CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy

10/08/2026

07/20/2026

A new review by Visiting Scholar Irene Vidal and colleagues finds that school food programs can improve children’s diets, nutrition knowledge, and food security, but equitable design matters.

Reviewing 65 studies across Europe, researchers found that nutrition education, healthier school meals, and multicomponent approaches were linked to healthier eating habits and improved food outcomes, particularly in some lower-income and migrant communities.

The findings highlight the importance of designing school food policies that not only improve average outcomes, but also help reduce health inequities.

Read more at cunysph.me/4dv9O11

07/17/2026

Guess what? You don’t need to have everything figured out on day one.

Every class, assignment, challenge, and connection contributes to your growth in ways you may not realize until later. The lessons you’re learning now, and even those notes you’re taking, may become some of your most valuable resources in the future. 📚✨

Growth happens one step at a time. Trust the process, ask for help when you need it, and remember that you belong here. You’re doing great, and before you know it, you’ll be looking back on your own journey with pride. 💙

07/15/2026

Libraries are more than just places to borrow books — they are community health hubs.

From providing free internet access and health information to acting as cooling centers during extreme heat, libraries help connect communities to essential resources and support. They also provide safe public spaces, educational programming, and services that help address social determinants of health.

Public health exists far beyond hospitals and clinics. It’s built into the spaces we rely on every day.

07/13/2026

New research co-authored by Associate Professor Nevin Cohen finds that household food waste is far less consistent from day to day than traditional surveys suggest.

Tracking food discards over two weeks, researchers found that most households regularly shifted between low- and high-waste days, revealing behavioral patterns that single surveys often miss.

The findings suggest that effective food waste interventions may need to combine long-term strategies like meal planning and storage improvements with real-time reminders that reflect how households actually manage food day to day.

Read more at cunysph.me/4dJzp5f

07/10/2026

How are public health students really engaging with AI? And what support do they actually want from faculty?

In this clip from “Enhanced Learning: How CUNY SPH Faculty are Putting AI to Work,” ’s Dr. Spring Cooper shares insights from students navigating the growing role of AI in higher education. While many students are using tools like ChatGPT for readings, writing, and citations, they’re also raising important concerns around de-skilling, bias, environmental impact, equity, and the need for clearer guidance from faculty and institutions.

The conversation highlights the importance of teaching students not just how to use AI tools, but how to critically evaluate the information they produce.

Hear more from our fellow faculty members researching AI in public health in the full recording at cunysph.me/EnhancedLearning

07/08/2026

Fieldwork is more than a graduation requirement, it’s an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned, build new skills, and make meaningful connections. 🌍✨

From community-based research to year-long fellowships, alumni consistently describe fieldwork as one of the most transformative parts of their journey. It’s a chance to gain hands-on experience, explore career interests, and create pathways to future opportunities. 💡

Finding the right placement can take time, but patience and persistence pay off. Be sure to explore opportunities through the Office of Experiential Learning and Career Services and see where your fieldwork journey can take you!

07/06/2026

NYC Green Carts were created to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into neighborhoods that have historically had limited access to healthy foods. First launched in 2008, these mobile food carts help increase access to affordable produce across the city.

Green Carts are more than food vendors, they’re a public health intervention addressing food access, nutrition, and health equity at the community level. By making healthy foods easier to access, programs like this can help support healthier diets and reduce barriers to nutritious eating.

Public health exists far beyond hospitals and clinics. It’s built into the systems, policies, and spaces we interact with every day.

07/03/2026

In an op-ed for The Hill, Distinguished Scholar Lyndon Haviland warns that wildfire season is no longer limited to the western United States, as climate change drives more frequent and severe fires across the country.

Haviland highlights the growing public health consequences of wildfire smoke exposure, including respiratory illness, cardiovascular risks, and disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. Haviland argues that wildfire preparedness must be treated not only as an environmental issue, but also as an urgent public health priority.

As extreme weather events continue to intensify, the op-ed calls for stronger prevention strategies, coordinated emergency response systems, and long-term investments to protect communities nationwide.

Read the full piece at cunysph.me/4f3vGSk

07/01/2026

How can AI help us better understand what actually improves health outcomes?

In a recent , Dr. Linda Valeri explored how causal inference methods can help answer critical public health questions around interventions, mechanisms, and individualized care in the era of AI.

To kick off the conversation, Dr. Valeri discusses how causal learning can help researchers examine not only whether an intervention works, but for whom, when, and through what mechanisms, highlighting the growing importance of data-driven decision-making in both individual and population health.

View the full recording at or cunysph.me/GR-Valeri