This project documents the unique paths of MCH leaders in academe, focused on five key questions. The hope of this project is to preserve these experience and the wisdom from the field that each expert brings and also to inspire a new generation of MCH academics.
Cheri Pies is a clinical professor emerita at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and served as the Principal Investigator for the Best Babies Zone Initiative from 2012 to 2019, a place based multi-sector approach to reducing infant mortality through community driven transformation. As one of the pioneers in understanding social determinants of health, she has worked to address the ways in which social and economic disparities and inequities influence birth outcomes and generational health across the life course. Dr. Pies received her MSW from Boston University in 1976. She earned her MPH (1985) and DrPH (1993) from the University of California at Berkeley.
When asked about the secrets of success she states:
“Collaboration is my touchstone—with colleagues and students. Learning from one another is the high point of my time at Berkeley. I have learned an enormous amount from the amazing and remarkable students that I have had the privilege of teaching over the past many years—both in MCH and the DrPH Programs. And in order to succeed in the field, one needs to network, know their colleagues, understand what the work is that others are doing, and be able to work together with one another effectively and collaboratively.”
Click below to listen to Cheri Pies's story as she responds to five questions.