Academic Programs

Dr. David Rosner

The reviews are in and it’s a hit. Last fall, the Mailman School launched a new program that brings public health courses to Columbia University undergraduates. The program is designed to introduce concepts in public health within a liberal arts framework, and forges a curricular bridge between the Morningside and the Medical Center campuses. The initial class, a “Social History of American Public Health” was taught by Dr. David Rosner.

Dr. Rosner’s course sought to provide participants “with an historical understanding of the role public health has played in American history during the 19th and 20th centuries.” In doing so, the class emphasized that “public health is intimately related to broader social, political, as well as scientific, changes overtaking the country and incorporate[ed] a very broad range of subjects from changes in urban living and culture, through the transformation of the industrial work place.”

(Visitors can access a full course description.) 

Stellar Reviews

The immensely successful class enrolled 75 undergraduates and received exceptional student evaluations following its conclusion:

• “David Rosner makes public health come alive!”
• “Professor Rosner was great at presenting the material in an interesting and engaging way. The students seemed to always want to participate and contribute in class.”
• “Professor Rosner was excited about being in class and got us excited about it, too. His lectures were informative and funny.”
• “Professor Rosner shows true enthusiasm for not only the subject matter but for teaching, too. He was highly effective at challenging us to go further in our studies and think about what the issues in the class meant for society as a whole.”

The experience was equally impressive to Dr. Rosner, who commented, “It was a wonderful experience teaching Columbia undergraduate students this past semester.  These young scholars were remarkably energetic, open-minded, and smart students. They are a joy to be around.”  Dr. Rosner went on to predict that the School’s successful endeavor to teach courses on the undergraduate level will continue to grow while offering numerous benefits to all parties.  “I think teaching at the undergraduate level is the way to go to truly integrate public health into the university. It helps the Mailman School faculty be more involved with the downtown campus and increases our connections to other teaching departments in new and exciting ways,” said Rosner. 

Spring 2010

Following up on Dr. Rosner’s successful experience, a team of Mailman School faculty is offering– “Fundamentals of Global Health” - taught by Drs. Alastair Ager and Anne Paxton. The course employs “a multidisciplinary approach to discuss the major underlying determinants of poor health and the relationship between health and political, social and economic development.” Visitors can also access a full course description. 

Additional Educational Opportunities

Columbia University undergraduates are also furthering their public health knowledge by taking advantage of the Mailman School’s preeminent lecture series, Grand Rounds on the Future of Public Health. The series draws leading national and international participants with a broad spectrum of expertise in addressing innovative solutions to today’s vital public health challenges.