On Thursday, October 16th, 2025, the University of Vermont (UVM) partnered with the Vermont Public Health Association (VtPHA) to bring together over 350 UVM faculty, staff, and students, UVM Medical Center and Vermont Department of Health employees, VtPHA members, and community members to discuss recent federal cuts to global and public health. The event was hybrid and held at the Alumni House Silver Pavilion in Burlington, Vermont.
Co-chaired by UVM Health and Society Program Director Jeanne Shea, Ph.D., and VtPHA's Executive Director Dan Olson, the event was co-sponsored by many units across UVM, including the President's Office, Provost's Office, Office of the Vice President for Research, Osher Center for Integrative Health, Health and Society Program, Public Health Sciences Program, Larner College of Medicine Master's in Public Health Program, Anthropology Department Global Health Concentration, and the Alumni Foundation.
The event provided an outstanding opportunity to gain insights into the current landscape of global and public health. The ten distinguished guest speakers offered valuable information and perspectives on the budget cuts and various responses to these challenges. The speakers ranged from leading scholars, to heads of professional organizations, to state, national and international leaders. Audience members remarked on how insightful and inspiring the talks were. Student attendee Elineth Varela remarked, "I was blown away by the insightful speakers!” Another attendee said, “Great panels! So many insights and ideas and passion!”
Following the welcome by event Co-Chair Dr. Shea and opening remarks by Dr. Marlene Tromp, the 28th president of the university, we received an illuminating keynote address presented by Dr. Harry Chen, M.D. Dr. Chen was Vermont Commissioner of Health from 2011 to 2017 and currently serves as Physician Educator with Seed Global Health - Uganda. Dr. Chen provided figures on key effects of the cuts in various sectors and an illuminating historical perspective on ways to protect the health of our communities.
The public health panel outlined how the cuts are affecting people's health and access to care in the U.S. and various existing and planned responses to the cuts. Moderated by Dr. Jan K. Carney, MD, MPH, Director of UVM's Graduate Public Health Programs, we were honored with four guest panelists focusing on domestic public health.
Our public health panelists featured Allison Friedman, M.S., former Associate Director for Communication of the CDC Division of Population Health; Dr. Gregg Gonsalves, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Yale School of Public Health and Adjunct Associate Professor, Yale Law School; Dr. Arrianna Marie Planey, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; and Dr. Susan L. Polan, Ph.D., Associate Director for Public Affairs and Advocacy at the American Public Health Association and former Director of Government Relations for Trust for America’s Health.
The global health panel presented perspectives on the effects of and varying responses to the cuts from an international perspective. Moderated by Dr. Burton Wilcke, Ph.D., this panel had five speakers. These panelists included Dr. Nils Daulaire, M.D., MPH, Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Arctic University of Norway; Dr. Salmaan Keshavjee, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine in the Field of Medical Anthropology at Harvard Medical School, Director of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Global Health Delivery, and physician in the Division of Global Health Equity at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, who currently serves part time as Senior Advisor to the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State; the Honorable Keith Martin, M.D., P.C., Founding Executive Director of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health and Member of Parliament in Canada from 1993-2011; and Dr. Mitchell Wolfe, M.D., M.P.H., an alumnus of UVM LCOM, retired Rear Admiral of the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service, physician, medical epidemiologist, and global health strategist and diplomat.
The event was highly interactive. Student volunteers and faculty facilitators from across UVM’s colleges worked throughout the night to collect and collate questions from the audience, whose thoughtful queries sparked lively Q&A. The evening also featured periods of free-flowing conversation among audience members to share insights across a range of generations, communities, disciplines, professions, and sectors.
The speakers highlighted how the UVM community can continue to support health at home and abroad. They emphasized that whether we are professionals, students or community members, it is important to not give up in the face of challenges. This takes staying informed, talking with a variety of people, and getting creative. It is crucial that academia, government, professional organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and community members from all generations engage in dialogue and collaborate to chart a path forward to protect global and public health. Panelists recommended gathering with people who share your interests to discuss key problems and opportunities and actions you can take together. The APHA, VtPHA, Defend Public Health, and Consortium of Universities for Global Health are just a few examples. One student attendee said, “We don't need to have a formal position in global or public health to make a difference. Just get together and start somewhere.”
This meeting of the minds was one step along the way as we all navigate the effects of these cuts in the present and in the coming months and years. Pulling the event together truly took a village, from the event planning committee to university staff to student volunteers. Thanks to those who made this event possible!