Conferences
Public Health Awareness Conference
PHSI implements
an annual Public Health Awareness Conference (PHAC),
which addresses issues that affect disadvantaged communities,
and aims at increasing the interest and awareness of
public health issues among students and neighboring communities. The
objectives of the conference are: (1) to provide students with professional
opportunities to present public health research; (2) to enhance career-related
skills that will support students’ long-term professional interests
in the field of public health; and, (3) to forge stronger professional
links between faculty members, students, public health professionals
and researchers. This
conference has also become a mechanism to showcase
excellent undergraduate public health research conducted
by minority students.
In 2008, the
conference was held on April 1st-2nd. The theme was “Reducing & Eliminating
Cancer Disparities through Public Health Strategies”. The
American Cancer Society co-sponsored with PHSI to bring MIKE-E and
the AfroFlow Tour to Morehouse College. MIKE-E is an international
rap and spoken word recording artist, stage and screen actor, philanthropist
and youth motivator. Other events
hosted by the Public Health Sciences Institute and
Office of Health Professions included a Physicians on the Frontline
panel discussion, Lunch & Learn
Information Sessions with Professional Schools, Public
Health Forum with MIKE-E, Student Poster Presentation
Sessions and Graduate/Professional Recruitment Fair.
During the past years, the themes listed below have
been the topics of the Conference:
| Year | Topic |
| 1995 | “Breaking the cycle of violence: Young adults and teens” |
| 1996 | “What you don’t know can hurt you and others” |
| 1997 | “Enhancing minority research and training opportunities in public health” |
| 1998 | “Critical issues in public health facing the black community in 2000 and beyond” |
| 1999 | “Public health’s
role in creating healthy environments for African American Families” |
| 2000 | “Public health is a calling, not a career” |
| 2001 | “Healthy People, Healthy Communities” |
| 2002 | “Healthy Attitudes, Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities” |
| 2003 | “Eliminating Health Disparities through Awareness” |
| 2004 | “Global Public Health: Access, Barriers, Strategies” |
| 2005 | “The Human Genome: Solving Problems While Creating Others” |
| 2006 | “Culture, Genetics, & Family
Health: Evolving Rules of Family Health and the Impact of Culture & Genetics” |
| 2007 | “Poverty, Violence & Health: International & National Dimensions” |
The conference consists of workshops, seminars, conflict intervention and resolution sessions and public health recruitment fair. There is also a recruitment fair, which gives college students the opportunity to engage in one-on-one dialogue with public health professionals and educators about career options as well as graduate education programs, and employment opportunities. PHSI supports also forty (40) underrepresented minority students from various institutions to present their research during the student presentation portion of the conference and attend other conference activities. Approximately 1000 students attend conference events each year. These recruitment efforts and increased awareness has resulted in substantial increases in the number of students gaining entrance into schools of public health.
Please use the following link to access information on the 2009 Public Health Awareness Conference.
PHSI participates regularly in job fairs and academic conferences at various venues to recruit students. These annual conferences include, but are not limited to the Public Health Awareness Conference, the Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Minority Health Foundation Biomedical Symposia and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans for Science (SACNAS) Conference, and the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting (APHA) Students who participate in PHSI research programs are required to submit abstracts for presentation at these academic conferences. Please visit the links for conference information.
The Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) www.abrcms.org
The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans
for Science (SACNAS) Conference
www.sacnas.org
The American Public Health Association
www.apha.org
