Colorado School of Public Health News and Stories

The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report for graduate programs in public health. The rankings were announced publicly on April 9. Previously, ColoradoSPH had been ranked #17.

As a newer school of public health, founded in 2008, ColoradoSPH, has risen steadily through the ranks from #35 to #16 in just 15 short years. The rankings of more than 200 schools and programs of public health are based on expert opinions about program excellence and other statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.

Colorado School of Public Health | April 09, 2024

Dear ColoradoSPH Community,

Over the past 2+ years, we prepared for our school’s Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) reaccreditation process that occurs every 7 years (this time 8 years due to the pandemic), with our last reaccreditation in 2016, accrediting the school into 2024.

Colorado School of Public Health | February 27, 2024

As a toxicologist, Brad Reisfeld, a ColoradoSPH professor at CSU, studies the effects of drugs and environmental contaminants on human health. As part of his work, he relies on various health-related biomarkers, many of which are measured using conventional blood tests. Understanding what common blood tests are intended to measure can help you better interpret the results.

CSU Source | February 07, 2024

Sixteen words sum up the mission of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). It is to “shape policies, practices, and programs that support a fair, diverse, and respectful environment for all individuals.”

Tyler Smith | January 23, 2024

ColoradoSPH Community,

Colorado School of Public Health | October 17, 2023

Father, husband, brother, son, grandfather, uncle, friend, colleague, academic leader, visionary, mentor, and soldier, Henry S. (Hank) Gardner, Jr., DrPH, MSPH, 71, died peacefully on August 9, with his family at his side.

Colorado School of Public Health | August 21, 2023

Our center stands on three pillars: Research, Education, and Practice. One of the many ways we work to protect workers is through educating and training future leaders in occupational safety and health (OSH). As part of our Student Spotlight series highlighting our trainees, we interviewed Raissa Chunko, a Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC) trainee earning a Master's in Health Physics from Colorado State University (CSU).

Colorado School of Public Health | August 01, 2023

Bugs for dinner? It may sound like a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie, but edible bugs are making their way into the spotlight for a compelling reason: they may hold the key to a healthier and greener future. While the thought of eating insects may trigger apprehension for some, insects have been used for food and medicine by many cultures for centuries – up to 80 percent of the world's nations, particularly in tropical areas, eat insects. As our planet grapples with mounting challenges like climate change and food insecurity, the notion of turning to edible bugs as an eco-friendly option is capturing the attention of public health researchers, including Shaylee Warner, a recent graduate from the Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University.

Rachel Larson | June 14, 2023

Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors exceptional students, faculty, and staff at an annual awards ceremony coinciding with graduation.

Colorado School of Public Health | May 19, 2023

We are all ready to say goodbye to the COVID-19 pandemic. The past few years have been arduous, exacting a terrible toll in human suffering, economic turmoil, and political strife. More than 1 million Americans perished, as did a sense of well-being for our health and mental wellness. And while the SARS-CoV-2 virus will likely persist among us for a very long time, it appears that the worst is over, thanks to modern medicine and public health prevention.

Tracy Nelson | May 01, 2023

A novel hypothesis is taking shape in the world of aging research: the idea that if everyone gets older, aging is inevitable, and chronic diseases multiply with age, then why not view aging as the problem to be investigated, rather than each disease or condition that develops

Hannah Halusker | April 18, 2023

Dr. Jon Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, said the problem of misinformation isn’t new; the tobacco industry created the playbook for disinformation during its long battle to suppress the truth that smoking kills.

The Denver Post | April 03, 2023

Get more exercise. Eat right. Make new friends.

Lisa Marshall | January 10, 2023

Adapted from a news release by Bay Area Lyme Foundation

CSU MarComm Staff | November 04, 2022

For many decades, it’s been known that communities of color are exposed to more air pollution than their predominantly white counterparts.

Anne Manning | November 01, 2022

Just like coughing, sneezing, talking and singing, playing wind instruments ­– particularly those in the brass section – can spread respiratory particles that may carry the COVID-19 virus, according to a Colorado State University study.

Anne Manning | July 13, 2022

Colorado State University Professor Lorann Stallones has been recognized for her outstanding contribution to agricultural health and safety research by the International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health.

Jane Barber | June 30, 2022

Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors exceptional students, faculty, and staff at an awards ceremony coinciding with graduation. The following individuals have made outstanding contributions to public health and our school. Congratulations to this year's award winners!

Colorado School of Public Health | May 26, 2022

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends two frameworks for providing respiratory protection for the nation — one for workers and one for the public — a need made clear by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly frequent wildfires. The report makes the case that all types of workers, including essential and gig economy workers, should be covered by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or equivalent respiratory protection requirements when exposed to inhalation hazards in the workplace. It also calls for a coordinated system to ensure all members of the public, including children, have access to appropriate respiratory protective devices and guidance on their effective use. 

