Read USF’s latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates.
Elizabeth Dunn leads the university’s Community Emergency Response Team, an organization dedicated to providing education and training in emergencies. The group has filled sandbags before storms, helped staff shelters during hurricanes and even evaluated hospital responses to mass casualty incidents across Hillsborough County. Now, add Super Bowl safety to their list. 

Researchers in the COPH have launched a new study to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 variants in Tampa Bay. They’re conducting genomic sequencing of positive pooled samples collected from Tampa General Hospital and USF’s Tampa campus and comparing their makeup to the highly contagious variants that have originated in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Brazil, as well as other lesser-known mutations.
The COPH's Maternal and Child Health Student Organization (MCHSO) will hold its 12th annual symposium over the course of two days in partnership with the Chiles Center and the USF Center of Excellence in MCH Education, Science and Practice. The virtual event will be held on March 4 and March 5 from 1-4 p.m. and will focus on “Creating a Better Tomorrow: Prioritizing the Global Strategy.” 

Undergraduate student Karen Ruiz-Ayala was awarded the 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship by the USF Black Alumni Society on January 15 during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Dedication Luncheon.

The COPH Activist Lab held its third annual boot camp Friday, January 29. The 2021 event, held virtually, focused on advocacy and pandemics, particularly COVID-19. 

Dylan Jester, an epidemiologist who received his MPH from the COPH in the fall, is the lead author of the article “Prevalence of psychotropic polypharmacy in nursing home residents with dementia: A meta-analysis.” 

Class Notes

Stacy Grundy, DrPH, MPH, CHES, is a research assistant professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill., and serves on the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

Jianca Reid MPH, CPH, is the health services and facilities coordinator at the Florida Department of State in Tampa, Fla.

Juan Pablo Sanchez, MPH, CPH, is associate director of programs and project manager for the Task Force for Global Health with the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network based in Tampa, Fla.
 
Samantha Scott, BSPH, is a data analyst with the Allegheny County Health Department, Bureau of Assessment, Statistics and Epidemiology in Pittsburgh.

Advocation - Change it Up! is a new podcast series from the University of South Florida College of Public Health Activist Lab.

The Activist Lab prepares students to be exemplary advocates and leaders in public health. They offer bootcamps, seminars, and conduct research on a variety of public health topics.

Tune in to see why the #USFCOPHRocks, then apply to the University of South Florida and help advance the public's health!

Upcoming Events

February 1-28

HMSA Annual Health Management Career Fair
Monday, February 22

Tuesday, February 23

February 24-26

Dean's Lecture Series: Dr. Michele Prevost 
Tuesday, March 2

MCHSO 12th Annual Symposium
March 4-5

Friday, March 5

Saturday, March 6

Tuesday, March 9
Click here to mentor a student, hire a graduate, host an event, make a donation and more! 
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