2nd Edition Zuckerman College of Public Health

Public Health & AI
Summer School

June 8–11, 2026
📍 Grand Challenges Research Building
750 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 · University of Arizona
Register Now → View Program
First Edition Highlights

See What You'll Experience

A glimpse into the transformative learning journey from our inaugural Summer School

Watch 2025 Highlights

52 Participants
4 Days of Learning
12 Expert Instructors
92% Would Recommend
Choose Your Path

Two Tracks, One Transformative Experience

Whether you're taking your first steps or ready to scale — there's a journey designed for you

🌱
Beginner Friendly

AI Literacy

Your gateway to the AI revolution in public health

Curious about AI but don't know where to start? You're not alone — and you're in exactly the right place.

AI Literacy is designed for public health professionals who want to understand what AI actually is, how it works, and — most importantly — how it can transform the way you approach population health challenges. No coding required. No technical background needed. Just bring your curiosity and your commitment to improving health outcomes.

In four immersive days, you'll go from "I've heard of ChatGPT" to confidently evaluating AI tools, crafting effective prompts, and identifying opportunities to integrate AI into your daily work. You'll learn the language, understand the limitations, and discover the possibilities.

Perfect for you if:

  • You're new to AI and want a solid foundation
  • You work in public health and see AI changing your field
  • You want practical skills without the technical overwhelm
  • You need to evaluate AI tools for your organization
  • You want to communicate effectively about AI with colleagues

You'll walk away able to:

Understand AI fundamentals Write effective prompts Evaluate AI tools critically Identify use cases in your work Navigate ethical considerations Speak AI with confidence
🚀
Level Up

AI Fluency

From AI user to AI builder — scale your impact

You've used AI tools. Now you're ready to build with them.

AI Fluency is for practitioners who have moved past the basics and are hungry for more. You understand what AI can do — now you want to create reproducible workflows, deploy solutions at scale, and lead AI initiatives in your organization. This is where experimentation becomes implementation.

Over four intensive days, you'll dive into code versioning, geospatial analysis, RAG systems, and responsible AI frameworks. You'll work with real datasets, build actual pipelines, and leave with projects you can deploy. This isn't theory — it's transformation.

Perfect for you if:

  • You've experimented with AI and want to go deeper
  • You need to build reproducible analysis workflows
  • You're leading or planning AI initiatives at your organization
  • You want hands-on experience with advanced tools
  • You're ready to create, not just consume

You'll walk away able to:

Version control with AI Build reproducible pipelines Implement RAG systems Create evaluation benchmarks Deploy geospatial AI Lead responsibly

💬 What Past Participants Say

"Summer school has been a wonderful balance between getting familiar with AI tools and learning how to integrate into our work."
SB

Stephanie Boyles

PhD Student, College of Nursing

"We need to be more efficient in our workflows and in the very first day in two hours we came up with our first AI agent."
LK

Lindsay Kohler

Epidemiology Division Manager, Pima County Health Department

🤝 What Both Tracks Share

🛠️

AI Maker Space

Every afternoon, both tracks come together for hands-on labs where you'll build, experiment, and create real projects.

🎤

Expert Panels

Daily discussions with leaders in health AI, from agency modernization to environmental impact.

🌐

Community

Join a network of public health professionals navigating the AI transformation together.

🏆

Recognition

Earn a micro-credential and digital badge from the University of Arizona upon meeting completion criteria.

🎓

Micro-Credentials & Digital Badges

All participants who meet the earning criteria will receive an official micro-credential and digital badge issued by the University of Arizona.

AI Literacy Applied AI in Public Health
AI Fluency Strategic AI Implementation in Public Health
✓ Verifiable credential ✓ Shareable on LinkedIn ✓ Issued by University of Arizona
Program

Choose Your Learning Path

Two tracks designed for different experience levels, both delivering practical AI skills for public health professionals

📍 In-Person

AI Literacy

$400 per track
AI & PH Club Member *students only $200 50% off
UA Student $240 40% off
Public Health Worker $260 35% off
UA Junior Faculty or Research staff $260 35% off
General admission (including senior faculty) $400

* Join the AI and Public Health Student Club

Perfect for public health professionals new to AI. Build foundational understanding through hands-on learning.

What You'll Learn

AI Fundamentals Digital Epidemiology Prompt Engineering Data Concepts Evaluating AI Tools Digital Biomarkers
Register for AI Literacy →
📍 In-Person

AI Fluency

$400 per track
AI & PH Club Member *students only $200 50% off
UA Student $240 40% off
Public Health Worker $260 35% off
UA Junior Faculty or Research staff $260 35% off
General admission (including senior faculty) $400

* Join the AI and Public Health Student Club

For practitioners ready to build. Technical training with cloud platforms, code, and AI deployment.

What You'll Learn

Code Versioning Geospatial AI Responsible AI Multi-modal Data RAG Systems AI Benchmarks
Register for AI Fluency →
🌐 Online

AI Literacy (Virtual)

$199 Regular Price
🚀 Coming Soon — Stay tuned for registration details!

Join from anywhere in the world. On-demand self-paced sessions with access to all course materials.

What You'll Learn

AI Fundamentals Prompt Engineering Evaluating Tools Digital Health
Coming Soon

Daily Schedule

Note: This program has been updated and is subject to change without further notice.

