Student Organizations

Most students at SPH participate in one or more of 20-plus student organizations. These groups focus on educational and career development opportunities in specific programs, providing a community and voice to underrepresented groups, philanthropy and service, and addressing various public health issues.

In addition to the student organizations listed below, SPH has a student government, the Public Health Student Assembly (PHSA) which exists to coordinate and promote issues and events relevant to the SPH student body, distribute SPH resources to SPH-affiliated student organizations, and provide representation on appropriate SPH administrative committees.

Association for Asian Public Health Action (AAPHA) - Engages public health students interested in Asian and Asian American health issues in community building, education, and professional development, and raises awareness of Asian and Asian-American health issues among health professionals.
Biostatistics Activities Committee (SAC) - Plans social activities for students and faculty in the
Biostatistics department to promote departmental cohesiveness.
Environmental Health Students Association (EHSA) - Brings currently enrolled environmental health students together in an informal environment for both social and academic purposes, provides a platform for student/faculty/administrative interaction, and represents environmental health students within the School of Public Health.
Epidemiology Student Organization (ESO) - Provides academic, professional, and social support to all epidemiology students; collaborates with faculty, staff, and administration to strengthen the department; represents the student voice within the department and the school.
Health Behavior and Health Education Students Association (HBHESA)
Brings together students within the department to engage in academic, community service, and social events, and fosters student-faculty relationships.
Health Policy Student Association (HPSA) - Provides educational and professional development opportunities for students interested in health policy and health services research.
Health In Action - Expands medical education and promotes social responsibility in future physicians and healthcare workers through the exploration of international health issues and volunteer services in underdeveloped areas.
MedConsulting - Allows graduate students from the schools of public health, medicine, and business to apply their knowledge to real world problems and experience multidisciplinary teams at the UM hospital.
Medstart - Composed of students from the schools of nursing, medicine, social work, public health, dentistry, law, and business, Medstart advocates on behalf of children and their families and raises awareness about critical issues.
Michigan Healthcare Executive Students Association (MHESA) - Encourages professional development and growth for students interested in health care management and policy.
OUTBREAK - Dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally public health students by providing a safe and supportive environment, advocating for their rights against discrimination, and providing resources to make their education a positive experience. Also advocates for the broader LGBTQ community through education about public health issues that affect LGBTQ communities and by supporting the inclusion of LGBTQ issues in SPH's curricula, research, and civic activities. Also serves as a social organization, facilitating connections between students within SPH and UM. Meetings and events are open to everyone; confidentiality of attendance and mailing lists are respected. Email for info.
Physicians for Human Rights - Promotes and facilitates dialogue on campus regarding the important link between health and human rights.
Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST) - Trains and deploys students to Michigan health departments in times of public health crisis.
Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD) - Committed to creating and fostering a sense of community and collective responsibility primarily among African American students at SPH at the University of Michigan.
Social Enterprise in Global Health (SEGH) - Addresses issues in global health, promotes awareness of the field of social enterprise in the context of health, and provide students at UM with opportunities to impact the efficiency and innovation of health care through the integration of social enterprise with global health.
The Social Marketing Club - SMC aims to use creative marketing and communications as tools to motivate social change and engages members and all interested graduate students in a wide range of events, including the SMC Speaker Series, the annual Health Communications and Social Marketing Internship/Career Panel, "real word" club projects, and exhibits health communications work such as Photovoice. For information contact Nancy Willard at nancyrw@umich.edu.
SPH Doctoral Students Group (SPHDS) - Fosters a sense of community among doctoral students at SPH to facilitate collaborative, interdepartmental research projects and disseminate information on pertinent resources, events, seminars, and workshops.
Statistics in the Community - Provides free statistical consulting and data analysis to non-profit and government agencies in the area. A great opportunity for students to give back to the community and get hands-on experience.
Student Advocates for Nutrition - Represents the nutrition students at UM SPH and educates SPH, UM, and Ann Arbor communities about proper nutrition through collaborative functions with other student and community organizations.
Toxicology Student Association (TSA) - Encourages communication and cooperation among students, faculty and the administration of the Toxicology Program, and aids in the program's recruitment efforts.
University of Michigan Industrial Hygiene Student Association - Committed to promoting and improving the practice of industrial hygiene.
Women in Health Leadership - Promotes the professional success of women entering health fields. Programs are focused around mentorship, networking, and skill development , and continually educate groups on gender and inequality in the health fields.
Workshop for Integrating and Discussing Topics in Healthcare (WIDTH) - Provides an interdisciplinary forum for doctoral students to discuss their dissertation topics, research ideas, and results with other students and faculty that have a similar interest in health services research but different cognate training/perspectives.

These and other UM student organizations can be found at in the UM "Maize Pages".

Quick Links

PHSA, the SPH student government, hosts a Graduation Robe Exchange for class of 2008 sellers and class of 2009 buyers.