Beyond the Broad Street Pump: Insights into the History of Public Health

Tuesday, January 20, 2026, from 7-8:15pm
Graduate School of Public Health speaker + Annual Business Meeting

Jamie A, Sokol, MPH

University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

The public health system in the United States began as a series of episodic responses to real and immediate health threats- and in many ways, it still is. Approaching public health problems with a historical perspective can be more than just an indulgence in reflection; it can be a stark reminder that although change is difficult, it can be done. Join us for a look at key milestones in public health history as we trace our roots from the time of Hippocrates to twentieth century public health achievements. From epidemics to social and political reform, we'll explore the ever-changing public health landscape - and re-emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to solving public health problems. Click here for the Zoom link.

Jamie A. Sokol, MPH, is a part-time lecturer at Pitt Public Health, where she teaches a culminating course in the MPH curriculum that focuses on problem solving in applied public health settings. Jamie's career in governmental public health practice has been focused on strengthening the delivery of public health services through administrative and operational improvement. She is especially passionate about developing the future public health workforce both in and out of the classroom. She holds a BA in Health and Society from the University of Rochester and an MPH from Pitt Public Health. 

Image courtesy of PBS.org

2025-2026 Lecture Series

We are delighted to announce our 42nd speaker series. NEW THIS YEAR: all lectures take place at 7pm Eastern Time. This will make it easier for folks who are joining after work or from more western time zones. The lectures are still free and open to the public via Zoom. Watch this space, join our email list, or check out our Facebook page to get the link.

September 30, 2025 ~ Milton Meyer Michaels Lecture

 "The History of Hemophilia"

Franklin Bontempo, MD (Medicine/Hematology, University of Pittsburgh)

November 11, 2025 ~ Sylvan E. Stool Memorial Lecture

"The Skillful Surgeon: Expertise, Authority, and Surgical Illustrations in Late Renaissance Europe"

Alisha Rankin, PhD (History, Tufts)

January 20, 2026 ~ Graduate School of Public Health speaker + Annual Business Meeting ~ 

"Beyond the Broad Street Pump: Insights into the History of Public Health"

Jamie Sokol (Public Health, University of Pittsburgh)

February 24, 2026

"White-Capped Dreams: The (Dis)appearance of Filipino Men Nurses Under the Colonial Gaze, 1910–1945"

Ren Capucao, MSN, RN, and PhD 

(Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry, School of Nursing, University of Virginia)

April 7, 2026 ~ Jonathon Erlen Lecture

"The Antonine Plague and the End of Ancient Rome's Golden Era"

Colin Elliott, PhD (History, University of Indiana, Bloomington)

History of Engineering Public Health

Tuesday, January 21, 2024, 6-7:15pm (Eastern)

~ University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health Lecture ~

Jennifer Rogers, MS (Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science)

How has public health been engineered to make modern cities more livable, and why is sanitary engineering no longer something one majors in? Infrastructure such as sewer systems, water filtration, waste removal, and pest control remain under-appreciated bulwarks of health today, but how we train experts in them has changed. Drawing from the Georgia Tech archives, among others, this talk will explore how public health departments, college departments, professional societies, and city planning initiatives all had a part in engineering American public health.

Image credit: Getty

Jennifer Rogers is the Most Recent President of the Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science (SAHMS). She is a historian of medicine, technology, and science. Her degrees are a BS in the History, Technology, and Society and an MS in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. A lifelong educator, researcher, and public historian, Rogers joined the board of SAHMS in 2014, serving as webmaster, registration coordinator, vice president, and two terms as president.

The lecture recording can be found here. The C.F. Reynolds Medical History Society thanks its dues-paying members and the University of Pittsburgh Center for Bioethics and Health Law for its support of the continuing relevance of medical history in our world.

Image credit: Jennifer Rogers, Georgia Tech Archives