Welcome to the Division website! We are delighted to share with you some of our thoughts and passions about the practice of public health. We also hope to hear about what motivates you in your education and practice, your aims and achievements. By articulating and sharing our aspirations, we can build a stronger community of public health practitioners and leaders.

At the Harvard School of Public Health, the Division shapes new ideas for our field and helps prepare students for leadership positions. We serve as a bridge between academia, the community, and government through a wide range of health initiatives and projects that strengthen service, education and research opportunities.

The Division's mission has three directives that guide our work:
1) Education: The Division develops and offers learning opportunities to promote leadership skills for students and teaches them fundamental competencies in the core functions of public health: assessment, policy formulation, and assurance of services;
2) Research: The Division responds to research questions that are raised in community-based public health practice, particularly addressing the broader policy issues that deal with the effects of social inequality on health;
3) Service: The Division responds directly to the needs and the requests of our surrounding communities. We develop and implement sustainable and innovative partnerships and strategies for addressing these concerns.

Thank you for visiting our website. I hope you find it to be a useful source of public health information. I encourage you to explore these pages and welcome your thoughts regarding public health practice and leadership.

Dr. Gregory N. Connolly
Interim Director, Division of Public Health Practice
Director, Tobacco Control Research Program
Professor of the Practice of Public Health,
Department of Society, Human Development and Health


June 19, 2009 -
Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, announced that the U.S. Senate had unanimously confirmed HSPH Professor and former Director of the Division of Public Health Practice, Dr. Howard Koh as the next Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Koh has most recently served as Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Director of the Division of Public Health Practice at HSPH.

• Read the full HHS News Release:
  HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces Senate Confirmation of Assistant Secretary for Health
  Dr. Howard Koh