All Events
Tuesday
March 31,  2026
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Other SPH events In-Person + Virtual

Assembly Series: Public Health in Challenging Times: Finding a Way Forward

Clark-Fox Forum in Hillman Hall, and online

6350 Forsyth Blvd,
St. Louis,
MO 63105

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. CT

National leaders in public health gathered for a panel discussion moderated by WashU School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH. They discussed the erosion of public health infrastructure funding and related support, and the consequences for preparedness, workforce stability, and the health of the population.

See here for a video recording of the event.

See here for a story and photos published following the event.

Read a preview story about this event.

WashU Public Health Dean Sandro Galea moderated a discussion featuring four other top national leaders in public health and their thoughts on the erosion of public health infrastructure funding and the consequences for preparedness, workforce stability, and population health. The panelists situated these challenges in a broader political and economic context, including the reality of shrinking federal, state, and local budgets. The conversation also focused on strategies to safeguard core public health functions and identify opportunities to reimagine sustainable investment in population health. Joining the dean were Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association; Lori Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials; Scott Harris, immediate past president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; and Laura Magaña, president and CEO of the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health.

This event was in WashU’s Hillman Hall and also was livestreamed. It was hosted by WashU Public Health, the Office of the Provost, and the Woman’s Club.

Participants

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Moderator. Margaret C. Ryan Dean of Public Health, Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor in Public Health, Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Initiatives
The inaugural dean of WashU School of Public Health, Galea is one of the most cited social scientists in the world. His writing and work are featured regularly in national and global public media. A native of Malta, he served as a field physician for Doctors Without Borders and has held academic and leadership positions at Boston University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine.
Georges C. Benjamin, MD
Panelist. Executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA)
A noted health policy leader, practitioner, and administrator, Benjamin leads the nation's largest organization of public health professionals. He is the publisher of APHA Press, the American Journal of Public Health, and The Nation’s Health, and he sits on the boards of Research!America and the Environmental Defense Fund. Maryland's former secretary of health, he is a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, among other distinctions.
Lori Tremmel Freeman, MBA
Panelist. CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Freeman's role has her as the national voice for nearly 3,000 local health departments in the U.S. Her work includes informing policymakers of the critical role of local health departments in keeping communities healthy and safe. She previously served as CEO of the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, and before that was NACCHO’s associate executive director for administration and advancement.
Scott Harris, MD, MPH
Panelist. Immediate past president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO); State health officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
After serving as area health officer for seven North Alabama counties, Harris was named to his current position with the Alabama Department of Public Health. Previously, he practiced in infectious diseases and HIV medicine and was a tuberculosis consultant for the state. He helped establish a community free clinic in Decatur, Alabama, and served for 13 years as its medical director. He also served as a volunteer physician in Central America, South America, and Africa.
Laura Magaña, PhD, MS
Panelist. President and CEO of the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
During Magaña's tenure with ASPPH, the organization has launched several key initiatives, including the Academic Public Health Leadership Institute, and the Center for Public Health Workforce Development. Magaña is also founding president of the Global Network for Academic Public Health. Previously, she dedicated more than 40 years to advancing public and private universities in Mexico, as well as organizations, programs and NGOs in the U.S., Central America and Europe. She also served as dean of the School of Public Health at Mexico's National Institute of Public Health.