Colorado School of Public Health | February 10, 2022

With the COVID-19 positivity rate rapidly increasing in Colorado, Dr. Jude Bayham, assistant professor of epidemiology at CSU, discusses the high probability of increased hospitalizations and deaths in response to the recent surge.

CPR | January 05, 2022

A study published in GeoHealth, led by ColoradoSPH and CSU researchers, found that N95 respirators can help protect against wildfire smoke and related health risks.

FOX News | September 30, 2021

The World Health Organization updated its Global Air Quality Guidelines on Sept. 22 for the first time in 16 years. The new guidelines reflect research that shows the considerable impact that air pollution has on global health, said Dr. David Rojas, assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH).

Rojas and ColoradoSPH Dean and Professor Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, served as advisors to the WHO and helped develop the new guidelines.

"These updated WHO Air Quality Guidelines are used throughout the world, offering global benchmarks and targets for those countries that still have high levels of air pollution. Reflecting advances in understanding of the risks of air pollution since the 2005 update, the new guidelines values are lower for most pollutants," said Samet.

Mary Guiden | September 22, 2021

On August 2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced his selections for membership of the Science Advisory Board (SAB). The committee will be comprised of 22 women and 25 men, including 16 people of color, making it the most diverse SAB since the committee was established. The Administrator’s selections are well-qualified experts with a cross-section of scientific disciplines and experience needed to provide advice to EPA leadership to help advance the agency’s mission.

Among those selected is Dr. Jonathan Samet, dean and professor of epidemiology, and environmental and occupational health for the Colorado School of Public Health.

"I am honored to have been selected as a charter member of EPA’s Science Advisory Board, which has a critical role in providing peer review and guidance for the agency," said Samet. "With these new appointments, Administrator Regan has achieved a high level of diversity and added important expertise on environmental justice. I look forward to helping with the challenges ahead as the Administration moves ahead to improve the environment and reduce the substantial burden of disease due to pollution."

Colorado School of Public Health | August 03, 2021

In the summer of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was raging, vaccines were not yet available, and workplaces and universities, including Colorado State University, had taken what operations they could online.

Anne Manning | July 29, 2021

Building on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado State University has received a $2 million commitment from The Anschutz Foundation to further the development of new solutions for building resilience and agility in stopping infectious disease transmission among animals and people.

Jeff Dodge | July 26, 2021

Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors exceptional students, faculty, and staff at an awards ceremony coinciding with graduation. The following individuals have made outstanding contributions to public health and our school. Congratulations to this year's award winners!

Colorado School of Public Health | May 25, 2021

In veterinary school I learned to put needles in a banana. Instructors now have access to a variety of human and animal models designed to reproduce the experience of medical procedures. Some models even bleed. But back in the early 2000s, bananas had their place.

Colleen Duncan | April 20, 2021

Three atmospheric scientists and one epidemiologist from Colorado State University will interpret NASA data for public benefit as part of NASA’s Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team. The team’s goal is to translate information from NASA satellites, models and surface observations to help officials make decisions to protect public health.

Jayme DeLoss | March 05, 2021

Colorado State University researchers say the vast majority of people around the university are wearing face coverings, according to a recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Joe Giordano | February 26, 2021

The ColoradoSPH at CSU faculty have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide important research and essential work in understanding the virus, how to slow the spread, and how to help end the pandemic. This work has had local, national and international impact. 

Megan Jansson | February 03, 2021

Devin Kadis, a fourth-year student at Colorado State University, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, in August 2020. It’s been a journey, which unfortunately is not yet over. 

Mary Guiden | December 17, 2020

What’s interesting about public health is when it’s working efficiently you don’t know it’s there. We take for granted our clean water and air, that the food we eat, the parks our children play in, and our work environments, are safe, and importantly that infectious diseases are controlled through vaccination programs, proper hygiene, and vector control. When a public health problem overwhelms the system like in the coronavirus pandemic, public health becomes front and center, we realize the importance of this system built to prevent and protect ourselves and our communities.   

Tracy Nelson | December 01, 2020

Morgan Turner, a second year MPH student in the Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles concentration at CSU, wanted to pursue public health because of its diverse application to many areas of life. She was attracted to the variety within public health and how elements of public health are relevant throughout most, if not all, industries. After her first two semesters of coursework, she was interested in working with healthy equity and wanted to explore working in the public sector in local government with the city of Fort Collins. She completed her practicum and is currently working on her capstone with the city and FC Moves, which is a department within the city’s Planning, Development, and Transportation division. Their work is primarily focused on advancing mobility solutions to increase walking, bicycling, transit use, and shared and environmentally sustainable modes of transportation.

