UW School of Public Health Diversity Statement

Underlying all public health research and training activities is an appreciation of the impact that cultural and socioeconomic diversity has on the health of communities. There must be an understanding of the behaviors, attitudes, and policies that enable public health to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

We recognize that cultural and socio-demographic diversity enriches the process of discovery by engendering multiple modes of thinking about problems and communicating ideas. The opportunities for enrichment accrue to those institutions that successfully cultivate diversity within their educational, research, and outreach activities. Schools that fail to achieve and maintain a diverse constituency of students, faculty, and staff risk becoming increasingly removed from leading edge educational and research opportunities in public health and relevance in their communities.

All regions of the country, including the Pacific Northwest, are becoming more diverse in racial and ethnic make-up. As the problem of racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes continues to grow, policy-makers and the general public increasingly look to health professional schools to address these urgent and unacceptable circumstances. Because we are the only accredited School of Public Health west of Minneapolis and north of Berkeley, California, it is particularly important for us to be up to the challenge.

For all of these reasons, the University of Washington School of Public Health is committed to developing a more diverse and culturally competent faculty, staff and student body in order to better serve communities in our region and beyond. Our commitment to diversity is supported by the UW Board of Regents.