Wen Public Health has strong premiere as a new school at the annual APHA Meeting & Expo

The City of Lakes, Minneapolis, Minn., welcomed tens of thousands of public health professionals to this year’s American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo, which took place at the end of October. The first appearance by UC Irvine’s newly established Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health was noteworthy for several reasons. Dozens of student researchers and faculty presented their scholarly work over the 4-day conference, topics ranged from air pollution exposure, AI modeling around stroke risk prediction, food insecurity, pitfalls of teen drinking, and many other public health topics.

APHA’s annual meeting brings together academic public health, government agencies and funders, and additional public health industry leaders and organizations. Students gain experience presenting their work to an international stage while also networking with peers and future employers.

Several students were recognized for their hard work, including Mst. Sadia Sultana, a PhD in Public Health student was recognized with a prestigious student award.

“Honored to receive an award from APHA in recognition of my research! It was an incredible opportunity to present my work and connect with public health heroes who inspire positive change. Thank you to everyone who attended my presentation and supported me along the way including my school Wen Public Health—your encouragement means the world!”

Kalani Phillips, another doctoral student, presented findings on teen dating violence and food insecurity. Ms. Phillips added, “it was inspiring to connect with so many colleagues and friends doing incredible work in public health. I was especially glad to connect with friends from Survivors + Allies at UCLA, This Is Public Health ambassadors, and Wen Public Health students & alumni! Thank you to everyone who came out to support my presentation and for sharing your insights! Looking forward to APHA next year!”

More than 50 members of the Wen Public Health community came together to celebrate the school launch at an evening reception where UC Irvine alumna Sue Polan was recognized for her contribution to the field of public health and as an esteemed member of the Anteater alumni community.