Public health students celebrate National Public Health Week

Public health students rallied on campus and in the community this week to celebrate National Public Health Week. We’ve captured some highlights below to showcase their work and commitment as future leaders in public health. Hear what students had to say in their own words:

West Chester University kicked off the celebration of National Public Health Week with our third annual night of professional development and networking: The Alumni Panel event hosted by the Master of Public Health Student Advisory Board. Each year various alumni from the MPH program are recruited to share their experiences in health and human services professions. This is a great opportunity for students to network as well as receive sound advice from practicing public health professionals. This year we were happy to host panelists from three MPH tracks — Community, Nutrition and Environmental — and a PhD candidate for epidemiology. Light refreshments were served along with door prize raffles. New this year was a “30-Second Elevator Pitch” mini-workshop for interested students to develop and practice their networking pitch. We also promoted our white board campaign and asked various students and faculty to share what they love about public health. Overall, this event was a huge success for all who attended!

UCLA Students of Color for Public Health hosted National Public Health Week: Public Health Awakened. Through the events of this week students illustrated the effects that the current political climate has on the health of communities we are from, study and work with. Each of our sessions was designed to provide historical context, incorporate knowledge from both community organizations and researchers in academia, and end with a better understanding of how to advocate for health equity and justice. Additionally, we advocated for students to engage in self-care and offered events to practice this throughout the week.

Dr. Chris Jones, director, Division of Science Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, joined University of Kentucky College of Public Health students via video to talk about the opioid epidemic. Dr. April Young, assistant professor of epidemiology, moderated the well-attended session. Other students connected via video links across campus.

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