This year at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 150th Annual Meeting & Expo, the School of Public Health had 24 participants representing the school, 17 of which were public health students. The meeting and expo took place November 6-9, 2022 and researchers were able to showcase their research and collaborate with other public health practitioners from all over the country. 

Among the students in attendance was Tamara Telles (MPH student). This past spring, she earned first place in the Delta Phi Poster Competition. She was then selected by the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health National Committee to compete and present in their competition held each year at the APHA Meeting & Expo. If selected to compete at the national level, students are awarded a cash prize by Delta Omega. Delta Omega selects no more than 29 students to compete.

Sarah Hartzell, another graduate student in attendance, describes her time at the conference, “My experience at the APHA 2022 Meeting & Expo was great! I had the opportunity to present my work at two roundtables where I had so many engaging conversations with scholars around the nation. It was a great place to make connections and hear about fantastic work currently being done. I presented a team project entitled, 'Understanding college students' COVID-19 pandemic experiences through a mixed methods approach" and my own work entitled, 'Let's talk about mental health on campus.' The team project was work I had done with Megan LaMotte, Molly Hagen, and Dr. Paul Devereux.”

Associate Professor Eric Crosbie, Ph.D., M.A., reflects on his experience, “It was great to see our students continue to grow at APHA as they were able to present their research findings, listen to high profile speakers discuss emerging research and network and connect with leading health professionals.” 

Dean Muge Akpinar-Elci of the School of Public Health was also in attendance and describes her time with students at APHA, “I was filled with such pride and excitement seeing so many of our students presenting and advocating for their research. Their dedication to public health gives me great hope that the future is in extremely capable hands.”

The next APHA Annual Meeting & Expo will take place in Atlanta, GA, November 12-15, 2023. The theme will be, "Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges" and the submission deadline is March 30, 2023.