Alief ISD students have a new opportunity to get a head start on college and careers in the fast-growing health field through a partnership with the University of Houston College of Education. The college-prep program, launching in fall 2026, will put students on a clear path from high school to UH, where they can earn a bachelor’s degree in health and prepare for in-demand careers that support healthier communities.

For the first time, UH researchers have mapped Houston’s “mental health deserts,” revealing inequities in access to care across the city. The study, published Oct. 15 in Frontiers of Public Health, highlights the uneven distribution of mental health professionals and calls for targeted interventions and policy solutions. “So many neighborhoods had no mental health professionals in their ZIP codes,” said Chakema Carmack, senior author and associate professor of health. “It does follow patterns of other lack-of-access variables out there, such as food access, physical care access, clinic access and insurance coverage.”

Mikel Cole