Megan Jansson | November 14, 2020

Hydraulic fracturing has boomed in the U.S. over the past decade, but unless you live near it, you may not realize just how close fracking wells can be to homes and schools. In Colorado, the wellbore — the hole drilled to extract oil or gas — can be 500 feet from someone’s house under current state rules. In some states, like Texas, drilling can be even closer.

Stephanie Malin | October 22, 2020

The link between views on aging, including attitudes about aging and older adults, and physical and mental health has been supported in numerous studies. However, the interactions of different types of views on aging are not well understood. Two types of views on aging were examined in a new study from the Colorado School of Public Health: aging stereotypes, which are defined as general beliefs about aging shared in a given culture, and self-perceptions of aging, which reflect people’s personal experiences of aging. The researchers hypothesized that societal views of aging would influence how participants perceived their own aging process. They also predicted that participants’ perceptions of their own aging would influence their health outcomes.

Michelle Kuba | October 15, 2020

While watching events unfold across the country over recent months, Professor Dawn Comstock was left feeling like she needed to do something tangible to address the ongoing systemic racial and ethic disparities. That’s when she decided to help establish a new scholarship fund to accelerate the Colorado School of Public Health’s efforts to increase the diversity and inclusive excellence of the school’s student body.

Colorado School of Public Health | October 15, 2020

A recent survey conducted by Colorado researchers sheds light on how severely COVID-19 is affecting the region’s most economically vulnerable families — and the most effective ways for them to cope with it.

Jeff Dodge | August 28, 2020

The Colorado School of Public Health’s COVID-19 modeling team has developed and launched an interactive online application that shows a variety of data that affect epidemic modeling. The new interactive app lets people see the possible course of COVID-19 under a variety of scenarios, and project the COVID-19 epidemic curve from the comfort of their homes.

Using interactive sliders on a website, users are able to see how the four key interventions to control the spread of COVID-19 can impact the future course of the virus in Colorado. Users can alter the percent of the population wearing masks, introduce contact tracing, improve case detection and isolation, and see how changes in social distancing can impact the future course of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. 

Colorado School of Public Health | July 09, 2020

Wearing a mask or face covering in the US has become about more than just slowing the spread of COVID-19 — some experts say it's a political statement, signalling another layer in the deep divisions within America.

ABC News | June 30, 2020

Students and faculty in the Colorado School of Public Health at CSU have stepped up to help their community during the coronavirus pandemic. They jumped into action to help analyze data and research, develop talking points and communication strategies to best inform the public, form policy ideas, implement those policies, conduct contact tracing and provide guidance and support to people impacted by COVID-19. 

Megan Jansson | May 29, 2020

A new modeling report released today by Colorado public health scientists estimates just how much Coloradans have changed their behaviors since the start of the pandemic – and how those behaviors may now be shifting with the state’s new Safer at Home orders. 

Colorado School of Public Health | May 14, 2020

When Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) needed to respond to the rapidly worsening COVID-19 pandemic, they needed data and projections of the pandemic’s course based upon Colorado data. A team was quickly assembled by the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) to collaborate with CDPHE on epidemic modeling—the basic approach for generating the needed information for decision-making. In March, CDPHE asked ColoradoSPH Dean Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, four questions: when will infections peak in Colorado, how soon will we reach ICU bed capacity, how many hospital beds will be needed when we do peak, and how will social distancing policies impact those numbers? 

Tori Forsheim | May 06, 2020

In the state of Colorado’s response to COVID-19, among its first priorities is protecting frontline medical workers by providing them with enough personal protective equipment – face shields, gowns, and masks that filter out viral particles.

Anne Manning | May 05, 2020

Professor John Volckens’ 2,000-square-foot lab on the campus of Colorado State University is normally a place for experiments on air quality, pollution sensors, and how breathable particles can trigger disease.

Mike Hooker | April 06, 2020

Colorado State University has been asked by Gov. Jared Polis and the State of Colorado to organize testing of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the state’s healthcare workers from the COVID-19 virus. CSU’s role will be to initiate and coordinate testing to provide recommendations to the state on PPE distribution. 

Mike Hooker | March 26, 2020

Dr. Anna Fagre, a veterinarian and microbiologist at Colorado State University, has studied salmonella in reptiles and diseases in polar bears. She is now investigating how bats transmit arboviruses like dengue fever, Zika and West Nile viruses.

Mary Guiden | January 06, 2020

One of the pillars of the Colorado School of Public Health is its collaborative model that leverages the unique strengths of three Colorado universities into one school. Comprising the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado, the collaboration now also manifests as internally-funded, inter-institutional research projects, thanks to a new jointly-funded grant program.   

