Evaluation Table

1 Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

2 Office of Public Health Practice and Training, Department of Health Policy
and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,
Baltimore, MD, USA

3 Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

4 Center for Teaching and Learning, Department of Epidemiology, Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

5 Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

Corresponding Author:
Beth A. Resnick, DrPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,
Department of Health Policy and Management, 624 N Broadway #457,
Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Email: bresnick@ jhu. edu

Commentary

Public Health Reports
2021, Vol. 136(1) 23-26

© 2020, Association of Schools and
Programs of Public Health

All rights reserved.
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sagepub. com/ journals- permissions
DOI: 10. 1177/ 0033 3549 20966024

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The COVID-19 Pandemic: An
Opportunity to Transform Higher
Education in Public Health

Beth A. Resnick, DrPH1 ; Paulani C. Mui, MPH2; Janice Bowie, PhD, MPH3;
Sukon Kanchanaraksa, PhD, MHS4; Elizabeth Golub, PhD, MEd5;
and Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD1

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has
revealed deficiencies in our public health infrastructure and led to
calls for long- overdue investment, an improved focus on equity,
and new approaches to crisis readiness and response. Higher
education in public health faces a similar moment of reckoning.
The immediacy of the pandemic forced schools and programs of
public health to shift to remote learning and to support response
efforts. The pandemic provides an opportunity to consider funda-
mental changes to improve our approaches to, effectiveness in,
and impact on public health education.

Immediate Educational Changes
Undertaken

Schools and programs of public health were forced to move
quickly in response to COVID-19 to keep teaching students, sup-
porting the training needs of public health agencies, engaging the
public, assisting communities, working across sectors, and con-
ducting research.

The immediate shift from onsite to remote learning forced
rapid adaptations to teach and engage with students at a distance,
including the use of online formats for classroom teaching, webi-
nars, discussion groups, mentoring, and applied learning.
Sheltering in place also elevated the need for student engagement
in research and practice activities to assist communities in their
COVID-19 response in myriad ways. For example, public health
students across the country assisted with performing contact trac-
ing, monitoring statistics on cases, staffing COVID-19 testing
sites and help lines, creating COVID-19 educational materials in
multiple languages, collecting data on personal protective equip-
ment needs, working with senior centers to obtain contact infor-
mation, and assisting with food distribution.1

In response to urgent needs in the field, schools and programs
of public health quickly developed specialized training in contact
tracing, surveillance measures, data analysis, and risk communi-
cation. Examples of this specialized training include the Johns
Hopkins University’s online contact- tracing course that was
required training for contact tracers in multiple states; more than
200 000 people enrolled in the course during its first 2 weeks.2 In

addition, the Rutgers School of Public Health New Jersey
Community Contact Tracing Corps Program launched in May
2020 in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Public
Health to train at least 1000 contract tracers to work in New
Jersey.3

Academic experts have been highly sought after as public
health communicators in the demand for COVID-19 informa-
tion. Faculty from public health institutions across the country
have provided continual updates through television, radio inter-
views, podcasts, social media posts, and popular as well as peer-
reviewed publications and academic presentations.

Research collaborations were quickly forged among schools
and programs of public health, health care providers, and scien-
tific and technology experts to study the epidemiology, patho-
genesis, and therapeutics of severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2.

Schools and programs of public health have engaged in cross-
sector collaborations to aid the COVID-19 response. In addition
to traditional partnerships with health departments and hospitals,
relationships with transportation systems, housing authorities,
schools, and business communities, among others, facilitated a
wide range of response activities. These activities included acti-
vation of incident command and emergency response measures,

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Public Health Reports 136(1)24

implementation and evaluation of prevention measures, and pro-
vision of food, medicines, and other necessities to populations in
need.

Long-term Educational Investments
and Innovations

During the past few years, changes have been made in public
health education curriculum and approaches, including expan-
sion of online degree offerings, increased opportunities for
applied learning, and shifts to competency- based accreditation
requirements. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought
attention to educational gaps, creating an opportunity to reassess
and make substantial changes for the long term. Such changes
should include the following: (1) increased investment in educa-
tional infrastructure; (2) expanded practice- based educational
approaches; (3) demonstrated commitment to educational diver-
sity, equity, and inclusion; (4) increased access to education in
public health; (5) deepened cross- sector collaborations; and (6)
formalized training in public health advocacy.

Increased Investment in Educational Infrastructure
The need for a strong educational infrastructure was apparent in
the immediate shift in March 2020 to remote learning as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even in the absence of a
global pandemic, a strong educational infrastructure is critical to
supporting high- quality teaching and learning and ensuring read-
iness for schools and programs to adapt in response to future
emergencies or ongoing public health challenges. Educational
infrastructure is fundamental to schools and programs of public
health and to ensure adequate response to public health threats.
Thus, sustaining a strong educational infrastructure and commit-
ting to protect and promote the health of the public are critical to
the core missions of schools and programs of public health.

