Friday Letter: 2026 ASPPH Sections Retreat Held in Bonita Springs, FL

Last week, ASPPH hosted the 2026 ASPPH Sections Retreat in Bonita Springs, FL. The retreat served as an important and impactful opportunity to connect, share insights, and reaffirm our collective commitment to advancing the fields of Academic Affairs, Data, Finance & Administration, Inclusive Excellence, Marketing & Communications, Practice, Research, and Student Affairs.

The retreat began with an opening plenary session titled, Harnessing Innovation: Implementing Ethical and Responsible AI for Academic Public Health, moderated by Ed Ruiz, Chief Information Officer, ASPPH.

The plenary also featured the following panelists from the Task Force for Responsible and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence:

Jessica Kruger, Director, Teaching Innovation & Excellence and Clinical Associate Professor, University at Buffalo

Robert Leeman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern

Elahe Nezami, Professor of Professional Practice in Public Health Sciences, UMiami

Courtney Queen, Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Interim Department Chair, Public Health, TTUHSC

In addition to the plenary and general sessions, each Section hosted sessions developed specifically for their group focused on the key issues impacting their roles with the intent to foster meaningful collaboration.

We are truly grateful to all our Section members who participated in the retreat and for their willingness to share their experiences and expertise with their colleagues.