TTUHSC-Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health

05/18/2026

National recognition for Clare Meernik, PhD, MPH, Research Assistant Professor in the Kenneth H. Cooper Institute and the Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Research led by Dr. Meernik on how midlife fitness impacts long-term health was recently featured by The Washington Post.

The 30-year study found that higher cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife is associated with longer life, fewer chronic diseases, and more years lived in good health after age 65.

The findings reinforce that healthy habits now can have lasting impact for decades to come.

Congratulations to Dr. Meernik and the research team on the national recognition.

A comprehensive study found that people who were most fit in their 40s and 50s developed major illness later, and lived longer.

05/15/2026

Here's the final takeaway from a recent session on emergency response and disaster management.

The focus isn’t recognition. It’s the work.

Much of what happens in emergency response and public health is behind the scenes. It's supporting communities. It's solving problems. It's staying focused on the mission.

That’s how impact happens.

05/13/2026

Here's the next takeaway from a recent session on emergency response and disaster management.

One message was clear: preparation happens before the crisis.

Showing up in the moment isn’t enough. Training, coordination, role definition, skills training...they all matter.

Even basic things like CPR or Stop the Bleed can make a difference before professionals arrive.

05/12/2026

Dr. Deborah Birx, faculty member at the Tech University Health Sciences Center Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health, has been front and center this week in national media coverage of the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.

Dr. Birx appeared on both CNN with Wolf Blitzer and NewsNation, calling for proactive molecular testing as the key to managing outbreaks before symptoms emerge. We can all draw on hard lessons from COVID-19.

We're proud to have her expertise shaping the national public health conversation.

05/06/2026

Here's our next takeaway from recent conversations with public health professionals and alumni.

A consistent piece of advice: start building connections early.

Don't wait until you are searching for a job. Do it now.

Reach out to people doing the work
Pay attention to different career paths
Stay curious

Public health is a connected field. Relationships matter.

05/04/2026

As a follow-up to National Public Health Week, we’re sharing a few takeaways from recent conversations with public health professionals and alumni. On Star Wars Day, here's today's takeaway:

Public health is collaborative by design.

No one takes on complex challenges alone. Not in a galaxy far, far away, and not in ours. It takes a squadron.

The work improves when you:

a) bring in different perspectives
b) ask better questions
c) share responsibility for the outcome
d) Fly an X-Wing (probably)

Seriously though, the strongest outcomes come from teams working together toward something bigger than themselves.

Stay in formation and May the Fourth be with you.

05/02/2026

It's Graduation Day! 🎓

We're hosting our fourth commencement ceremony for our 2026 graduates TODAY at 2:00 pm at the Historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Abilene.

If you’re unable to watch your graduate celebrate in person, the events will also be broadcast on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center live stream page and YouTube channel.

05/01/2026

As a follow-up to National Public Health Week, we’re sharing a few takeaways from recent conversations with public health professionals and alumni. Here's takeaway #2:

Public health is about people.

The numbers behind every dataset represent a real person.�Every trend represents a lived experience.

The most effective professionals listen first, then understand context, and only then build solutions.

The most important skill is knowing when to stop talking and start listening...and it's becoming a lost art.

04/29/2026

As a follow-up to National Public Health Week, we’re sharing a few takeaways from recent conversations with public health professionals and alumni.

One theme came up repeatedly: adaptability.

Public health work rarely looks the same day to day. New problems, new populations, new variables.

"You won’t always have complete information"
"You won’t always have a clear answer"
"You will need to adjust in real time"

The ability to think, adjust, and move forward is how we make an impact.

04/12/2026

Ready. Set. Action.

Public health needs people who are ready to step in, ask questions, and take action.

Regardless of whether you're coming from straight from college or even a healthcare, research, or community background, you can make a bigger impact.

National Public Health Week was about awareness.
Now it's time for action.

If and MPH has ever crossed your mind, consider this your sign to take a closer look.

04/11/2026

Public health can look different depending on where you live.

In West Texas, public health can mean serving rural communities or overcoming provider shortages or increasing access to care in a vast geographic area.

In Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, or Houston, it means working to eliminate food deserts and providing care for our homeless neighbors.

The needs of local communities demand local solutions from local people who know those communities.

Public Health is personal. That takes all of us.