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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
  3. About the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health

About the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health

The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health includes the shared missions of:

  •  Meeting the public health workforce needs for the future and
  • Demonstrating how public health approaches can address the health needs of Arkansans via model community programs.

Pilot sites for teaching and learning also serve as innovative laboratories for new and creative approaches to old problems. Students learn, with the expert aid of local citizens, schools, hospitals, and faith groups about community-based health improvement.

As with other UAMS colleges, the standards of teaching and learning are high and the resources for academic and social life are excellent. College faculty members are engaged in cutting-edge health research in numerous areas of societal concerns and students are welcome as members of most investigative teams.

Our History

The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health was established in 2001 by public referendum under voter-initiated Act 1 of 2000 Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act, otherwise known as Act 1 of 2000. Arkansans recognized that the state consistently ranked among the unhealthiest in the nation, as well as the need to address health promotion and disease prevention. By an overwhelming majority (64% of popular vote; majority vote in 73 of 75 counties), the electorate and legislature approved Act 1 of 2000. The act mandates that all funds received by Arkansas under the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement are used for health-related programs, especially those that are prevention-oriented including establishing a college of public health at UAMS. There were no schools or programs of public health in Arkansas at the time. The college has developed at a rapid pace since its establishment in July 2001. This rapid development enabled it to achieve what was then known as pre-accreditation status by the Council on Education for Public Health in May 2004. The college was fully reaccredited in June 2007 and again in October 2014.

In April 2005, the college was renamed to honor Fay W. Boozman, MD, MPH, the Arkansas State Health Officer from 1998 until his sudden death in March 2005. Dr. Boozman was a strong advocate for Act 1 of 2000 and, in particular, for including the college to be included in the act. He was a significant leader in fostering the collaborative relationship that continues to grow and develop between the college and the Arkansas Department of Health

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Why Arkansas?

From the great outdoors to a wide variety of cuisines to museums, Arkansas is a beautiful state with much to offer.

Learn more about our state

Joe Bates, M.D., M.S, was instrumental in advocating that all funds from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement be used only to address the health of Arkansans through public health initiatives including development of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.

Learn more about Dr. Bates

News & Announcements

Wilberforce T.

College of Public Health Student Creates Website to Monitor Food Recalls

Wilberforce Twinamatsiko, a student in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, is using modern technology to help people make safe food choices. Twinamatsiko, who’s in the college’s Health Systems and Services Research doctoral program, is spearheading a group that has created a free website, Food Recall…

Read more
Arkansas INBRE Cancer Workshop

College Students Explore Cancer Research at Arkansas INBRE Workshop

Undergraduates from 14 schools across the country had the opportunity to explore the field of cancer research at a UAMS workshop sponsored by the Arkansas INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence). Held May 28 in the UAMS Library, the “Bench to Bedside: Breakthroughs in Cancer Research and Therapy Workshop” attracted nearly 30 students interested in…

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Weber

Kari Weber, Ph.D., MHS, Grateful for Her Path to Becoming a Public Health Professional

Kari Weber, Ph.D., MHS, is an assistant professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. Whenever she reflects on her route to obtaining a career in public health, Weber is filled with gratitude. “I’ve learned to love people,” she said. “I think everyone…

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Z. Belo

College of Public Health Alumna Works to Prevent the Spread of Diseases

Zuakernah Belo, MPH, finds her duties for the Arkansas Department of Health challenging, yet highly rewarding. An alumna of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, Belo is an HIV prevention program manager in the health department’s infectious disease branch. Informing Arkansans on the dangers of diseases…

Read more

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