SPH at APHA 2017.
In October, School of Public Health faculty, staff, students, and alumni participated in a total of 54 presentations at the 2017 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo. The SPH oral and poster presentations covered a wide range of themes, from public health education and ethics to emerging public health topics such as opioid addiction and gun violence.
Student Kathryn McConnell presented her work on food systems and the role of public health social workers (PHSW) in addressing food shortage in time of climate change.
“Food systems are under tremendous pressure as we experience the effects of climate change,” she said during her presentation. Based on the preliminary results of her research, McConnell highlighted the significance of food systems as a social determinant of health and suggested improvements in graduate education that can lead to increased interest in and entry into food systems initiatives by PHSW.
Bindu Kalesan, assistant professor of community health sciences, presented the results of her new research on gun injury during the meeting. The study found that the severity of injury among both assault victims and gun accident victims increased between 1993 and 2013.
“The majority of patients with gun injuries will live compromised lives, with repeated emergency and hospitalization visits, psychological problems, and social challenges,” Kalesan said. “Simply put, our study demonstrates not only the additional public health burden due to non-fatal gun injuries, but also the direct burden of continued and multiple challenges to the individual.”
SPH also hosted an Alumni Reception at the CNN Center on November 6. During the event, three alumni received the Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions the field of public health on a local, national, or global level.