ASU’s School of Technology for Public Health marks several milestones 1 year after launch

One year after its launch, Arizona State University’s School of Technology for Public Health is celebrating several milestones, including its first graduating cohort, a growing faculty and new opportunities for undergraduate students.

In August, Leela Udupa, Emma Eckert and Emily Robbins earned the first Master of Science in public health technology degrees from the school.

“It feels special to know that we helped set the foundation for a program that will continue to grow after us,” said Udupa. “I’m proud that we were willing to take a chance on something new and help define what the program could become.”

Part of ASU Health, the School of Technology for Public Health is designed to produce graduates who can create programs and systems to meet ever-evolving health care needs and improve the responsiveness of public health infrastructure. For some, the school can serve as a bridge between undergraduate education and medical school. 

That’s the case for Udupa, who led or participated in several community health projects during her time in the program, including designing a culturally accessible health education resource for refugee communities and an award-winning public service announcement about the dangers of fentanyl.

Now, Udupa is at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, where she is determined to use her education to make health care more equitable.

“We are immensely proud of (the School of) Technology for Public Health’s inaugural graduating class,” said Jyotishman Pathak, dean of the school. “As pioneers of our school, they have not just earned degrees – they have helped shape our culture and vision. These graduates are now prepared to leverage technology, data and innovation to solve complex health challenges and strengthen communities." 

“I hope they continue to carry a sense of pride with them,” said Meghan McDermott, a senior academic success advisor at the school. “Stepping into a graduate program where nobody else has been before took a significant level of trust and bravery. So, I hope they take that with them through the rest of their careers.”

Since welcoming its first 12 students in fall 2025, the school has increased its total enrollment to 93 as of Aug. 21. Part of that growth is due to the two graduate programs now being available online, which provides greater flexibility for working and out-of-state students. 

Also new for this academic year, the school has welcomed its first undergraduate students through the Bachelor of Science in public health program, which transitioned from The College of Health Solutions. 

Enrollment isn’t the only area of the school that is growing. Two new full-time faculty members are joining the school this academic year:

• Associate Professor Chris Lim researches environmental and planetary health, using low-cost sensor technologies and predictive modeling. 
• Assistant Professor Richard Li, a computer scientist, focuses on human-computer interaction and the development of health sensing systems. 

Their expertise, combined with that of the rest of the school’s faculty, will be pivotal in preparing future graduates like Udupa, Eckert and Robbins, who are “bilingual” in public health and technology, and in expanding the school’s research ambitions.

Work is just getting started on that front as the school focuses its research on scaling public health technologies for the broadest possible impact.

“By fusing emerging digital tools and human-centered design, our faculty are building solutions specifically designed to integrate into real-world community settings,” said Matthew Buman, associate dean of research. “Our research enterprise is dedicated to building an equitable, tech-driven infrastructure that closes the digital divide and transforms health outcomes across Arizona and beyond.”

Soon, the school will celebrate another milestone: its first graduates from the Master of Public Health program in spring 2027.