Visit Us to Find Your Fit, Virtually!
We're gearing up for our annual Open House and hope that you'll be able to visit us virtually the week of October 20, 2025 to learn about our school and our graduate programs.
We Create Healthier Communities
We prepare students to apply theories, concepts, and methods of the various social and behavioral science disciplines to the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that prevent illness and promote health.
News
‘Entertainment does have the power to move audiences’: USC study unpacks the real-life impacts of ‘The Pitt’
Beth Hoffman, an assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, knows the power of television to influence medical decisions. In February 2023, after her sister, Emily, was gravely injured when she was hit by a car while walking home in Point Breeze, her family felt at peace removing her from life support and donating her organs – not only because the organ donation box was checked on her driver’s license but because Emily had discussed the issue with her sister while watching an episode of “ER.”
Promotores create a bridge between healthier living and a growing Hispanic population
Patricia Document, former Behavioral and Community Health Sciences associate professor at Pitt Public Health, says the city’s growing Latino population includes a mix of people with roots in various Spanish-speaking countries. Documet, a pediatrician from Peru, said that when she arrived in Pittsburgh during the 1990s, programs were lacking for Hispanic residents, but local government and community organizations have slowly begun to address their needs.
Pittsburgh doctors bring real medicine to Emmy-winning drama 'The Pitt'
For two Pittsburgh-based health professionals, when "The Pitt" took home five Emmys this year, the moment wasn’t just a win for television — it was a triumph for accuracy in storytelling, thanks in part to their real-world experiences "The Pitt" brought to the screen. Beth Hoffman, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, who collaborated with producers on the show, said, “When medical dramas work with experts, they can improve public understanding of health, reduce misinformation, and even influence policy. 'The Pitt' shows that entertainment can also be education.”