11th Annual Public Health Symposium Focuses on Global Health Challenges
Tue, 09/13/2011 - 09:31am | By: Ryan Kelly
From environmental changes to emerging diseases, global health presents a major challenge to the world of public health.
This will be the overarching theme of the 11th Annual Public Health Symposium sponsored by the Department of Community Health Sciences and the Southern Mississippi Area Health Education Center (SMAHEC).
This year's symposium will be held on both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. The Hattiesburg campus event is set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12 in the Thad Cochran Center ballroom. The Gulf Park event is scheduled for 8 a.m.-noon on Thursday, Nov. 3 in the Fleming Education Center Auditorium.
The global health discussion will include topics of climate change, food safety, emerging world diseases and the epidemic of bed bus, among other subjects. The symposium will also feature distinguished speakers covering a wide range of topics.
“It is important for our students to understand all of the various types of fields available to them, and for the students to have an awareness of issues in today's society and global health,” said Gina Fiorentini-Wright, Community Health Sciences instructor.
Featured speakers include Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, Freeport McMoRan Chair of Environmental Policy at Tulane University; Dr. Brigid Elchos, Deputy State Veterinarian with the Mississippi Board of Animal Health and Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Entomologist for the Mississippi State Department of Health. A question-and-answer session will be held at the conclusion of each speaker's presentation.
Stacey Curry, director of SMAHEC, said the upcoming symposium provides “an excellent opportunity for Southern Miss faculty, staff and students – as well as community members – to gain knowledge about current issues in global health.
The symposium is free of charge. For more information, contact Fiorentini-Wright at 601.266.4839; the College of Health at 601.266.5103 or visit www.health@usm.edu