Dear faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners,
To quote the American Public Health Association (APHA), 鈥淧ublic health promotes and protects the health of all people and their communities. It focuses on creating conditions where everyone can be healthy, through organized efforts of society, policy and science.鈥�
At a time when social media narratives do not respect the 鈥渟ocial contract鈥� that has been, for so long, a part of our society, public health reminds that we often act not because we alone benefit, but that it is good for our communities.
Current communications from leaders in our nation are too often reminiscent of the financier who, in a 1986 commencement address at the University of California Berkeley, said, "Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself."
In contrast, most of us were taught that virtue incorporates generosity and vice emerges from selfishness. The so-called social construct embeds anti-greed values into our cultural identity. Here are examples:
- Civic morals are articulated by thinkers like Aristotle who argued that the purpose of wealth is to support a virtuous life, not endless accumulation. Excessive pursuit of wealth was seen as corrupting civic responsibility.
- Central to Jewish life is tzedakah (charity), which is not merely voluntary giving but a religious obligation.
- Generosity is institutionalized in Islam through zak膩t (mandatory almsgiving) and sadaqah (voluntary charity), both framed as purifying wealth and fostering social solidarity.
- Christianity has abundant guidance in this sphere, 鈥淔or the love of money is the root of all evil鈥� (1 Timothy 6:10) and 鈥淣o one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.鈥� (Matthew 6:24)
- Greed (lobha) is considered one of the 鈥渢hree poisons鈥� in Buddhism that lead to suffering, reinforcing a worldview where detachment and compassion are socially valued.
- Modern social justice echoes these civic and religious views, opposing widening wealth gaps and eroding of social trust.
- Cooperative economic models such as social enterprises often reject profit-maximization as the sole goal, emphasizing shared prosperity and sustainability.
When communal survival and equity are prioritized, greed becomes morally unacceptable, as with use of vaccines to protect the vulnerable or the confrontation of global pollution from the burning of fossil fuels rather than the benign exploitation of the sun鈥檚 power.
As we enter 2026, the s (COPH) core missions - education, research and public health practice - face intensifying pressures and extraordinary opportunities. Our revised 2022-2027 Strategic Plan revised draft from December 2025 highlights these:
Education.
Research.
Public health practice.
Why optimism is warranted.
I鈥檓 optimistic because of who we are - and because of the tools and structures we鈥檙e sharpening:
- Applied AI and data fluency are transforming surveillance, evaluation and learning. We鈥檙e linking methods training to practice, pushing innovation in precision public health and building collaborations that make data work for communities.
- Lifelong learning is becoming an everyday habit via the COPH鈥檚 workforce development platforms - modernizing continuing education for practitioners across Florida and beyond.
- Centers and partnerships give us translational reach - spanning maternal and child health, occupational safety, social marketing, environmental/genomic health and more. Our breadth () and scale (thousands of learners) position us to convene and deliver.
Excellence is doing the basics extraordinarily well.
Guided by an updated strategic plan, we will:
- Champion our people. Improve professional development for faculty and staff; expand student professionalism programming rooted in well-being; engage our alumni and community partners in more effective ways.
- Strengthen teaching and learning. Evaluate and refresh curricula with practice partners; grow pathway enrollments into master鈥檚 programs; embed experiential learning across courses; ensure equitable access for online students.
- Elevate community partnerships. Multiply multidisciplinary collaborations and student global experiences; increase faculty service and leadership across boards and agencies.
- Accelerate discovery and dissemination. Engage faculty annually in research creation/translation; increase submissions; grow publications and first鈥慳uthor opportunities for students.
- Ensure sustainable infrastructure. Expand doctoral enrollment towards 200; diversify revenues; rebuild our extramural research expenditures to at least $30 million by 2027 (it was $34 million in January 2025, down to $20 million by 2026); reduce reliance on recurring state appropriations; invest scholarships and course innovation that meet learner needs across modalities; transform the COPH to be an attractive vehicle for public health philanthropy.
As I was composing this, sent out his new year鈥檚 message and I want to quote him.
"So let us make 2026 the year we do the basics extraordinarily well:
- Tell the truth clearly, especially when it鈥檚 complicated
- Measure what matters: quality, safety, access, excellence and impact
- Own our misses, quickly, openly and visibly
- Use technology to deepen humanity, not replace it
- Treat one another like the scarce and precious resource we are"
I am excited to see you in the new year and welcome the opportunity to work with you on bringing the COPH to new levels of excellence, achievement and public service.
Happy New Year!