Some 1,332 Owls took flight this morning as the College of Public Health celebrated its 2017 graduation ceremony as thousands of family, friends, and supporters filled the Liacouras Center.

“Our new graduates share a deep commitment to serving others. For that, we should all be proud, and we should be optimistic for the future of our students and of the communities in which they will work and live,” said Dean Laura A. Siminoff in her remarks, noting that the College of Public Health is part of an innovative approach to education that emphasizes disease prevention and healthcare equality. “Your professions are more relevant now than ever. I am proud that we, as a faculty, and our students, are dedicated to assuring that all our citizens enjoy optimal health and wellness, that we are focused on reducing health disparities between populations.”

That sense of pride and responsibility was a theme throughout the celebration. Reflecting on how his Temple experience stretched his point of view and challenged his assumptions, undergraduate student speaker Zach Jacobs stressed empathy: “Remember that you are uniquely positioned in this world to benefit those without a voice and we are prepared to rise to the challenge,” he said. “Celebrate what you have achieved but remain aware. Dig deeper; challenge your certainties.”

The college welcomed as its commencement speaker Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, who reminded graduates of the magnitude of their potential impact. “Public health is about saving people in the hundreds, in the thousands, in the hundreds of thousands…and yet cures are still more profitable than prevention,” he said, encouraging graduates to stay faithful to their mission as they enter or continue on their career path in the healthcare field.

See photos from the College of Public Health commencement ceremony on our Facebook page. Congratulations to all our 2017 graduates!