BROWN BAG LUNCH SERIES COMMEMORATING NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK BEGINS TODAY
The College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University will conduct a brown bag lunch series March 22-25 to commemorate National Public Health Week, which will be officially observed April 5-11. Faculty, staff and graduate students will give presentations on obesity, cultural competency and diversity issues, teen health and the cost of uninsurance. The talks will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the William B. Spong Hall, Jr. conference room 203. The event is sponsored by the College of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing and the Public Health Student Caucus.
March 22-"Obesity"
Shaoan Zhang, a doctoral candidate in the College of Health Sciences, completed her master's degree at the Research Institute of Acupuncture at Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China. Her research interests include examining the complex interaction of genetics, environment and lifestyle of Chinese-Americans and how these factors contribute to the health disparities experienced by this minority population group. She participates in a student-run project that operates community health fairs in Hampton Roads for underserved populations.
March 23--"Cultural Competency and Diversity Issues"
Laurel S. Garzon, director of graduate nursing programs, received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her master's from the University of Virginia and doctorate from The Catholic University of America. She has received external funding for projects related to graduate student support, cultural competency, health care of diverse communities, parent decision-making with adolescents, risk-taking behaviors of teens, child injury prevention and infection barrier protection.
March 24-"Teen Health"
Richardean Benjamin, chair and associate professor of nursing, is a certified clinical specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing with preparation as a psychiatric epidemiologist. Her research includes behavioral problems and mental illness in minority children and adolescents.
March 25-"Cost of Uninsurance"
Stacey Plichta, associate professor of community and environmental health, earned her doctorate from The Johns Hopkins University of Hygiene and Public Health, and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University. Her area of expertise is in health services research, with a focus on domestic violence and women's health. She has published more than 25 research articles in the area of women's health and has presented her work in both national and international forums.
For more information call 683-4989.