Mission and Vision

Chair’s Welcome

On behalf of our faculty and staff, I would like to welcome you to the ECU Department of Public Health! We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you as we strive to achieve our mission and vision to promote the health and well-being of communities across North Carolina and beyond through innovative education, research and service. The evidence-based study and practice of Public Health have never been more important as our region, state, nation, and world emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eastern North Carolina has significant health burdens. Many of these issues are brought to light through environmental impacts in our region, such as natural disasters and climate change, and are impacted substantially by the social determinants of health. Addressing these health threats is the driving force for our teaching, research and service.

Learning opportunities of the department include:

  • Three Certificate programs (two available completely online)
  • The Master of Public Health degree program with three concentrations (can be completed 100% online or in hybrid format – with some in-person, “face-to-face” courses and on-campus opportunities such as graduate assistantships, campus events and student organizations)
  • Two doctoral degrees: the DrPH programs in Health Policy, Administration, and Leadership and Environmental and Occupational Health.

We are collaborative in our research and service and work with local, regional, state and national public health and health care agencies. We work closely with and are guided by Community Advisory Board members who lend their expertise to help us achieve our program goals.

Please feel free to peruse our website and reach out to us if you have any questions or comments. We would love to hear from you!

Suzanne Lazorick, MD, MPH
Professor and Chair
Department of Public Health
Brody School of Medicine
East Carolina University
115 Heart Drive
Greenville, NC 27834
lazoricks@ecu.edu
Assistant: (252) 744-4038

Mission

The Mission of the Department of Public Health is to promote health and well-being of communities across North Carolina and beyond through innovative education, research and service.

Guiding Principles

  • Provide accessible, stakeholder-informed learning opportunities
  • Conduct applied and impactful research
  • Serve communities through collaboration
  • Advance the health of rural populations
  • Develop professionals who adapt to meet current challenges

Vision

Our vision is to be a national model for engaging with communities to address regional needs and rural health disparities.