Tacoma, WA – Cara Frankenfeld, associate professor and former director of graduate studies at George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services, has been appointed as the inaugural director of University of Puget Sound’s new Master of Public Health (MPH) program.
The program aligns with Puget Sound’s 2018 strategic plan, Leadership for a Changing World, anticipating an increasing need for public health professionals both locally and nationally. The two-year program will accept its first cohort of students in fall 2021.
“We are thrilled to have Professor Frankenfeld lead this urgently needed new program that responds to both community needs and the interests of our students and faculty,” said President Isiaah Crawford, a psychologist with research and service leadership in the health care field. “The MPH program is part of a strong commitment to the health sciences at Puget Sound, expressed throughout our undergraduate liberal arts curriculum and complemented by graduate programs in occupational and physical therapy, as well as education and counseling.”
Public health is a transdisciplinary field focused on the promotion of community and environmental health, and the prevention of disease and injury to assure optimal health outcomes with an emphasis on serving marginalized populations. The MPH prepares students as practitioners who are responsive to contemporary challenges in public health at local, regional, national and global levels.
“The University of Puget Sound is recognized for their student-centered education and social justice mission,” said Professor Frankenfeld. “I am excited about the opportunity to work with the exceptional and dedicated faculty and staff to build a public health program that positively contributes to the health of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.”
Professor Frankenfeld serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Nutrition and is an associate editor for the Annals of Epidemiology. She earned a BS in food and nutrition sciences with a minor in chemistry from Northern Arizona University; an MS in nutritional sciences from University of Arizona; and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Washington.
More information about the Master of Public Health program, including admission requirements, deadlines and curriculum, is available on the Puget Sound website.