SRPH celebrates National Public Health Week with presentations, Fun Run/Walk and more

(COLLEGE STATION, TX) — With this year’s theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America,” the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health will celebrate National Public Health Week (April 6-12) throughout April with numerous presentations, a “5K Fun Run/Walk” and more.

The following is a list of scheduled events:

Prior to National Public Health Week
• City of Bryan Mayor D. Mark Conlee and City of College Station Mayor Ben White are scheduled to join Roderick E. McCallum, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and interim dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health, for a proclamation signing Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. at the beginning of the Bryan City Council Meeting.
• A national health exhibit will be displayed March 27-April 1 in the HSC-School of Rural Public Health Administration Building lobby (corner of Stotzer Parkway and Adriance). The Association of Schools of Public Health is partnering with the National Library of Medicine to offer a national traveling version of the exhibit, “Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health.” The exhibit consists of six-foot-tall banners highlighting stories of individuals and communities making a difference in global health. The exhibit will be at the HSC-South Texas Center in McAllen beginning April 28.

Throughout National Public Health Week
• HSC-School of Rural Public Health student research posters will be exhibited in the Classroom Building.
• School students in the informatics course are learning about communicating public health issues by developing public service announcements (PSAs) for newspapers, radio, posters and flyers, and social networking media such as YouTube. Each student selected a topic from the “Healthy People 2010” project along with an audience and media, then followed guidelines for writing an effective PSA.

Saturday, April 4
• The second annual “5K Fun Run/Walk” to raise money for HSC-School of Rural Public Health student scholarships is from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Entry fee is $15, with open registration and packet pick-up beginning at 7:30 a.m. Age groups are 25 and under, 26-35, 26-45 and over 50. Awards will be given in the age groups, along with top male and female finishers. There are goodie bags, T-shirts, post-race drawings and a student/faculty poster session. The purpose of the 5K Fun Run/Walk is to raise money for HSC-School of Rural Public Health student scholarships and special projects and to provide an opportunity for the Brazos Valley to “kick start” healthy living initiatives through the run/walk. Registration is available online, by campus mail to TAMU 1266 (Attn: Fun Run Committee) or in person at the HSC-School of Rural Public Health Administration Building front desk. For more information, contact Harlan Johnson at (979) 845-5790 or hjohnson@srph.tamhsc.edu
• A series of public health presentations by HSC-School of Rural Public Health faculty begin at 10:30 a.m. Catherine Hawes, Ph.D, and Charles Phillips, Ph.D., M.P.H., will speak on “Nursing Home or Assisted Living: When Is It the Correct Choice and How to Select the Best Facility.” They will be followed at 11:30 a.m. by Jean Brender, Ph.D., R.N., on “Healthy Pregnancies-Healthy Babies: What You Can Do for Yourself or for Your Daughter Now.” Mark Benden, Ph.D., concludes at 12:30 p.m. with “Is Work a Pain in the Neck? Ergonomic Tips for Healthy Computing at Home, School and Work.” A 20-30 minute question-and-answer session follows each presentation.

Monday, April 6
• A series of four 15-minute disparities grant presentations will be given starting at noon. Topics are “Measurement of Household Food Availability Among Limited Resource Families,” “Home and Community Factors Affecting Children’s Physical Activity and Healthful Eating in the Summer,” “Fathers’ Perceived Role as Health Liaisons for Childhood Obesity Prevention,” and “Multicultural Assessment Validity: A Test of Complexity, Impartiality, and Accuracy in the Case Conceptualization of African-American Male College Students.” A free lunch will be served, and an RSVP is required.

Tuesday, April 7
• The HSC-School of Rural Public Health Social and Behavioral Student Organization and the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will host a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the HSC-SRPH complex.
• Two HSC-School of Rural Public Health student groups will have public health information tables on display at the complex.

Wednesday, April 8
• HSC-School of Rural Public Health students will make presentations to Brazos Valley middle school classrooms. Included is a video, “This is Public Health,” along with associated activities.