(Authors' note: This article was originally written and submitted in April 2004. Since then, substantial changes have been made to the Academic Centers for Public Health Preparedness [ACPHP] program. The 23 ACPHP have united with earmarked specialty centers located in schools of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine to become a network of 40 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] Centers for Public Health Preparedness [CPHP]. The Association of Schools of Public Health [ASPH] continues to play a vital role in coordinating network activities. To learn more about the CPHP network's current activities, visit ASPH's website at http://www.asph.org.) Before the 1990s, it was difficult to find tangible evidence of a serious focus on public health practice in most of the U.S. schools of public health. In the years since, national and public health community events have affected changes to refocus the schools of public health to start dealing seriously with the issues of training, service, and research in public health practice. Established in 2000 to improve the safety of our communities, the Academic Centers for Public Health Preparedness (ACPHP) have not only made significant contributions to workforce readiness, but have advanced academic-practice partnerships. The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), the coordinating body of the ACPHP network, undertook a qualitative evaluation of the program. Results demonstrated that the ACPHP were developing valuable expertise in preparedness issues, assessing the training needs of their partners, and testing the effectiveness of the trainings using exercises and drills. During February and March 2004, 21 ACPHP located at 23 schools of public health, along with their practice partners, participated in a qualitative Peer Review and Practice Evaluation (also called reverse site visits) hosted by ASPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. This article provides background on the historical context of the establishment of the ACPHP, then presents themes learned from the ACPHP evaluation process and offers commentary on how a program focused on increasing public health workers' ability to respond to terrorist threats also significantly advanced academic-practice partnerships, which have been struggling for years.