Tori Forsheim | January 03, 2020

As Colorado State University students were wrapping up finals and heading out for fall break, Ellison Carter was boarding a plane headed back to Colorado, following an action-packed two weeks in China.

Jayme DeLoss | December 05, 2019

During the first day of the fall 2019 semester, Dr. Molly Gutilla asked her students in her Epidemiology for Public Health class to introduce themselves. One introduction stood out among the rest, and that was Dr. Adrienne LeBailly. She introduced herself simply as Adrienne and that she was enrolled in the Lifelong Learner program at Colorado State University, which is a program that allows people 55 years and older to take classes at CSU for the joy of learning, free of cost. Dr. LeBailly went on to say that she had worked in public health previously, but little did the class know at the time about her impressive resume.

Megan Jansson | October 14, 2019

Malnutrition is prevalent on a global scale and has numerous negative consequences for children during the first five years of life. For some children, it can mean struggling with health issues for life or a higher risk of death among those under five years of age.

Mary Guiden | October 10, 2019

Colorado State University has developed a special partnership with the small eastern plains town of Fort Morgan in recent years, and the next step in that relationship is improving health awareness in immigrant communities there.

Jeff Dodge | September 11, 2019

In May 2019, Brittney Sly, a doctoral student in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University, embarked on her second research trip to Burera, a district in the northern part of Rwanda.

Sylvia Bao | August 27, 2019

Last summer, Amanda Tyler lived and worked in a rural village in Uganda. She was there for 2 months while doing her practicum with the Uganda Village Project. The home she lived in had no running water, minimal electricity, and a latrine for a toilet, which is common for the area. Amanda adjusted to this new way of life, but once back in the U.S. she found herself having a hard time adjusting back to her life that was once so normal.

Megan Jansson | July 18, 2019

Cardiometabolic risk refers to an individual’s chances of having stroke, heart disease or diabetes. Some factors, like age and gender, increase a person’s cardiometabolic risk and can’t be affected by behavior change. Many factors, though, may be affected by lifestyle, and those are what Dr. Chris Melby has studied for a significant portion of his career. 

Rachel Sauer | July 03, 2019

Diehl, an expert on the psychology of aging, is professor of physical activity & healthy lifestyles  at ColradoSPH at CSU. His award presentation took place in November at the GSA’s 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

CSU External Relations Staff | January 28, 2019

Though Dr. Juyeon Park has devoted much of her professional research to studying how humans use technology – focusing more on the human aspects than on designing the technology itself – she still didn’t anticipate the “Eureka!” moments and, sometimes, tears that came when young women truly saw themselves.

Rachel Sauer | January 25, 2019

Though Dr. Juyeon Park has devoted much of her professional research to studying how humans use technology – focusing more on the human aspects than on designing the technology itself – she still didn’t anticipate the “Eureka!” moments and, sometimes, tears that came when young women truly saw themselves.

Rachel Sauer | January 17, 2019

Colorado has been feeling the effects of the national opioid crisis, particularly in rural areas. Now Colorado State University has received about $1.4 million in federal grants for a project in which community professionals — including CSU Extension agents — will work with youths age 10-14 and their families to prevent drug experimentation before it starts. 

Jeff Dodge | December 13, 2018

Suman Mathur’s door was always open. If Nichole Monhait had a question or an idea, if she just needed to talk something through, Suman was available. That, among many other things, is what Nichole appreciated as they built their working relationship.

Rachel Sauer | October 29, 2018

Evelinn Borrayo, PhD, professor of Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health at CSU, has been appointed to the State Board of Health by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Borrayo will represent District 2 for a three-year term. Of the state board's nine voting members, she is the only academic.

The State Board of Health performs such duties as promulgating public health rulings, approving grant funding, appointing members to department committees, and advising the executive director.

Of the appointment, Borrayo calls it "the most meaningful public service" she could perform. It will allow her a wide-reaching consideration of health issues facing Coloradans, as well as the ability to exercise a vote in improving citizen health. 

In addition to her appointments within ColoradoSPH, Borrayo is also a professor of counseling psychology and director of counseling training in CSU's College of Natural Sciences and its department of Psychology, and up until recently was the director of the Colorado School of Public Health's Latino Research & Policy Center.

Borrayo's voice will help represent three unique perspectives: that of a higher education academic; a mental health trained professional; and an ethnic minority woman of Latino descent.

"I believe that through my professional training, I can provide knowledge, skills, and experience related to the mental health needs of the people of Colorado. Moreover, through my affiliation with the Colorado School of Public Health, I am in the position to contribute added knowledge and skills related to public health matters that affect all citizens of Colorado."

"As part of my commitment to improve health inequities, I have developed expertise in best practices related to improving the pipeline of underrepresented providers in the healthcare professions, including mental health providers."

Read the full story in CSU Source.

Anne Manning | June 26, 2016