In Orange County, a health educator teaches students in schools and after-school programs how to eat nutritious foods and be more active, helping lower their risk of obesity and chronic disease. In Pennsylvania, infection preventionists work to contain a measles outbreak by isolating affected patients, ensuring healthcare staff use appropriate protective equipment and tracking new cases. In Indonesia, hospital leaders and public health officials mobilize practitioners, establish clean-air sanctuaries and deliver supplies to communities threatened by wildfire smoke.

These are just a few of the many health challenges being addressed and mitigated around the clock.

“We’re training the people who make sure [public health work] never stops. That’s a badge we wear with pride.” — Michael Rovito, 91łÔąĎÍř MPH program director

Public health professionals plan for them every day. Beginning Fall 2027, 91łÔąĎÍř’s new Master of Public Health (MPH) program in the College of Health Professions and Sciences will prepare students to prevent disease, respond to emerging threats and lead efforts to build healthier communities in Central Florida and around the world.

“Public health is the work nobody notices until it stops,” says Michael Rovito, director of the program and associate professor of health sciences at 91łÔąĎÍř. “We’re training the people who make sure it never stops: the people who keep our communities healthy, who make sure children understand their own bodies and who help cancer survivors live full lives after treatment. That’s a badge we wear with pride.”

Across the nation, public health departments work to prevent disease and injury, contain outbreaks, monitor community health, provide scientific expertise and respond to emergencies. Meeting those demands requires a skilled workforce. A 2021 analysis by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Public Health National Center for Innovations estimated that state and local public health departments needed at least 80,000 additional full-time positions — an increase of nearly 80% — to provide foundational public health services nationwide.

“91łÔąĎÍř has a really comprehensive focus on … making the world healthier and helping individuals be healthier.” — Catherine Bush, interim coordinator for the MPH program’s Health Policy, Planning and Leadership track

91łÔąĎÍř’s program will prepare the next generation of public health professionals to meet that need through research, policy, leadership and collaboration with communities. Central Florida provides a unique training ground where students can confront a range of challenges. Florida ranks among the top 20 states for the number of residents age 65 or older, second for projected new cancer diagnoses, fourth for reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases and third for HIV diagnoses.

“91łÔąĎÍř has a really comprehensive focus on health, both in making the world healthier and helping individuals be healthier,” says Catherine Bush, interim coordinator for the program’s Health Policy, Planning and Leadership track and instructor of health management and informatics. “Public health is a really natural fit with something we’re already doing really well and with great success.”

Researchers in the College of Health Professions and Sciences are already addressing many of those challenges, with work spanning health policy, substance use and more. Rovito and 91łÔąĎÍř Associate Professor Keith Brazendale are leading a study to improve the quality of life of testicular cancer survivors. 91łÔąĎÍř Assistant Professor Jacob Bleasdale is studying the health-related needs of older patients living with HIV. 91łÔąĎÍř Assistant Professor Latarsha Chisholm is working to improve end-of-life care for dementia patients.

“There’s a lot of good work to be done here in Central Florida, and 91łÔąĎÍř is uniquely positioned to lead in public health by collaborating with partners on campus and across the region and drawing on our strength as one of the most innovative universities in the nation,” Rovito says.

Built for the work ahead, the program offers two tracks:

• Health promotion and behavioral science: For students who want to work directly with communities to improve access to health resources, reduce chronic disease risk and strengthen well-being.
• Health policy, planning and leadership: For students who want lead public health organizations, influence policy and turn evidence into solutions for complex health challenges.

Applications are open now through May 1 for the Fall 2027 class. The program will be offered primarily in person on 91łÔąĎÍř’s main and downtown campuses, with some courses offering a synchronous online option.

For more information, visit .

A one-hour virtual information session about 91łÔąĎÍř’s MPH program will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 5 to 6 p.m.

To reduce these challenges, associate professors of health sciences Michael Rovito and Keith Brazendale in 91łÔąĎÍř’s Department of Health Sciences are conducting a 6-month intervention study, which is funded by the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund.

The National Cancer Institute estimates survival rates for testicular cancer are high, as about 10,000 men are diagnosed each year and fewer than 5% die from the disease — underscoring the need to improve quality of life for these patients.

“Our focus is on finding ways to improve the quality of life for these survivors, and to improve their mental, emotional and social health,” says Rovito, who has researched testicular cancer and men’s health for nearly two decades.

