Dartmouth MPH and MS Programs Assistant Director Appointed to the SRAC Advisory Council of ASPPH

Amanda Stofesky, MPH ’19, Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruitment for the Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science (MS) programs at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) Recruitment Advisory Council (SRAC). The leadership team, composed of nine members elected by leadership at peer institutions across the United States, advises the Student Recruitment Forum of SOPHAS, the centralized application service for public health education and academia.

SRAC members participate in bi-monthly regional calls and meet in-person twice per year to share practices, increase knowledge, and explore innovative solutions for accredited schools and programs of public health holding memberships to the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).

As the governing body for all Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited public health schools and programs, ASPPH, the Washington, DC-headquartered organization, is widely known as “the voice of academic public health.” With SOPHAS as its gateway to submitting applications to nearly 140 member schools and programs, ASPPH supports SOPHAS in processing over 70,000 applications annually.

“Being a first-generation graduate student myself, I am intimately familiar with the challenges of applying for graduate-level degrees,” says Stofesky. “Since joining Dartmouth’s admissions team in 2019, I’ve dedicated much of my efforts to continuous improvements of the admissions process, making it more efficient, equitable, and engaging for our future students. My appointment with SRAC provides greater understanding of the decision-making process and allows me to advocate for the student perspective at the highest level of public health graduate education admissions.”

“What makes public health, in particular public health education, so rewarding is the overarching sense of community and support,” Stofesky says. “Each program shares a common goal of supporting and equipping students with the tools necessary to be the best practitioners of public health. With SRAC, we can share the challenges we see from our home institutions, recognize greater opportunities for improvement, and make evidence-based recommendations to mitigate any barriers of entry to graduate education in this field.”

ASPPH annually convenes over 80,000 public health students, hundreds of deans, department chairs, administrators, faculty, and staff members spanning six countries.

“Having a Geisel MPH alumna join the admissions team has been invaluable; Amanda connects with students from many different perspectives,” says Courtney Theroux, MS, Director of Admissions and Operations for the Dartmouth MPH and MS programs. “Amanda’s representation on the SRAC has been extremely beneficial in our admissions efforts and we’re very proud to have her representing us. She is collaborating with peer schools and programs while establishing a voice for the Dartmouth – Geisel School of Medicine MPH and MS programs.”

In addition to hosting year-round webinars on a host of topics, including student recruitment and public health-related seminars, ASPPH advocates for public policy decisions and provides information about governmental legislative movements that influence public health initiatives and decisions.

“Since the moment Amanda started in her role at Dartmouth she has been leading and innovating and solving challenges,” says Craig Westling, DrPH, MPH, MS, Executive Director of Education for the Dartmouth MPH and MS programs. “Her curiosity and ability to figure things out are on display all the time. This appointment to SRAC is tremendous for everyone involved in public health education.”

-Written by Suzanne Shrekgast

POSTED 4/17/2023 AT 03:35 PM