Trust for Public Land’s Senior Vice President Dr. Howie Frumkin Selected as Hagler Institute Fellow

The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University recently announced its 2022-23 class of Hagler Fellows, which included Trust for Public Land’s [TPL] Senior Vice President Dr. Howard Frumkin.

The Hagler Institute selects its Fellows from among top scholars who have distinguished themselves through outstanding professional accomplishments and significant recognition. Previous classes of Hagler Fellows have included three Nobel laureates, a Wolf Prize recipient, a recipient of the Hubble Medal in Literature for Lifetime Achievement, a recipient of the National Medal of Science, an awardee of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and numerous members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Frumkin is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

“We know how strong the connection is between human health and the environment. TPL is thrilled to have Dr. Frumkin recognized as a Hagler Fellow for his incredible research and continued advancement of our efforts to advance health, equity, climate resilience, sustainability, and strong communities through access to nature,” said Diane Regas, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land.

At TPL, Dr. Frumkin directs the newly established Land and People Lab, focused on advancing solutions to society’s biggest challenges through parks and public lands using research, data analysis, innovation, and policy support. The Lab uses a collaborative approach to identify barriers and solutions to achieving quality parks and open space for all while addressing systemic challenges involving health, climate, equity, and community.

Dr. Frumkin will serve as a Hagler Fellow over three years, while remaining in his position at TPL. As a Hagler Fellow, he will combine research, mentoring, and program development. His work will be built on collaborations involving TPL, Texas A&M University, and Texas-based non-governmental organizations, community groups, and public agencies, around shared priorities.

“The Hagler Institute has long established its reputation of bringing together some of the world’s brightest academic minds to solve society’s toughest challenges. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with the Texas A&M School of Public Health to continue to analyze how we can use data to help bring the benefits of the outdoors to more people,” said Dr. Frumkin.

Data from Trust for Public Land shows that over 100 million people in the U.S., including 28 million children, do not have access to a park within a 10-minute walk from home. For many of those who do have access, the quality of those parks is insufficient for community needs. As newly released data shows, parks serving primarily non white populations are half the size of parks that serve majority white populations and nearly five times as crowded.

Dr. Frumkin is Professor Emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where he served as Dean from 2010-2016. From 2005 to 2010 he held leadership roles at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as director of the National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR), and as Special Assistant to the CDC Director for Climate Change and Health. His academic career focused on three areas that will be central to his work as a Hagler fellow: the health benefits of nature contact; the design and function of healthy built environments; and the health implications of global changes such as climate change.

He is the author or co-author of over 300 scientific journal articles and chapters, and his books include Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability; Environmental Health: From Global to Local; and two recent books on Planetary Health.

Dr. Frumkin received his AB from Brown University, his MD from the University of Pennsylvania, his MPH and DrPH from Harvard University, his internal medicine training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Cambridge Hospital, and his environmental and occupational medicine training at Harvard.

About Trust for Public Land

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3 million acres of public land, created more than 5,000 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $84 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected more than 9 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.