Dean Pierre Buekens, with Student Government officers, makes the first cut in a cake celebrating SPHTM’s rise in the US News & World Report rankings. (Photo: Rick Olivier)
The Student Government Association’s annual Thought Symposium provided the perfect venue to celebrate SPHTM’s success and its advancement in the US News Public Health Rankings.
Dean Pierre Buekens kicked off the symposium with a presentation asking “Are We Globalizing Global Health,” attended by both current students and faculty as well as prospective students visiting during Admissions’ two-day open house.
Following a presentation by Columbia’s Dr. Robert Fullilove, attendees were welcomed into the Diboll Auditorium for lunch where the dean thanked everyone for the efforts that paved the way for the school to advance in the rankings despite stiff competition and a growing field of schools. Dean Buekens and members of the SGA Executive Board joined together to cut the commemorative cake, which was enjoyed by staff, faculty, alumni, and students, both current and future.
The Thought Symposium continued with a presentation by alumnus Anoop Jain (GCHB MPH ’13) and a “speed-dating-style” networking event at Desi Vega’s.
Symposium events concluded on Friday, ranging from a presentation by Brandan “bmike” Odums whose public art combines graffiti-style murals with civil rights sensibilities to Times-Picayune columnist Jarvis DeBerry to health economist Michael Bertaut. Both the Thought Symposium and Open House capped off two exciting days of events with a festive crawfish boil behind Handsome Willie’s, a local area hangout.
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine 