School of Public Health
Crossroads Building and Tower Opening

October 26, 2006

The practitioners of public health will tell you that they are being most effective when no one sees their work.

When there is no communicable disease … no environmental health disaster … no deadly epidemic … then public health is successful. It is an invisible occupation that receives widespread attention only when things go wrong.

At Michigan, public health education and training is exceptional, innovative and effective. And with today’s opening of the Crossroads Building and Tower, “invisible” just went away.

This bold new building makes a statement. It tells the University community that our highly ranked School of Public Health is an intersection: an intersection of theory and practice; of basic science and advanced degrees; of community organizations and global problems; and of the Medical and Central campuses.

More than 20 interdisciplinary centers are based in the School of Public Health, making this a true crossroads of research at the University. Our scientists, toxicologists, biostatisticians and epidemiologists come together to explore problems such as the uninsured and children with asthma, take on challenges such as family planning and nicotine addiction, and find solutions for infectious diseases and youth violence.

It is deep, broad research that touches every facet of human life in every corner of the globe. Ours is a school whose work stretches from controlling avian flu in Asia to stopping the spread of flu in campus residence halls.

We have many people to thank for this important work. The faculty and staff provide exceptional leadership with their research and their hands-on work. Our students are committed to the cause of public health and a profession that changes lives for the better.

And our donors believe strongly enough in the University to help make the Crossroads Building and Tower a spectacular addition to our campus. In particular, we owe a debt of gratitude to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Robert Lane for their support.

This project began under the deanship of Noreen Clark and has been guided by Ken Warner. Building projects try deans’ souls, and I know both of you are rejoicing at the prospect of having all the School’s faculty and staff under one roof.

To the entire School of Public Health community—congratulations! You now have a remarkable space to parallel your remarkable program. We are pleased that Public Health has become so very visible at Michigan.