Fall 2019 Courses

Course #Course NameCreditsInstructorLocation
PHC 6301Aquatic Systems3KaneOnline
M Period 9
PHC 6512Environmental Management of Vector-borne Diseases3OkechHPNP G301A
F Period 6-8
PHC 6764Global Health and Development I3McKuneHPNP G103
M Period 3-5
PHC 6937Environmental Toxicology in Public Health3BisesiOnline: T Period 11-E1
Traditional: T Period 10-E1
HPNP G112
PHC 6937Virology in Public Health3LednickyHPNP 4170
T Period 3 and Th Period 3-4

Course Descriptions

PHC 6301 Aquatic Systems

This course provides an overview of aquatic resources including oceans, estuaries, rivers, lakes, streams and ponds with focus on respective biotic communities and environmental health. We will address the physical and chemical nature of water, and the hydrologic cycle in order to understand water and land usage, and effects of various types of contamination in different ecosystems. The course will prove a taxonomic and ecological summary of aquatic biota, from algae and invertebrates to vertebrates and pathogens. A case study approach will be used to provide resources pertaining to contaminant input, other anthropogenic activities, harmful algae, and changes in the environmental such as climate change. Biotic indices of environmental change, including application of bioindicators, will be discussed and evaluated relative to both environmental and human health.

PHC 6512 Environmental Management of Vector-borne Diseases

Globally, vector-borne diseases cause millions of deaths especially among vulnerable groups and contribute to crippling chronic illnesses among adults particularly in developing countries. Mosquitoes contribute substantially to the transmission of several of these diseases including West Nile fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, and others. As the threat of these vector-borne diseases increases along with the growing concern about chemical insecticides that are harmful to the environment, the use of environmentally sound methods for controlling these disease vectors strongly advocated. 

As such, there is a strong need for expert public health personnel with the knowledge and management skills to execute environmentally safe methods for the control of these vector-borne diseases. This course provides an opportunity for students to increase their skill sets in vector-borne disease management and to increase the number of public health professionals with the expertise needed by local, state and federal governments and other agencies involved in vector-borne diseases around the world. This course is open to graduate students in MPH, MS, DVM, PhD programs and may be considered essential training for practitioners of vector-borne disease control programs.

PHC 6764 Global Health and Development I

This health and development course was created initially for the Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) program. However, it is appropriate for graduate students interested in an introduction to the interaction between environmental, economic, and social processes with global public health threats. This course will cover fundamental public health and anthropologic principles, methods, and study designs. Case studies will be used to demonstrate how development practitioners can incorporate the use of these methods to investigate patterns of disease, patterns of culture, risk factors, broad causes, and the need for integrated interventions to reduce risk of disease and death. The case studies will also illustrate major global health challenges, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child morbidity and mortality.

PHC 6937 Environmental Toxicology in Public Health

This course is intended to introduce applications of environmental toxicology in the context of public health. Toxicology is the science that deals with the health effects that can result from exposure to chemical, biological, and physical agents in the environment. Course materials focus on the fate of chemicals in our environment, routes of exposure and measures taken to decrease these exposures, and approaches that are commonly used by public health officials when dealing with toxicants. The role of public health is reinforced throughout the course with the goal of educating students on problem-solving and decision-making required of public health practitioners.

This course will be delivered in an on-campus/online hybrid format.  Lectures, presentations, and discussions will be live in the classroom for on-campus students and online students will have the option to be present during in-class activities via video conference software or to watch the recorded lectures at a later time.  Online students will be required to video conference during some regularly scheduled course meetings for peer presentations and discussions. The number of synchronous meetings will be dependent on the number of students in the course but is expected to be half of the class meetings or less.  The course is scheduled in the late afternoon/evening to try to accommodate the schedules of online students that work during the day. 

PHC 6937 Virology in Public Health

Virology, the branch of science dealing with the study of viruses, is a dynamic field, constantly changing and growing. This course deals with aspects of virology relevant to public health.  Students will learn the basics of animal virology: what is a virus, and about virus genomes and structure, the infectious cycle, different types of infections, transformation, vaccines, and gain knowledge of many of the viruses of public health importance worldwide. Classroom sessions will consist of lectures, and there will be assigned readings.  Students will be graded based on class participation, their performance in exams, and written assignments.

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