“We are on the rise.”

From the soaring top floor of Morgan Hall, this was the message that Temple Provost Hai-Lung Dai shared with over 60 supporters of the College of Public Health (CPH), who gathered on April 22 to learn about the college’s plans for future growth and meet new recipients of student scholarships. Dai said that the college has become a model for research and education at Temple.

“If we look at research dollars per faculty member, the College of Public Health is number one in the university,” he said, noting that its supporters have been critical to building that identity. College of Public Health Dean Laura Siminoff addressed the need for healthcare innovation in the United States. “Americans suffer from more health issues than people in other high-income countries,” she said.

According to Siminoff, the college’s emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration “provides the means for us to more effectively address, through research and education, the health and wellness of the public.” Siminoff also recognized the more than 40 students who have been awarded CPH scholarships for the coming academic year.

Each student sees a personal significance in their award. Modupe Oke is in the Master of Social Work program and is a recipient of the Megan and Emily Peck Memorial Scholarship Fund. “My parents came from poverty in Nigeria,” she said. “With this award, I’m showing that their journey wasn’t in vain. All the stress about paying for school this year has been erased—I’m able to give back now, which is my passion.”

For Trinh Nguyen, receiving a CPH scholarship opened new doors of self-discovery. Nguyen is an undergraduate kinesiology major who worked two jobs to pay for school until she was awarded the Dorothy R. McQueen Memorial Award. “Before, my identity was ‘financially-struggling student,’” she said. “The scholarship gave me a chance to breathe—to focus more, expand my horizons, and find the best of who I am.”