As Rx Kids, a cash prescription program for expecting and new parents, turns one, its co-creator Mona Hanna, MD, Rx Kids director, associate dean for public health, and Charles Stewart Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, has been recognized as one of USA TODAY’s 2025 Women of the Year. The list honors women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country.

The Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health is home to the online CEPH-accredited Master of Public Health Program within the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Launched in 2006, the program trains a public health workforce dedicated to attaining the highest level of health for all individuals. As public health evolves, so does our leadership.  

On my first day at MSU, as a student intern, I was greeted with one of the most memorable hugs of my lifetime. I was to work directly under Dr. Mona Hanna, a nationally recognized leader and award-winning pediatrician most known for her role in uncovering the Flint Water Crisis; it was a dream opportunity for any 20-year-old public health student, and I was a ball of nerves. As soon as Dr. Mona walked into the room, my worries evaporated as she threw open her arms and gave me a bear hug. “I’m a hugger,” she said.

The Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health Awards Committee is proud to announce the recipients of the Difference Makers Awards. These awards recognize the hard work of faculty members, staff members, and community partners. 

To address the rural public health concerns and train the next generation of public health professionals on how to effectively use health data and improve health outcomes in a community, the Michigan State University Master of Public Health (MPH) Program in the College of Human Medicine has expanded the roles of two MPH assistant professors.   

The USDA’s order to test raw milk samples nationwide is a proactive measure that underscores the importance of public and zoonotic disease surveillance. This is of special importance when we are talking about viruses since they are known to change and adapt to new hosts. Early detection of zoonotic diseases like bird flu virus is important because it has a highly pathogenic strain (H5N1) that poses a potential zoonotic risk causing disease in humans.

With 47 million people in the U.S. facing food insecurity in 2023—more than the combined population of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Texas, the urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, it is unacceptable that many people struggle to access enough safe, nutritious food.  

Warning: This story talks about suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, please call, text or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. You matter. You are important.

Crystal Cederna is an associate professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She has worked with more than 4,000 youth patients and families and sees a clear need for preventive mental health. Here, she shares insight about how parents and caring adults can help tweens and teens who may be at risk for suicide.

There’s widespread evidence that anxiety is growing and mental health is declining among people ages 18 to 24. We also know that the number of people — especially students of color — in this age group who are seeking mental health care has declined since the start of the pandemic.

As the realities of climate change become increasingly impossible to ignore, its effects are proving to be far more wide-reaching than previously imagined. One of the less publicized but deeply concerning consequences of climate change is the expanding prevalence of Lyme disease-bearing ticks in Michigan. 

Not all public health researchers are fortunate enough to help build an academic department from the ground up, let alone have the full backing and partnership of community members along the way. But Jennifer Johnson is among those lucky few. At Michigan State University, she's part of a public health department that is fast becoming a national model for community-based participatory research and implementation that’s making a profound impact on the health of Michigan residents.

Cultural competence is more than just a buzzword; it’s the essential skill of understanding, appreciating, and effectively interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. But why is this so crucial for public health practitioners? Simply put, cultural competence ensures that health initiatives are not only respectful and relevant but also finely tuned to the unique needs of every community, paving the way for better health outcomes and greater social equity.