George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public research university, announced Tuesday the launch of its new College of Public Health, the first and only such college in the state of Virginia.

The College of Public Health, formerly the College of Health and Human Services, is already open. College Dean Dr. Melissa J. Perry says that this transition has taken years and signifies more than a name change. Public health is distinct as a field of study because it focuses on the prevention of disease within populations.

The new college is also nationally recognized as part of an association of public health schools and programs. That means students can pursue specific degrees in public health at George Mason, including undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees.

Perry says public health education has become all the more urgent and essential in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. That crisis was further exacerbated because public health in the U.S. was already underfunded and understaffed in the years before.

“It’s clear now is the time to rise to the occasion, to respond to not only the continuing pressures of the current pandemic, but what is inevitably future pandemics,” she says.

As the only college of public health in Virginia, the school could especially be of benefit to in-state students who want to pursue more affordable public health degrees. Perry says she and university officials will work to make the college as accessible as possible to Virginia residents.

The majority of the students at the College — more than 60 percent — are expected to represent a “historically underrepresented group.” Nearly 40 percent are first-generation college students.

“We really pride ourselves in how inclusive our university and our college is,” Perry says. “If you really want to change who has access to promising jobs and career pipelines, you want to make sure that you’re giving educational opportunities to anybody that wants it.”