Ford Center ribbon-cutting showcases new home for MC Department of Public Health
Mississippi College President Blake Thompson, members of MC’s Board of Trustees, special guests, and faculty and staff in the MC School of Nursing marked a significant milestone on April 1 at the official ribbon-cutting for the Gertrude C. Ford Center for Public Health.
Funded by a generous grant from the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, the teaching facility is located in Farr Hall on the Clinton campus and houses MC’s Department of Public Health.
“We are so thankful to the Ford Foundation for their recognition of the importance of the program, not only to MC, but to the state of Mississippi,” said Mary Ellen Stewart, MC assistant professor and chair of public health. “Mississippi ranks at or near the bottom of so many health and wellness measures. MC is educating the next generation of leaders who can change that.
“Having a permanent home for our program lends credibility to our work and enhances our reputation as a Christian university dedicated to ministering to our community, our state and the world.”
The new Center provides a dedicated space for public health students to learn, study and grow their skills while preparing to deliver safe, client-centered care to diverse populations by focusing on the health of communities and populations. The renovated facility includes a faculty area, a spacious conference room and three large classrooms equipped with modular desks and the latest video technology for interactive collaborative instruction.
MC’s first public health classes began in the fall of 2022 with an initial cohort of 15 students. The first class of MC students with majors, minors or a concentration in public health graduated in May of 2024. The public health program became a full-fledged Department of Public Health on June 1, 2024.
The department offers a bachelor of science in public health and a master’s in health services administration. Stewart plans to expand the program to include a master’s degree in public health and a Ph.D. program.
The degree in public health prepares students for meaningful roles in diverse health-related occupations. Graduates might work for a public health department, a nonprofit focused on health disparities, research firms, private pharmaceutical or healthcare firms, or large organizations championing health issues.
For more information about MC’s Department of Public Health, visit nursing.mc.edu/public-health-degrees.
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