotal Ventures, a company founded by Melinda French Gates to advance social progress. Bates, who studied in both the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Department of Health Behavior, now serves on the UNC Gillings Advisory Council.

F. DuBois Bowman, PhD (‘00), was also honored with the University Distinguished Alumni Award. A graduate of the Department of Biostatistics, he is a renowned expert in the statistical analysis of large complex data sets and serves as dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health. His ongoing research program mines massive data sets and has important implications for mental and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, schizophrenia and substance addiction.

Charletta Sims Evans, MEd, was honored with the Rebecca Clark Staff Award for Moral Courage, which recognizes an individual who demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice. As the associate dean for student affairs at the Gillings School, Sims Evans has been on the leading edge of advocacy for staff and students, especially during the pandemic when mental health issues escalated. She pioneered a system for reporting microaggressions and recently facilitated a conversation between students and staff following an incident of racial bias and harm. She addresses challenging situations head-on to promote a safe environment for all, especially those with marginalized identities.

Two UNC Gillings researchers also shared their current work as part of the ceremony.

Orlando Coronell, PhD, presented on a novel clean water technology that effectively removes toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Margot Midkiff, a health policy and management student, offered insight on findings around human and environmental relationships and how they can change in response to hurricanes, flooding, pollution and other factors.

Through the decades, the Gillings School has grown into the global research powerhouse it is today under the leadership of eight deans.

Milton J. Rosenau

(1936-1946) Rosenau inspired many and brought the dream of a public health school to reality. He built strong infectious diseases programs, attracted hundreds of international students, and during his leadership, most faculty members served as consultants to developing world agencies.

Edward McGavran

(1947-1962) McGavran built a field station for training students and dramatically developed the school’s laboratory component — which became the Public Health Service’s Venereal Disease Laboratory. Faculty and students were active in North Carolina’s Good Health Campaign to improve the health of North Carolinians.

Fred Mayes

(1962-1972) Mayes was the first dean to prioritize diversity among students and faculty. He hired Bill Small to oversee recruitment from underrepresented communities and dealt with students’ increasing insistence that courses be relevant. The annual Minority Health Conference began during this time.

Bernard Greenberg

(1972-1982) Greenberg took the school to new heights, increasing federal funding and leading the school and the world into the modern era of clinical trials. He raised academic standards, reached out across the university and achieved the first step on the path to the much-needed new public health building.

Michel Ibrahim

(1982-1997) Ibrahim accomplished what had seemed impossible: securing a new building after years of overcrowding. He launched the school’s first strategic planning process, commissioned a history of the school’s first 50 years, promoted research collaborations and supported school-wide initiatives on health equity research.

William Roper

(1997-2004) Roper recommitted the school to practice and to N.C., strengthening its role in the policy arena. He brought outstanding people from diverse sectors onto advisory boards and led the school through the crisis period after September 11, 2001. He went on to become dean of the UNC School of Medicine, CEO of UNC Health and interim president of the UNC System.

Barbara K. Rimer

(2005-2022) is the school’s first female dean and its longest serving. Her commitment to innovative research, academics and practice, inclusive excellence, and service to N.C. and beyond guided her leadership priorities, aligning with the school’s mission to improve public health, promote individual well-being and eliminate health inequities.

Nancy Messonnier

(2022-present) joins the school during an exciting time of success; it is the number one public school of public health and second overall. An influential leader in public health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she has been involved in the development and implementation of a low-cost vaccine to prevent epidemic meningitis in Africa, in responding to the 2001 anthrax attacks, and in creating the COVID-19 vaccine implementation program.

Dear Readers,

As this issue of Carolina Public Health reaches you, we are emerging slowly from a dark period of pandemic, more than two years of sickness, deaths, economic shock, mental health crises, and profound health and social inequities. Many bachelor’s and master’s students spent most of their days as students masked, in virtual classes and barely recognizing one another’s faces. All students, faculty and staff were affected, and yet most found positive ways to cope with the enormously difficult hand we were dealt. As we tentatively cast aside our masks, we are finding joy in really seeing one another, being together and allowing ourselves to feel hope that better days are ahead. The pandemic is not over, but we are finding our resilience.

It has been a horrifying period, but the world has focused on public health, and public health has proven itself resilient. Gillings has been strong and a major contributor to recovery. I am so proud of our people, who have done so much on so many levels to end the scourge we have faced. Courage, compassion, relentless focus, boldness and innovation have marked our immediate and extended Gillings population. We have stood by the people on the front lines of public health and health care and worked with communities to save lives and preserve prosperity. Public health has never been more important, and we must not allow that lesson to be lost.

"Knowledge applied is knowledge that can improve lives. That’s been a theme of this school since its inception. It is a bedrock commitment that has driven every dean of the school."

— Dean Barbara K. Rimer

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Our research programs have contributed immensely to taming the pandemic, but our long-term contributions will be felt not just by the strength of our academic and research programs but through our capacity to turn research evidence into practice that benefits communities in North Carolina and around the world. The Gillings School was born in the aftermath of World War I and the 1918 pandemic. It was a time of poverty, want and great social inequity. N.C. invested in the first school of public health in a public university — a statement of belief in the future and recognition of the synergistic relationship between the university, citizens of N.C. and the urgent need to harness knowledge for good. Knowledge applied is knowledge that can improve lives. That’s been a theme of this School since its inception. It is a bedrock commitment that has driven every dean of the school.

This issue of Carolina Public Health is focused especially on our practice mission. As a public school of public health, we should never lose sight of the public — the people who must be in our front view every day as we do our work. It is a sacred obligation and responsibility to benefit the people of N.C. and the world. It is a responsibility that has motivated me every day that I have had the privilege of serving as this School’s dean. It is a commitment that should never be lost. Our impact is felt most profoundly in the students we train and in the ways we turn knowledge into value. Practice is one of the most fundamental ways that occurs.

Gillings is once more the top public school of public health, tied for number two overall (U.S. News and World Report, 2023 rankings). It is fitting that the last issue of Carolina Public Health during my time as dean is focused on practice. Practice will be a key determinant of the Gillings School’s strength and impact in the years to come. As you will read in this issue, we are completing a major strategic planning effort focused on practice — a recommitment to this essential area, on equal footing with research and academics. If implemented, the plan will solidify the School’s reputation as the top practice school. I encourage our donors and friends to increase their support for Gillings practice. It is as worthy of investment as gifts for academics and research. Thank you to all our donors and friends. You help to make the Gillings School the great institution it is today, and your investments lay the foundation for an even more brilliant future.

Best wishes,

Barbara K. Rimer