Sustained investment in education from educational institu-
tions and governmental, philanthropic, and the private sectors
can support excellence in teaching and learning in public health.
These investments may include formally supporting excellence
in teaching with instructional designers or other educational tech-
nologists to provide training in pedagogy for faculty and teaching
assistants for both in- person and online instruction. Investment in
educational infrastructure should also extend to designing class-
rooms and providing equipment that is suitable for both active
learning and full participation by remote learners through various
technologies. Funding for research on educational methods,
expanded training options for new faculty, and continuing educa-
tion is also needed to keep staff up- to- date on new technologies
and approaches to learning.

Underlying this sustained investment from educational insti-
tutions, industry, and government should be a commitment to
improving the quality of learning for all students through the
application of universal design for learning (UDL) principles.4
UDL principles facilitate improved learning outcomes by

making learning environments (face- to- face, online, and hybrid)
inclusive to learners of varied backgrounds, geographic loca-
tions, and talents and abilities by ensuring multiple means of
engagement, delivery of information, and opportunities for learn-
ers to set goals and build fluency via applied learning activities.

Expanded Practice-Based Educational Approaches
The pandemic has emphasized the importance of transdisci-
plinary practice- based approaches to education in public health.
Schools and programs of public health quickly engaged in a wide
range of practice and translation initiatives to guide pandemic
response. Examples include developing COVID-19 data dash-
boards, communicating research findings to advance prevention
and treatment efforts, and making evidence- based recommenda-
tions to inform the safe reopening of businesses, schools, and
other community activities.

Curriculum changes in response to the pandemic fostered
cross- disciplinary teaching and practice- based learning. For
example, more than 450 students participated in a COVID-19
course at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
in spring 2020. The course included experts from across disci-
plines explaining the epidemiology of COVID-19, treatment
strategies, and policy options to prevent disease transmission.
The applied learning component engaged students in data collec-
tion in real time on testing rates and stay- at- home orders in
numerous countries that informed ongoing COVID-19 response
efforts. Both the teaching faculty and students were eager to par-
ticipate in the course.5

Demonstrated Commitment to Educational Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion
The pandemic has amplified inequities and disparities that have
long existed; these disparities underscore the need for trusted
public health experts to provide interventions that are structurally
acceptable and train future public health practitioners to provide
interventions. In this light, it is urgent not only for schools and
programs of public health to assess and adapt their own curricu-
lum and performance metrics to emphasize health equity, but
also for schools and programs to be more representative of the
populations they serve. In 2016, 11% of graduates of Association
of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)–member
schools and programs of public health were Black and 13% were
Hispanic,6 which falls short of racial/ethnic diversity of the US
population (13% Black, 18% Hispanic).7 Although schools and
programs of public health have made progress in diversifying the
student population during the last several decades, more work
needs to be done. At the faculty level, the diversity problem is
more acute. In 2017, 6% of ASPPH- member faculty were Black
and 6% were Hispanic; of these faculty, 3% of full professors
were Black and 5% were Hispanic.6 Diversity and inclusion
efforts need to be broadened to consider and collect data on
senior staff positions and to consider other priority population
groups in teaching and learning, such as people with disabilities.

Resnick et al 25

Access to affordable, structurally competent education in
public health aligned with UDL principles is a fundamental need
that requires meaningful changes in our educational approaches
and practices. For real change to occur, it will require creative
thinking and new funding models for higher education. In addi-
tion, sustainable investment in educational infrastructure to sup-
port UDL modalities and expansion of scholarship programs is
needed. The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program8 and the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research
Scholars program9 are examples of support for racial/ethnic
minority scholars that could be expanded and adapted on a larger
scale to give underrepresented students (eg, low- income racial/
ethnic minority groups) access to public health programs in
higher education from undergraduate through doctoral levels at
institutions nationwide.

Increased Access to Education in Public Health
Options beyond traditional degree programs for education in
public health are needed, including alternative and accessible
educational opportunities and modes of delivery that are lower in
cost than traditional degree programs and available to the current
public health workforce and diverse audiences worldwide.
Findings from the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and
Needs Survey indicated that fewer than 15% of the current public
health workforce had received formal public health training,10
and even public health employees with formal training require
skills to adapt to emerging challenges such as COVID-19, new
technologies, and other innovations. Public health roles and
responsibilities have been amplified in the wake of COVID-19
and have taken on a new urgency in areas of disease prevention
and health protection, particularly for vulnerable populations,
and emphasized the need for flexible curriculums and more
practice- based public health training accessible to diverse audi-
ences. Training courses aimed at public health practitioners in
areas such as contact tracing and public health surveillance have
been developed by schools and programs of public health.11

However, outside of a pandemic, schools and programs of
public health have a mandate to prepare future workers and
maintain capacity of the current public health workforce. The
Health Resources & Services Administration funds 10 regional
public health training centers housed in schools and programs of
public health12; however, the training centers are limited in scope,
and funding for the centers has decreased since the late 2000s.13
In addition, many schools and programs of public health offer
part- time online public health degree programs for working pro-
fessionals; however, these programs tend to be costly and often
include prerequisites for admission that preclude enrollment for
many.

