Brown University launched the Health Equity Scholar program in 2021 within its School of Public Health to help address the COVID-19 pandemic’s disproportionate and devastating impact on communities of color, as well as the enduring need to address racial injustice in the United States.

The HES program provides scholarship and leadership development opportunities for exceptional students entering its Master of Public Health (MPH) program from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), and local communities in Rhode Island. Through the HES program, MPH candidates develop the leadership and technical skills needed to combat health inequities in the United States, while helping to create a diverse network of future leaders who will use their training to transform public health research and practice in communities nationwide. HES provides full tuition support, a paid research assistantship, and structured mentoring and coaching from current public health leaders.

Brown University Health Equity Scholars and their mentors gather to discuss future public health challenges and crises.

Sunnylands welcomed twelve HES scholars and their mentors for two days of workshop discussions as a capstone of their program. Workshop components included group and panel discussions, substantive “deep dives” analyzing current public health challenges and solutions, and an extensive tabletop simulation exercise focused on combating health disinformation campaigns. In hosting this workshop, Sunnylands was pleased to support detailed discussions on current and future public health challenges in the United States, while supporting a diverse generation of experts who will lead our health sector in the future.