School of Public Health celebrates new building with ribbon-cutting

Photo by UTHealth Houston

Nearly 60 years after its founding, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health opened a new chapter with the debut of its 10-story facility in Helix Park during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 28.  

Designed to foster graduate education and collaborative research, the 350,000-square-foot building represents a major investment in the school’s future and its mission to improve the health of communities in Texas and beyond. 

For Eric Boerwinkle, PhD, dean, M. David Low Chair in Public Health, and Kozmetsky Family Chair in Human Genetics at the School of Public Health, the milestone represents more than a new home for the school. 

"This building represents far more than a home for our school. It represents the people who make our mission possible: the faculty, staff, and students who fill each laboratory and classroom with curiosity, discovery, and purpose to improve the population’s quality of life,” Boerwinkle said. 

Boerwinkle, along with Melina R. Kibbe, MD, UTHealth Houston president and Alkek Williams Distinguished Chair, led the celebration, reflecting on the significance of the new facility and the opportunities it creates for the school’s future. 

"Today marks an exciting new chapter in the history of our School of Public Health and our university, one that reflects years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to the health of our communities,” Kibbe said. “Public health touches nearly every aspect of our lives, often in ways we don’t even realize. As we celebrate this incredible new building, I look forward to all that we will accomplish together.” 

University and school leaders, faculty, staff, community partners, and government officials joined Boerwinkle and Kibbe to mark the milestone and look ahead to the school’s next era of education, research, and service. Leaders including Texas State Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, Texas House District 146, representatives of the offices of Senator John Cornyn and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis; and Theresa Tran, MD, director of the Houston Health Department, also participated in the ceremony, sharing remarks on the role of collaboration between the local offices and academic institutions to create lasting improvements.

"The opening of this beautiful building represents a major investment in the future of health for the state of Texas,” said David Lakey, MD, vice chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at The University of Texas System. During the ceremony, Lakey highlighted how this investment will support education of health professionals to improve outcomes through the work of expert faculty and students. 

The significance of the new facility extends beyond the university, strengthening the school’s ability to prepare public health professionals and address the evolving health needs of communities across Texas. 

“This new building, with its state-of-the-art education technology and learning environment, will strengthen and advance the school’s mission to educate and train the next generation of experts who will advance scientific discovery, shape evidence-based health policy, and lead innovative solutions to the complex health challenges in communities throughout Texas and across the nation,” said Kevin Morano, senior vice president, provost, and chief academic officer of UTHealth Houston. 

A legacy shaped by people 

Boerwinkle emphasized that UTHealth Houston School of Public Health’s legacy has never been defined by a building alone. It has been shaped by the students preparing to enter the field, the faculty guiding their education, the researchers pursuing discoveries, and the alums applying their training in the communities they serve.  

During the ceremony, he also recognized the faculty, staff, and students whose work has led to that legacy through innovative approaches to preventing disease and improving quality of life. 

Built for discovery and collaboration 

Following the ceremony, attendees toured the new facility, stepping inside laboratories, classrooms, and collaborative spaces designed to bring education and research together. 

“It’s a beautiful state-of-the-art building, and I was very impressed,” shared attendee Kathy Orton, a member of the UTHealth Houston Development Board. “A highlight was the Human Genetics Center lab and auditorium, which were spectacular, and these spaces allow people to really move forward public health.” 

The building includes laboratories for studying human disease and specialized spaces that support interdisciplinary and community-based research.  

Flexible classrooms, a teaching kitchen, and holistic garden further extend learning beyond traditional instruction, connecting research and education with practical approaches that can benefit communities. These facilities provide faculty and students with resources to investigate complex health challenges and advance scientific understanding. 

Decades of growth and impact 

The occasion reflects decades of growth since the Texas Legislature authorized the school’s creation in 1947, recognizing the need to train public health professionals to address the state’s health challenges. As the Texas Medical Center developed into a leading hub for hospitals, schools, and colleges, the School of Public Health helped fill a critical need: preparing professionals to improve health beyond the walls of healthcare facilities and across entire populations.   

Today, the school serves as an anchor for public health education and research in the world’s largest medical center, with an impact that extends beyond the state. Ranked No. 1 school of public health in Texas and No. 9 publicly funded graduate school of public health nationally by U.S. News & World Report, the school has centered its mission on creating a healthier world for all.  

Since welcoming its first students in 1969, the school has grown to include more than 11,000 alums working to improve health in communities across Texas and around the world. Through educating future public health professionals, building lasting connections with communities across the state, and partnering with health organizations nationwide, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has expanded its reach throughout its history.  

The ribbon-cutting marked the opening of a new building, but its legacy will be shaped by what happens inside it. As students learn, faculty teach, and researchers pursue new discoveries, their work will extend beyond its walls to communities across Texas and around the world.