The nontraditional educational arena has had an expansion of
curriculum in public health and offering of credentials that have
fewer requirements and are less expensive than a traditional
bachelor’s or master’s degree (eg, certificates, specializations)
through massive open online courses on online platforms such as
Coursera ( coursera. com), edX ( edX. com), and FutureLearn

( FutureLearn. com). These advances have enabled learners to
expand their public health knowledge and skills at a lower cost
and with easier access than traditional degree programs.
However, the scope of these programs needs to be more far-
reaching, affordable, and convenient to working populations and
incorporate UDL principles to attract and serve people from
communities with the greatest needs (eg, tribal communities).
Furthermore, many existing curricula are limited in language
availability and require members of online learning communities
to commit to a specific educational institution or platform.

In times of public health crisis and to address pervasive health
disparities, it is vital to innovate to get the expertise of faculty
across institutions to the communities that need it most in the
most efficient and affordable way possible. An example of such
innovation is the development of an online curriculum that brings
together contributions across multiple schools and programs of
public health with a range of perspectives and expertise. The pan-
demic spurred innovation in this realm, as 3 public health train-
ing centers in different academic institutions worked together in
2020 to produce the “Thriving in an Online Work Environment”
course to help public health professionals stay productive and
connected in the remote work environment.14 Such collaborative
efforts can serve as a model for future innovations to increase
access to education in public health to communities that need it
most, leverage resources, and expand offerings.

Deepened Cross-sector Collaborations
The pandemic has underscored the need for a broad view of pub-
lic health that requires collaborative approaches with multiple
stakeholders. In response to immediate needs during the pan-
demic, public health faculty and students have worked with pri-
vate industry (eg, hospitals, personal protective equipment
producers, drugstores, pharmaceutical companies, and the tech-
nology industry) to advance preventive measures. Partnerships
among public health, schools, food banks, restaurants, farmers,
and fisheries were forged to provide people with food.
Collaborations with public transportation, housing, criminal jus-
tice, advocacy organizations, group homes, and senior facilities
have focused on protecting vulnerable residents and priority
populations.15

Schools and programs of public health now have an opportu-
nity to build on these partnerships forged in the immediacy of the
pandemic response to advance health equity. Cross- sector part-
nerships can provide opportunities for applied learning in various
ways, including collaborative projects and communications, ser-
vice learning, and co- teaching, that emphasize a broad perspec-
tive on public health and the social determinants of health. In
addition, schools and programs can emphasize career trajectories
and mentorship across sectors (eg, housing, transportation, pub-
lic safety, economic development) to advance public health
knowledge and foster long- term collaborations. With a new and
broad set of partners, schools and programs of public health
should play major roles in collective efforts to advance health
equity and improve health outcomes.

Public Health Reports 136(1)26

Formalized Training in Public Health Advocacy
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare shortcomings in our public
health infrastructure and pervasive health and social inequities.
Solving these challenges will require advocacy. Implicit in the
educational mission of schools and programs of public health is
training students both in the classroom and in the field to advo-
cate for improved public health. Schools and programs of public
health must work to address the social influences and inadequate
policies that drive the inequities so often seen in the communities
in which these institutions reside, as well as conduct research and
seek to serve. Engaging students in advocacy efforts as part of
their public health educational experience through a range of
opportunities, including advocacy centers, internships, and grass-
roots efforts, should not be an elective option but a core compo-
nent of a public health education.

Conclusion

Schools and programs of public health have been actively
engaged in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions,
government agencies, and industry should capitalize on the
opportunity of this moment to invest in and institutionalize
improvements in teaching, learning, and practice in education in
public health to improve our educational effectiveness and lead
the charge in shaping future public health leaders to better protect
and promote the health of all populations.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Laura Morlock, PhD, executive vice dean for
academic affairs at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health, for her educational leadership and input on this article.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Beth A. Resnick, DrPH https:// orcid. org/ 0000- 0001- 6214- 9378

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https://www.businesstoday.in/opinion/columns/how-future-partnerships-collaborations-will-roll-out-in-a-post-covid-world/story/412511.html

The COVID-19 Pandemic: An Opportunity to Transform Higher Education in Public Health
Immediate Educational Changes Undertaken
Long-term Educational Investments 
and Innovations
Increased Investment in Educational Infrastructure
Expanded Practice-Based Educational Approaches
Demonstrated Commitment to Educational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Increased Access to Education in Public Health
Deepened Cross-sector Collaborations
Formalized Training in Public Health Advocacy

Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
Funding
ORCID iD

References