Day 1: Foundations

Monday, June 8, 2026

9:00 AM

Welcome & Opening Keynote

Introduction to AI in Public Health landscape

All Tracks
10:00 AM

What's AI? Fundamentals for Public Health

Core concepts, terminology, and how AI applies to population health

AI Literacy
10:00 AM

Code Versioning with AI

Git workflows, GitHub Copilot, and collaborative development

AI Fluency
12:00 PM

Lunch Break

Networking opportunity

1:00 PM

AI Maker Space: Getting Started

Hands-on session: Setting up your AI toolkit, first prompts, exploring tools

All Tracks
3:30 PM

Panel: Health Design Implementation and AI

Industry experts discuss real-world AI implementation challenges

All Tracks
5:00 PM

Day 1 Wrap-up

Reflection and Q&A

Day 2: Data & Digital Health

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

9:00 AM

Digital Public Health & Digital Epidemiology

Surveillance systems, digital data sources, and modern epi methods

AI Literacy
9:00 AM

Creating Reproducible Analysis Workflows with AI

Building automated, reproducible data pipelines

AI Fluency
10:30 AM

Data Analysis & Management Skills for AI

Key data concepts with a non-coding focus

AI Literacy
10:30 AM

Geospatial Analysis AI-Powered

Spatial data, mapping, and location intelligence with AI

AI Fluency
12:00 PM

Lunch Break

Networking opportunity

1:00 PM

AI Maker Space: Data Projects

Hands-on: Work with real public health datasets, build study cases

All Tracks
3:30 PM

Panel: Modernization of Public Health Agencies with AI

Government and health department leaders share transformation stories

All Tracks
5:00 PM

Day 2 Wrap-up

Reflection and Q&A

Day 3: Applications & Ethics

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

9:00 AM

Prompt Engineering Deep Dive

Advanced prompting techniques for public health applications

AI Literacy
9:00 AM

Responsible AI: Transparency, Accountability, Bias

Ethics frameworks and addressing discrimination in AI systems

AI Fluency
10:30 AM

AI in Patient Care & Digital Health Cohorts

Clinical applications and population health management

AI Literacy
10:30 AM

Multi-modal Data with AI

Integrating text, images, and structured data

AI Fluency
12:00 PM

Lunch Break

Networking opportunity

1:00 PM

AI Maker Space: Building Applications

Hands-on: Develop simulated scenarios and practical tools

All Tracks
3:30 PM

Panel: One Health and New Frontiers with AI

Exploring AI at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health

All Tracks
5:00 PM

Day 3 Wrap-up

Reflection and Q&A

Day 4: Advanced Topics & Future

Thursday, June 11, 2026

9:00 AM

Evaluating AI Tools for Public Health

Frameworks for assessing and selecting AI solutions

AI Literacy
9:00 AM

MCP, Console Settings & RAG Systems

Advanced configuration and retrieval-augmented generation

AI Fluency
10:30 AM

Wearables & Digital Biomarkers in Public Health

Mobile health data and population monitoring

AI Literacy
10:30 AM

Creating Benchmarks to Evaluate AI in Your Routine

Building evaluation frameworks for AI adoption

AI Fluency
12:00 PM

Lunch Break

Networking opportunity

1:00 PM

AI Maker Space: Final Projects

Complete your project and prepare presentations

All Tracks
3:30 PM

Panel: Environmental Impact of AI

Sustainability, energy consumption, and responsible AI deployment

All Tracks
4:30 PM

Closing Ceremony & Certificates

Celebration, awards, and next steps

All Tracks

🎓 Register Now — Limited Seats

Earn your University of Arizona micro-credential in AI & Public Health

Register Now →
Register

Secure Your Spot

Choose your track and join public health professionals from around the world

Learn From Experts

Meet Your Instructors

World-class faculty and practitioners bringing real-world AI expertise

Kasi Kiehlbaugh

Kasi Kiehlbaugh, PhD, MS

Health Science Design

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Tyson Swetnam

Tyson Swetnam, PhD

Geoinformatics & Spatial Data

BIO5 Institute

Shravan Aras

Shravan Aras, PhD

Digital Biomarkers & Wearables

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Enrique Noriega

Enrique Noriega, PhD

Machine Learning and LLMs

Department of Computer Science

Jose Florez-Arango

Jose Florez-Arango, PhD, MD, MS

Health Informatics

Center for Biomedical Informatics (CB2)

Onicio B. Leal Neto

Onicio B. Leal Neto, PhD, MS

AI/ML Applications in Public Health

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Marvin Slepian

Marvin Slepian, MD

AI, Law & Medicine

College of Medicine

Srikar Adhikari

Srikar Adhikari, MD, MS

AI and Healthcare Delivery

College of Medicine

Alexandra Henao

Alexandra Henao, PhD

Causal Inference & Implementation Science

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Lindsey Kohler

Lindsey Kohler, PhD

Innovation & Public Health

Pima County Health Department

More instructors to be announced soon

Leadership

Scientific Committee

Guiding the curriculum and ensuring academic excellence

Onicio B. Leal Neto

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Kasi Kiehlbaugh

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Shravan Aras

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Jose F. Florez-Arango

Center for Biomedical Informatics & Biostatistics (CB2)

Enrique Noriega

Department of Computer Science

Wolfgang Jentner

Arizona Institute for AI and Society

Tyson Swetnam

BIO5 Institute

Srikar R. Adhikari

College of Medicine

Alexandra Henao

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Lindsey Kohler

Pima County Health Department

Financial Support

Scholarship Opportunities

We believe AI education should be accessible to public health students

🎓 Student Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students enrolled at the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Eligible students can apply through the Dean's Annual Fund to cover registration costs.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Currently enrolled student at the Zuckerman College of Public Health
  • In good academic standing
  • Commitment to attend all four days of the Summer School
Apply via Dean's Fund →

Become a Sponsor

Partner with us to shape the future of AI in public health and connect with emerging leaders in the field.

Sponsorship Opportunities →