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Rutgers School of Public Health

@rutgerssph

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Keeping the ‘public’ in public health through excellence in scholarship, education, and community engagement in New Jersey, the U.S., and the world 🌍

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# 18 in the nation. Top 20 in public health.

Our latest ranking reflects continued momentum in innovation, impact, and a people-centered approach to public health.

💭 “This recognition reflects the strength of our community and the work we do together every day,” said Dean Perry N. Halkitis. “At Rutgers School of Public Health, we are focused on humanizing public health. That means centering people, listening to communities, and ensuring that our work leads to meaningful change in the real world.”

🔗 Learn how #RutgersSPH is keeping the ‘public’ in public health in our “School News” highlight.

#PublicHealth #RutgersImpact Rutgers School of Public Health ranks "Top 20" among all schools and programs of public health in the U.S. according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report. The image shows two students looking at a laptop. by @rutgerssph

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6 months ago

A Rutgers-led study examined two years of participation data from ArtsRx, one of the nation’s largest arts prescription programs.

🔍 Researchers found that better tracking tools may help organizations understand who participates, where people lose interest, and what keeps them engaged.

💬 “Our findings show that technology can play a critical role in helping programs evaluate their impact, strengthen participation and support the integration of arts and culture into broader health and well-being efforts,” said Kristen D. Krause, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and lead author of the study. Krause is also deputy director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies.

Swipe to learn more. ➡️

ArtsRx, led by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), connects participants with free arts and cultural experiences throughout Newark and the surrounding area. The researchers examined records for 498 people referred to the program between 2023 and 2025 through a customer relationship management technology platform.

📊 KEY FINDINGS
→ People who completed the ArtsRx program attended 78.2% of the activities they registered for. Many participants who left never attended an event at all.

→ Participants referred through community organizations and educational institutions tended to stay engaged at higher rates than those referred through conventional health care channels.

→ Researchers found few differences in engagement across race, ethnicity, or gender.

💡 WHY IT MATTERS
While these programs are becoming more common in the United States, researchers still know little about how people use them. The findings demonstrate that customer relationship management technology can provide real-time insights into how participants engage with arts prescription programs, helping organizations identify opportunities to improve retention and expand access.

🔗 Learn more about the study: link in bio.

#RutgersSPH #PublicHealth #ArtsAndHealth #ArtsRx Research graphic from the Rutgers School of Public Health titled "How Better Data Could Help Arts Prescription Programs Reach More People." Quote from Kristen D. Krause, PhD, MPH, assistant professor and deputy director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies: "Our findings show that technology can play a critical role in helping programs evaluate their impact, strengthen participation and support the integration of arts and culture into broader health and well-being efforts." Background photo: a group of people seated around a long table at an ArtsRx activity, with craft supplies on the table. by @rutgerssph

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20 hours ago

📸 A day in the life at our Piscataway location, caught on a digital camera. What are your favorite photos you’ve taken on campus this semester? Tag us or share them in the comments. 💬

#RutgersSPH #PublicHealth by @rutgerssph

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4 days ago

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7 days ago

Lead contamination in soil tracked inside homes can cause dangerous indoor lead dust levels, even in homes with no interior lead-based paint, according to researchers.

The study was conducted in East Trenton, New Jersey, by researchers at the Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute in collaboration with community scientists: members of the general public who participate in data collection under the direction of scientists.

⚠️ The researchers found that nearly 94% of soil samples exceeded screening levels for multiple sources of lead exposure.

💬 “This is especially concerning because all samples were collected from bare soil at the surface, which is the most likely to be accessed by children or tracked into homes,” said Sean Stratton, PhD, a recent graduate of the Rutgers School of Public Health and lead author of the study.

Swipe to learn more. ➡️

In 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added East Trenton to the Superfund National Priorities List after determining there was lead contamination in soil from 19th-century pottery manufacturing plants.

Working with the East Trenton Collaborative, a community organizing and development initiative, researchers recruited and trained residents to collect soil samples from 122 homes. In total, 242 bare surface soil samples were collected. Researchers then collected interior dust samples from floors, windowsills, and window wells in 42 of those homes.

📊 KEY FINDINGS

→ 86% of the 242 bare surface soil samples exceeded the EPA’s 200 parts per million residential soil lead hazard level.

