Welcome to the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health!
There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in public health. Currently, we face extraordinary challenges, but we have also been given the unique opportunity to transform the health of people in Indiana and beyond. At the Fairbanks School of Public Health, we’re committed to creating a healthier state, nation, and world by improving strategies to prevent illness, disability, and injury and by improving how healthcare services are delivered.
The work we do in public health matters now more than ever. Disease spreads regardless of where you live or what you believe. Prevention benefits all people.
Our deep connections with practice and government give the Fairbanks School of Public Health an essential foundation to spark change in Indiana. Our location in downtown Indianapolis allows our students to study alongside policy makers, community activists, and groundbreaking researchers. Indianapolis is home to the largest health systems in Indiana, the Indiana State Department of Health, the Marion County Health Department, countless nonprofit organizations and top health-related companies.
Not only do students witness how public health laws are made a few short blocks away at the capitol, they also regularly engage with the Indiana general assembly in research and advocacy.
Whether you decide to pursue a career in practice or research, you will be working each day for prevention and policy that benefits all people. You will strive to ensure everyone has a chance at a long and healthy life. You will work to build healthier communities that will contribute to a healthier nation.
And when you graduate, you will join the largest public health alumni network in the state. From CEOs of hospital systems to world-renowned researchers, you will become a part of the Fairbanks alumni family.
Public health protects and improves the health of people where they live, work, and play.
Doctors and other healthcare providers treat illness or injuries, but in public health our goal is to prevent illness, disability, and injury and improve how healthcare services are delivered. We work to identify disease outbreaks, prevent injuries, and shed light on why some of us are more likely to suffer from poor health than others. And we implement large-scale solutions that improve the health of entire populations.
In the last 100 years, public health has added 25 years to the life expectancy of people living in the United States by advocating to protect our nation’s health and safety. According to the Center for Disease Control, public health’s 10 greatest achievements in the 20th century are:
- Immunizations
- Motor Vehicle Safety
- Workplace Safety
- Control of Infectious Diseases
- Declines in Deaths from Heart Disease and Stroke
- Safer and Healthier Foods
- Healthier Mothers and Babies
- Family Planning
- Fluoridation of Drinking Water
- Tobacco as a Health Hazard
As public health practitioners and researchers, we advocate for prevention and policy that benefits all people. We strive to ensure everyone has a chance at a long and healthy life. We work to build healthier communities that will contribute to a healthier nation.
Last updated: April 2023
