The culminating experience of the Public Health Sciences Major, this course is designed for students to synthesize and integrate their learning from previous coursework, internship, and extra-curricular activities in the discipline. Course leads to a project, presentation, initiative, or research paper that is present at the Statewide Research Conference. Class also helps develop skills in teamwork, communication and leadership. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-PubHlth majors.

This course provides an overview of the epidemiology of mental health, mental illness and wellbeing. Students will explore how epidemiology is used to better understand symptoms and conditions including depression, anxiety, ADHD, complex trauma and substance abuse. Students will also complete a semester-long data analysis project on an aspect of teen mental health.

In this course, students will learn how to craft compelling, evidence-based proposals for research and project funding, using a health-centered framework applicable across disciplines. This course covers a step-by-step proposal-writing process, from identifying a topic to structuring key sections such as Background & Significance, Methods, and Alternatives & Limitations. Through an interactive, iterative approach, students will receive faculty and peer feedback at every stage. The course also covers common pitfalls, effective planning strategies, and examples of successful proposals.

Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, describes loneliness and a major public health problem that has reached epidemic levels worldwide. In this class we will define loneliness and the resulting disconnection and isolation. We will discuss the importance of social connectedness at a community, national, and global level. By exploring issues of identity, race, displacement, and aging, we will gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding loneliness. In this course we will also include strategies for social change to create a more connected world.

The current opioid/overdose epidemic is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, claiming over 107,000 lives in the U.S. in 2023. What led us to this crisis and what can be done about it? This interdisciplinary honors course delves into the multifaceted nature of opioid/overdose crisis, exploring its origins, complex social determinants, devastating consequences, and the varied responses and interventions aimed at mitigating its effects.

The opioid epidemic is a complex public health issue with interrelated social, political, historical, and biological elements. Class readings, activities, and assignments are designed to help students better understand the root causes of the current opioid epidemic, to explore how public policy has influenced and can influence the epidemic, to identify potential ways to improve healthcare and reduce harm for people with opioid use disorder, and to address the structural contributors to the epidemic.

This is a lecture and discussion-based course where a range of topic areas in chronic disease epidemiology (e.g., heart disease, cancer) will be reviewed and discussed. Topics will most often focus on areas of recent interest or where significant differences of opinion related to scientific findings have existed. Substantial time will be devoted to reviewing publications to improve student skill in reading and interpreting epidemiologic literature published in this arena.

This independent study involves working with a faculty member as an Undergraduate Course Assistant (UCA) for a Public Health Sciences course. UCAs attend class sessions, assist with development and administration of course materials and activities, and support student learning and engagement. By participating in these activities, UCAs develop communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills in addition to strengthening their own understanding of course content.