→ 80% of floor dust samples exceeded the safety threshold in homes without any interior lead-based paint.

→ A house’s age doesn’t rule out lead dust, even though the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-based paint in 1978.

💡 WHY IT MATTERS

According to the EPA, lead poisoning can affect brain development in young children, damage vital organs, and cause lasting behavioral and neurological damage. Indoor lead exposure has historically been attributed to flaking lead-based paint.

The work builds on the team’s earlier collaboration with the Newark Water Coalition, which helped t Research graphic from the Rutgers School of Public Health titled "Contaminated Soil Poses Hidden Lead Threat Inside Homes." Quote from Sean Stratton, PhD, SPH’26, alumnus and lead author: "This is especially concerning because all samples were collected from bare soil at the surface, which is the most likely to be accessed by children or tracked into homes." Background photo: a shoe with a dirty sole on a carpet. by @rutgerssph

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10 days ago

🌼📚 Rutgers School of Public Health students made pressed-flower bookmarks and swapped books at an event hosted by our Office of Student Experiences, Public Health Practice, and Alumni Affairs (SEAA). Alongside classes, research, and fieldwork, moments like this help our school community stay connected.

🙌 Thank you to SEAA for making experiences like these possible.

#RutgersSPH #PublicHealth #StudentLife #RutgersImpact Five people stand in a row, smiling, each holding up a small pressed-flower bookmark they made. They are in front of a wall directory sign reading “School of Public Health.” On a table in front of them are flyers for school programs and events, with orange fall leaves along the edge. by @rutgerssph

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11 days ago

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12 days ago

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13 days ago

The New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center (NJGVRC) at #RutgersSPH has received a $111,638 grant to bring The Armory Project, a voluntary, temporary firearm storage program designed to help prevent suicide, to New Jersey.

💬 “The Armory Project gives us the opportunity to work directly with firearm owners, retailers, ranges, and community partners to make temporary firearm storage a safe, accessible, and accepted option, particularly for Veterans and their families,” said Allie Bond, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health.

Bond will serve as principal investigator, and Michael Anestis, PhD, a professor and NJGVRC’s executive director, will serve as co-investigator.

Swipe to learn more. ➡️

The Armory Project works within firearm-owning communities to create practical options for temporarily moving firearms outside of the home.

📊 Firearms are involved in about half of suicides in the general U.S. population and about 70% of suicides among military Veterans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Creating time and distance between a person in crisis and a firearm can give that crisis time to pass and help the person get support. Yet many firearm-owning households don’t have an option for temporarily storing a firearm outside the home.

Funding from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, brings the model to New Jersey for the first time.

🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach @988lifeline. Veterans can dial 988 and press 1.

#PublicHealth #SuicidePrevention #FirearmSafety Rutgers School of Public Health graphic tagged School News & Updates, titled "Rutgers School of Public Health Receives Grant to Bring Voluntary Firearm Storage Program to New Jersey." Quote from Allie Bond, PhD, assistant professor and principal investigator: "The Armory Project gives us the opportunity to work directly with firearm owners, retailers, ranges, and community partners to make temporary firearm storage a safe, accessible, and accepted option, particularly for Veterans and their families." Photo of Allie Bond smiling in front of a blurred building interior. by @rutgerssph

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18 days ago

The Fall 2026 semester is underway at the Rutgers School of Public Health! 🍂

Over the past few weeks, we welcomed new and returning students, faculty, and staff to our Piscataway and Newark locations, including a series of events hosted by our Office of Student Experiences, Public Health Practice, and Alumni Affairs. 👏

📸 Swipe for some of our favorite moments of the #RutgersSPH community starting the academic year together.

#PublicHealth #RutgersImpact by @rutgerssph

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19 days ago

A big thank you to @rutgerssph Dean Dr. Perry Halkitis for speaking with our students, faculty, and staff during this month’s Dean’s Seminar! We appreciate everyone who joined us for an afternoon of dynamic conversation as Dr. Halkitis examined how public health’s historical emphasis on disease and risk has too often obscured the lived experiences of individuals and communities. Can’t wait for the next seminar!
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#publichealth #umassamherst #umass #publichealtheducation taken in UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences by @rutgerssph

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21 days ago