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China through a public health lens
Students visit China to learn about public health
by Jennifer Lestingi, MPH Student
The school provided six students with the opportunity to travel abroad and experience China through a public health lens this spring.
The students toured China from May 12 to May 20, 2015 with chaperones Robert Jacobs, PhD, Director of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program and Tammi Thomas, MSW, Director of Academic and Student Affairs. Undergraduate students Gabrielle James, Feven Weldemariam, Sara Frazier, and Allen Rakotoniaina, along with MPH student Courtney Hundley and MPH graduate Chintan Shah, documented their visits to Guanzhou and Hong Kong.
During a presentation on June 16, student Allen Rakotoniaina discussed the photojournalism assignment they completed over the course of their stay. Prior to the trip, students identified a public health topic. Issues such as food safety, economics, air and water quality, Chinese language and culture, and sustainability were covered. Students took photos of open-air markets, water treatment facilities, transportation, LED-lit city skylines, erosion control in fields, and tourist attractions.
Not only was this an educational experience, but one that produced memories for a lifetime. Undergraduate student Sara Frazier commented, “It was an awesome experience, so if you ever have the opportunity, don’t pass it up.”
According to chaperone Tammi Thomas, public health students benefit from going abroad because, “they are able to see the difference in how public health is implemented throughout the world. It is eye opening to see how other countries deal with or do not deal with public health issues.”
For more information, contact Tammi Thomas, Director of Academic and Student Affairs or Robert Jacobs, PhD, Director of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program.
