Magda Peck Sc.D., who was instrumental in building the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s public health infrastructure over the last 22 years, is leaving to build another school of public health.
Dr. Peck, associate dean for community engagement and public health practice at the UNMC College of Public Health has accepted the position of founding dean of the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The appointment is effective March 1.
“I thank Magda for her years of service to UNMC. She has been a persistent and passionate change agent for public health,” said Ayman El-Mohandes, M.B.B.Ch., M.D., M.P.H., dean of the College of Public Health. “She translates great ideas into reality. Through her commitment to service and long-standing community relationships, she has been a great advocate and liaison for UNMC.”
Dr. Peck was the founding director of the UNMC/UNO Graduate Program in Public Health through its initial accreditation in 2004. She is founding director ofUNMC’s Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute and is principal investigator for the newly funded Great Plains Public Health Training Center. She also co-leads the National Alliance for Public Health Leadership Development.
Until 2007, she was founding CEO of CityMatCH, a national public health organization based at UNMC dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women, children and families in urban communities. Dr. Peck serves on the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Preventive Services for Women. She also is a member of the Select Panel for Preconception Care with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this position, she helps shape national recommendations on the care of women before and between pregnancies.
Dr. Peck has worked with urban communities across the country to improve the health of women and children. Milwaukee’s infant death rate is among the highest in the nation, a challenge the Zilber School of Public Health is taking on with other partners. “This is a phenomenal opportunity to combine the best of academe with sound practice and innovative policy to get better results,” she said.
A graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Peck has brought in more than $14.3 million in research funding since joining UNMC in 1989. All of her current grants and programs will remain at UNMC.
“I’m grateful to have helped pioneer public health in Nebraska and beyond,” she said. “I am proud to leave the public health system stronger than when I came to Nebraska, and I’m confident that all we created will be continued by the very capable people I leave behind.”
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.