Celebrating our Accomplishments and Maintaining Momentum

The academic year is winding down and the Colorado School of Public Health is about to graduate its 18^th class! It has been an exciting year of challenge, reflection, and action. We have shown the world what we can achieve by coming together and rising together. This year, we delivered on “Public Health Elevated.”

While this has been a challenging time for public health, and for the Colorado School of Public Health, it has also been a year marked by remarkable achievement. The successes we celebrate are a testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and valued partners.

This year has been our most successful philanthropic year to date, with more than $6 million raised thus far. Our research enterprise continues to thrive, with more than $80 million in funded research, contributing to an increase in our NIH research ranking to No. 17. In addition, as announced earlier this month, the Colorado School of Public Health advanced to No. 14 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of schools of public health.

These accomplishments reflect the collective efforts of our entire community, our faculty whose scholarship drives discovery and real-world impact, our partners and donors whose generosity sustains and strengthens our mission, and our students, staff, alumni, and advocates who champion our work every day. Through your engagement in classrooms, conference rooms, community settings, and national forums, you help share the story of the Colorado School of Public Health and amplify the difference we are making locally and globally.

Together, we continue to advance work that improves lives and strengthens communities, including:

High Impact Community Work

• More than two decades of collaboration with residents of the San Luis Valley to address and improve water quality, reflecting our long-standing commitment to environmental justice and community-driven solutions
• Advancing youth safety and harm reduction through the distribution of gun-locking devices and expanded access to naloxone, translating public health research into practical, life-saving action

High-Impact Research

• Innovative diabetes prevention programs that reduce risk and improve long-term health outcomes
• Pioneering research examining the links between air pollution and kidney disease, informing policy and environmental protections
• Studies evaluating the cost, access, and outcomes of early cancer intervention, helping to guide more comprehensive and effective care
• Global work to track a water-borne parasite that affects 200 million people worldwide so that control programs can be customized to the needs of local environments

As we look ahead, we remain focused on expanding interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthening our partnerships with communities across Colorado and beyond, and preparing the next generation of public health leaders to address complex and evolving challenges. Our momentum positions us well to continue translating research into action, fostering innovation in education, and leading with integrity and purpose in an ever-changing public health landscape.

As we prepare to gather for this year’s convocation and celebrations, this is a moment of both reflection and optimism. We celebrate not only the achievements of the past year, but also the resilience, creativity, and shared commitment that define our community. Together, we look forward to the important work ahead—and to the continued impact we will make to improve public health globally.