The College will host a symposium on careers in public health and wellness on April 25 and 26 in the Nott Memorial. Titled “The Global Public Health and Wellness Symposium: Pursuing your Passion,” the event is the centerpiece of the Presidential Forum on Diversity’s focus on global public health and wellness.
“With Union’s focus on wellness and public health this year, this symposium presents us with a way to truly engage our campus community in this important topic,” said Gretchel Hathaway, chief diversity office and Title IX coordinator. “What we can expect over the course of the symposium are top experts in the field offering solid, practical strategies for students interested in pursuing careers in public health and wellness. We will hear about everything from best practices towards a establishing a strong research agenda to career advice on academic, public health or the medical fields. It is the must-attend event for anyone interested in making connections with key leaders in the wellness and public health fields.”
Over the course of two-days, members of the campus community and in particular, students, will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts, including Union alumni, from government, the private sector, academe and non-governmental organizations.
Events will kick off on Friday, Apr. 25, at 5:30 p.m. with an address from Dr. Loc T. Le ’84, a leading researcher in Hepatitis B. The presentation is titled, “Public Health: A Personal Journey – From Local to Global.” Dr. Le ’84 has devoted his life to the prevention of Hepatitis B, particularly among high-risk populations. A gastroenterologist in Baltimore, Md., Dr. Le serves as chairman of the National Task Force on Hepatitis B, which focuses on education, research and intervention among Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the U.S. A silent killer, Hepatitis B often going undetected until it’s too late. Dr. Le wants to change that through education, research and intervention programs both nationally and internationally.
The symposium resumes at 11 a.m. Saturday with a poster session. Students and faculty have been invited to showcase their research and health and wellness related projects. At noon, students will take part in a career networking luncheon with alumni health professionals. RSVP required.
At 2 p.m., a panel discussion will focus on careers and opportunities in health and wellness-related fields in the U.S. and overseas. Panelists include Daniel Aronzon ’69,Kimberly Kilby ‘00 and Dapo Akinleye ’02.
Dr. Aronzon ‘69 is a leading pediatrician and former president and CEO of Vassar Brothers Medical Center. Dr. Kilby ’02 is the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, where she oversees the clinical portions of the medical school curriculum. Akinleye is a Research Scientist for the NYS Department of Health and the Bureau of HIV/AIDS Epidemiology.
The symposium is jointly sponsored by the Presidential Forum on Diversity and the Professor Frederick A. Klemm & Eleanor G. Klemm Fund for International Study and Service. For more information, contact Gretchel Hathaway at hathawag@union.edu.