Fresh Challenges for a new era

During the 1999-2001 biennium, as we crossed the centuries and millennia, we also made some important transitions within our Department and School. We can now look back and assess changes that we were anticipating two years ago.

In 1999, Dr. Pat Wahl was beginning her tenure as dean of the School of Public Health and had just launched a multiyear development plan. She has led an effort to identify priorities for research, teaching and service, and to strengthen ties with the public health practice community in Washington state and the region. In June 2000, Dr. Dave Kalman became chair of the Department of Environmental Health and joined the school in expanding internal programs and external partnerships.

This period saw major national changes in health issues, environmental concerns, and political leadership. While the public continues to be concerned about protection of health and preservation of environmental quality, we need to make sure that the benefits of our interventions are evident and meaningful to average citizens. We need to connect our theoretical work with tangible public health benefits and balance our research with other social and personal needs.

The five feature stories in this report describe some of our efforts. Five alumni profiles illustrate how our students are making a difference in the broader world. The twin revolutions in molecular genetics and digital technology continue to reshape our lives, challenging us with new problems to manage, from computer viruses to ethical dilemmas about the proper use of biotechnology. At the same time, these technologies offer previously unimagined access to information, communication tools, and medical benefits.

The academic world is struggling to adjust to these changes. While "lifelong learning" has always been a part of our values as scholars and teachers, this model of educational development is emerging as a personal and social imperative. How will it change the way we teach, do research, and provide services?

Our Department has a distinctive orientation to many of these questions. Since legislation was enacted in 1963, the Department has received support from funds paid by employers and workers into the industrial insurance fund, appropriated biennially by the state Legislature. The intent was that some portion of workers' compensation funds go toward preventing future occupational injuries and disease. The law also provided for an advisory committee with members from state agencies; business, labor, and medical associations; and other University departments to review our Department's programs (see page 56 for a list of current members).

This mandate to provide teaching, conduct research, and offer services related to the safety and health of Washington workers and employers has shaped our growth and continues to influence our activities. Our connection with real-world problems places us in a position to be among the first to recognize and respond to change. As we enter the new millennium, we aim to expand and improve the societal benefits of our work, recognizing that external partners are essential in this undertaking. We encourage readers whose imaginations are engaged by this report to contact us and join in future efforts in environmental and occupational health.

Our mission

To identify agents in the environment and the workplace that affect human health

To elucidate their mechanisms

To develop strategies for confronting their effects

To share the knowledge obtained

In addressing this public health mission, our goal is to promote excellence in education and research.