A New Approach to Survivorship Care

Previous survivorship programs have often focused on high-intensity exercise, which can be difficult for patients managing recovery, work and family demands. To develop a more sustainable path to recovery, Rovito and Brazendale are testing a uniquely designed intervention in Florida, known as the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program.

PACT combines low-impact, remote, physical activity with an online support network to help survivors navigate psychosocial challenges. Participants engage in regular low-intensity physical activity, such as walking or taking the stairs, and track their progress using Fitbit devices. The devices provide real-time feedback, allowing researchers to set weekly goals and offer personalized guidance. This feedback loop helps participants stay engaged while building sustainable habits.

“We’re seeking an intervention they can do for the rest of their lives,” Brazendale says. “We want these healthy supports to become habit.”

Support Beyond Physical Recovery

Connected through Zoom sessions, PACT program participants receive personalized counsel and encouragement from the researchers directly. They also take part in virtual peer-support sessions led by a social worker and a survivor advocate trained in trauma-informed care. Monthly sessions include breathwork, meditation and discussions on common concerns such as fertility, relationship changes and fear of recurrence.

“The online support session provides coping strategies and tools for the participants to use during the day, when they can feel anxious or depressed or overwhelmed,” Rovito says.

Outside of the meetings, researchers stay in touch regularly with individual messages to participants, sending tailored motivational text messages.

“Our hope is that we are providing realistic physical activity changes that are sustainable when the monitoring ends,” says Brazendale. “We want these survivors to have adopted habits and skills that result in them being healthier over the long-term.”

The researchers say they hope to expand the program to other cancer survivor groups and integrate it into broader survivorship care across Florida, while securing additional funding for larger-scale trials.

The Feasibility of the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program is supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund grant number 25C33. 

He wants to increase education about men’s health issues that often go overlooked. With the Men’s Health Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthy behavior and habits in the male community, Rovito is pushing for policy creation or change in regards to cancer screenings.

Currently, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an institution that is influential in clinical practices and the driving force in many medical policies, advises against self-exams for testicular cancer because it may cause unnecessary anxiety surrounding the issue. However, the benefits of these exams outweigh the risks, Rovito said.

On a local level, Rovito and the MHI have been helping men in the Central Florida area through outreach events designed to educate both men and women on men’s health issues.

“You can actually almost see that change from a position of powerlessness to one of empowerment, that switch when you start talking to (patients) and they get a little bit more relaxed and they become more confident,” Rovito says. “That’s really a fulfilling feeling. The best part is you’re instrumental in helping that change in someone.”

Over the years, Rovito says he has seen a shift in the men’s health field and during these events toward a bigger emphasis on educating fathers about health and exploring their role in developing healthy behavior.

Learn more about men’s health and the Men’s Health Initiative.

Rovito was invited to attend following his longstanding efforts to raise awareness of health issues facing men.

The purpose of the event was “to elevate the conversation about men’s health in this country,” said Broderick Johnson, White House Cabinet Secretary and chair of My Brother’s Keeper Task Force.

There are “very important issues that men don’t talk about,” Johnson said in his opening remarks. “We need to cultivate a dialogue that resonates but that is also stainable and accessible … and we need the help from all of you in this room.”

The three-hour event included presentations on “Why Men’s Health Matters,” “Strategies for Helping Men Address Their Health” and “Men and Mental Health.” Concurrent breakout session topics were “Get Covered,” which focused on health insurance enrollment,” and “Men’s Health & Sports – Partnerships for Men’s Health Awareness.”

At the conclusion, Johnson reminded the participants that Jan. 18 marks the beginning of Men’s Week of Action. He asked them to return to their communities and take action to elevate the conversation about men’s health across the country.

Rovito thought the event “was a fantastic opportunity.” “Networking with the top scholars, advocates and policymakers in the field allowed me to disseminate and promote my research and outreach agenda to key stakeholders,” he said. “I look forward to next year’s event and the chance to continue working with others to bring about a true public health policy for boys, men and their loved ones.”

Watch a videotape of the event at 

Rovito is a member of the Men’s Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association, which works to improve the health and well-being of men, boys and their families. He has collaborated on projects with members of the Men’s Health Network, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., including the development of the first national policy agenda for men’s health in 2011. Rovito is also the founder and chairman of Men’s Health Initiative, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to promoting healthy behaviors among men while advancing the academic and scientific fields of men’s health.