Emmanuel College launches Global & Public Health Major

The 21st century world is facing immense health challenges, which live at the intersection of science, policy, and environmental factors. 

The new Global & Public Health major at Emmanuel College aims to train the next generation of leaders in this vital arena.  

Professor of Political Science and International Studies Lenore Martin is heading-up the interdisciplinary program, which blends science, social science, and the humanities to provide a unique skillset to address the factors that support or detract from public health.   

“It’s perfect for the liberal arts and Emmanuel,” said Dr. Martin. “There is a great need, and a real desire from our students to do something good in the world.”  

Emmanuel has offered a Global & Public Health minor since 2020. Dr. Martin said it quickly became one of the most popular minors at the College and suspects that the new major will unlock further opportunities for students. 

“When it’s a major you’re required to go a bit deeper,” she said. “Among other requirements the major includes an epidemiology course, a methods course, a capstone course, and an internship—so it’s a big step. I’m hoping the students will take advantage of it.” 

The Case for Global Health 

An expert in international relations, Dr. Martin said the modern world is highly interconnected and requires a big-picture approach to safeguarding public health. 

The Coronavirus pandemic was one example of this dynamic. Dr. Martin cited the recent debate in California on whether undocumented immigrants should have access to the state health insurance program as another. California is now the first state to offer health insurance to undocumented immigrants.

“You can’t have health in one part of the world and not another,” said Dr. Martin. “It’s not just for humanitarian reasons, though they are key; if others are not well, your health may also be in danger. Look at concerns about Ebola, Monkeypox, Polio, for example.”

“It’s the same thing in the international arena,” she added. “You need some equity, or no one is safe in this world.”

The major also highlights “social determinants of health” --the environmental factors that greatly impact health outcomes-- with a particular focus on vulnerable populations, both local and globally.

Emmanuel hosts Kickoff Guest Lecturer 

Emmanuel College celebrated the launch of the new major by hosting global health activist Dr. Ernest Barthélemy as a guest lecturer in early October. 

Dr. Barthélemy is Chief of Neurosurgery and an assistant professor at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn. He is co-founder of the Society of Haitian Neuroscientists and works to improve healthcare access in Haiti as he does in Brooklyn. 

Speaking to a full house in the Janet M. Daley Library Lecture Hall, Dr. Barthélemy gave a brief history of Haiti and told of his experience as a translator for doctors following the catastrophic 2010 earthquake (the epicenter of the earthquake was not far from the hometown of Barthélemy’s parents, before they emigrated). He also highlighted the dearth of neurosurgery services in Haiti and Africa as a key inequity. 

Dr. Barthélemy also met with students earlier in the day, and praised Emmanuel for adding the Global & Public Health major. 

“I think it’s extraordinary,” said Dr. Barthélemy. “I think it’s a sign that the institution is committed to stepping into the future and responding to the troubles bubbling up around the world, because our world is in trouble.” 

“The traditional ways of solving the problems of our world—war and sanctions for instance, are just not working and they are continuing to widen already existing gaps in wealth and in health,” continued Dr. Barthélemy.  

“The field of global health equity…is supposed to be about mitigating and ultimately eliminating these disparities,” he added. “This is exactly the kind of major that prepares leaders in a multitude of disciplines to effectively respond to these problems.”