YuLin Zhen, Photography Editor

The Yale School of Public Health, or YSPH, is in the planning phase for the construction of a new facility that would consolidate the school into just two buildings, from the current eight.

Since its separation from the School of Medicine in 2022, YSPH has grappled with having classes and labs scattered across eight different buildings, stretching from the School of Medicine up to near the New Haven Green. A new building, most likely to be constructed on 47 College St., would serve as one of the school’s two main hubs, although a construction timeline has not yet been established.

“Currently, YSPH is scattered across many New Haven buildings, several of which are leased spaces,” Provost Scott Strobel wrote to the News. “We are now in the early stages of planning a facility that matches the excellence of YSPH students, faculty, and staff.”

In September 2023, the school established the space planning committee, consisting of faculty from all six public health departments, multiple staff members and a doctoral student. Since its foundation, the committee has sent out multiple surveys requesting input and feedback from YSPH stakeholders.

In October 2023, the planning committee informed the community of the goal of consolidating most-to-all of YSPH into two buildings: the current Laboratory for Epidemiology and Public Health, or LEPH, and a new building.

The News spoke to current students at YSPH about how the lack of centralization has impacted their experiences and hopes for a future building.

“We are totally separate from main campus,” Yukang Zeng, MPH ’25, said. “We don’t have a sense of belonging because we are totally separated on different sides of different streets.” 

According to Zeng, although individual departments of YSPH tend to have classes in the same building, the core requirements of the degree program and the interdisciplinary nature of public health require students to travel frequently between faraway buildings.

Students also expressed that the environment and lack of natural light in the LEPH building were not conducive to learning, with most classes taking place in the basement. Additionally, they expressed that the disconnected spaces made it more difficult for collaboration, community building and accessing faculty support and resources.

“Right now, the public health building is a little jail-like, and isn’t the most optimal environment for learning as compared to, especially, the school environment or the business school,” Brit Fleck SPH ’25, said.

Students expressed a desire for a more inviting building architecturally, as well as a facility that would allow greater collaboration between students and faculty and provide a stronger sense of belonging. 

Campbell Mitchell SPH ’25 expressed hope that the new building would not be solely an isolated space for public health students, but rather a broader hub for community engagement across Yale.

The Laboratory of Epidemiology and Public Health is located at 60 College St.