Graduates representing 46 countries received their degrees from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health at convocation on Tuesday, May 20, at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. The 860 graduates earned 123 doctoral degrees and 737 master’s degrees. Among them were the first recipients of the School’s new Masters of Public Policy degree, 15 in all, and 350 earned Masters of Public Health. Nearly half -- 362 -- received masters in sciences and health sciences, including 159 Masters in Health Science and 130 Masters in the Science in Public Health. Another 25 graduates received Masters in Health Administration.
“During your time with us, you have done far more than take courses,” Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH ‘87, told the Class of 2014. “You have enriched the life of our school as well as the community outside our walls. Over the last year, you have collaborated with over 100 community-based organizations throughout Baltimore to contribute roughly 9,000 hours of service. Collectively, you have contributed a spirit and energy that inspires all of us in our efforts to make the world a better place.”
This year’s convocation speaker was Carol S. Larson, president and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Packard Foundation supports many public and global health initiatives, including population and reproductive health and children’s health.
Dean Klag paid tribute to Timothy Baker, MD, MPH ‘54, a long-time faculty member and one of the founders of the School’s Department of International Health who passed away in December 2013. Faculty, students and alumni were recognized for a number of achievements during Tuesday’s convocation. On Monday, in a separate awards ceremony, 89 students, along with 11 faculty and 11 alumni, were inducted into Delta Omega, the National Public Health Honor Society.
As has been the tradition since the 1990s, students stood and recited the International Declaration of Human Rights before receiving their degrees at convocation. The declaration, in which students commit to “advocacy and action to promote the health rights of all human beings,” was composed by faculty and students on the occasion of the School’s 75th anniversary in 1991.
The new graduates join a network of nearly 20,000 alumni around the world.
Media contacts for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Susan Sperry at 410-955-6919 or ssperry1@jhu.edu or Barbara Benham at 410-614-6029 or bbenham1@jhu.edu.
