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Protecting People and Places

Academic focus areas include:

• Policy and Advocacy: Studying the creation and implementation of environmental and occupational health policies and advocating for regulations that support community health and environmental sustainability.
• Community Engagement: Tailoring environmental and occupational health interventions to fit the specific contexts of South Texas.
• Crisis Response and Public Health Emergencies: Enhancing the region’s capacity to respond effectively to natural disasters and public health crises.
• Interdisciplinary Research and Education: Offering hands-on experience and research opportunities to work with diverse populations and real-world environmental and occupational health issues.
• Transformative Strategies for South Texas: Promoting environmental and occupational health education and training to build a skilled workforce dedicated to improving public health in South Texas.

Being part of the ‘People’s School”, the department emphasizes the idea of “Thinking globally and acting locally,” by allowing students to apply their knowledge directly to real-world environmental and occupational health challenges within local communities.