Even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) faces proposed budget cuts, the agency's director, Dr. Julie Gerberding, reminded HSPH graduates of a long list of concerns, such as health disparities and chronic diseases, that need continued attention-and of the power of Harvard graduates to bring about change.

"You can open doors; people will listen to you because you are a Harvard graduate. You will have access to leaders and opportunities to change things in ways that many, many people across this country could only dream of," said Dr. Gerberding as she delivered the School's Commencement Address on June 8 in the Kresge Courtyard.

"But you do have some big challenges," she added, namely, developing collaborations, building public health capacity, and-perhaps most difficult-avoiding the kind of complacency that abetted the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.

HSPH Dean Barry Bloom echoed Dr. Gerberding's concerns and noted in introducing the speaker that the CDC experienced its first budget cut in 25 years in 2006. More cuts have been proposed for fiscal year 2007.

"Avian influenza [and] biodefense preparedness are clearly entirely appropriate and high priorities," said Dean Bloom. "But we are radically underfunding and otherwise neglecting what one would have to call 'urgent realities.' We continue to emphasize disease treatment and in particular, the increased financing of treatment, while we tend to overlook and underfund the principle focus of public health-which is disease prevention, promoting health, and protecting the public."

He added: "We cannot forget the time wasted in the early years of the HIV epidemic resulting from our failure to address the problem with a full arsenal of weapons available-policy changes, traditional public health measures, funding-that now seems so short-sighted and tragic. Will we be saying the same 25 or 50 years from now about our inattention to obesity, preventable diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and injury? We need your voices to champion the value of what CDC and we all in public health do and strive to do for the American public and the people of this world."

A transcript of Dr. Gerberding's and Dean Bloom's remarks is available online.

Dr. Gerberding was appointed the first woman director of the CDC in 2002. Two years later, Time magazine referred to her as one of the most powerful people in the world. As CDC director, she has garnered international respect and attention for her leadership in public health crises, particularly those involving anthrax and SARS.

She described how health can be promoted through technology and communication. Referencing Thomas Friedman's book The World Is Flat, she pointed out that advances such as the Internet, blogs, Blackberries, and Google have provided an unprecedented global connectedness.

Yet, there are huge disconnects around the world in how people experience public health-an "unflatness." In the U.S., African Americans face a 30 percent greater risk of death among people with cardiovascular disease. Approximately 1,400 premature babies are born each day in the country because of a lack of prenatal care and maternal nutrition. Around the world, 5,500 people die of tuberculosis each day, and 8,200 people die of HIV infection. Forty-two million people go without clean water on a daily basis.

"Our mission is to really try and use the communication and technology tools that we have to enable the 'flat world,' and apply them to protect and improve the health of the whole world," said Dr. Gerberding. "We need to achieve our common vision, that vision of the best possible quality of health for everyone, and especially people who are vulnerable to health disparities across their entire life span, wherever they are."

This year, HPSH awarded 449 graduate degrees in public health. Women made up more than half of the class. Nearly one-third of graduates came from 58 different countries in every region of the world, including Africa, Western Europe, Latin and Central America, and South Asia.

A number of graduates were singled out for a description of their outstanding work. "Each student has specially enriched our community," said Dean Bloom.

Student speaker Joseph Camillus, who received a masters of public health, urged graduates to work together to inject a public health perspective into an otherwise fragmented global society.

"Tomorrow, we enter a world of both unparalleled opportunity and glaring need," he said, pointing to the earthquake in Pakistan, genocide in Darfur, and Hurricane Katrina. "The ties that bind us together are strong. Relationships we've made here have seen us through."

HSPH Alumni Council President J. Jacques Carter, MD, MPH 83, said in his remarks that he hopes the graduates will strengthen those ties by participating in alumni programs. No matter where graduates may travel to pursue their careers, Carter said, "someone here cares about where you are and what you are doing."

James Ware, Dean for Academic Affairs, presented the diplomas. A number of awards were presented to students. See below for details.

—PHC

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