ODU's Jeng Appointed by Governor Kaine to State Board of Health

Anna Jeng, assistant professor of community and environmental health in Old Dominion University's College of Health Sciences, has been appointed by Gov. Timothy Kaine to the State Board of Health.

The appointment, which is for a four-year term, places her on a board that provides leadership in planning and policy development for the commonwealth and the Virginia Department of Health. She is the first board member to be chosen specifically for environmental health expertise.

"I feel honored by the opportunity that the governor has given me to serve as a public health advocate and policy maker for the people of Virginia at this critical time," she said. "As an environmental health scientist, I want to especially promote policies and regulations that ensure safe and clean water for drinking and recreation, proper sewage and hazardous waste disposal, and prevention and control of diseases related to environmental pollution and contamination."

Among the board's responsibilities is to formulate a program of environmental health services, laboratory services and preventive, curative and restorative medical care services, including home and clinic health services to be provided by the Department of Health on a regional, district or local basis. The board also suggests legislative action deemed necessary for the better protection of life and public health and advises the governor, secretary of health and human resources, and state health commissioner on public health policy issues.

Jeng's educational background and academic experience have prepared her to be an advocate and regulator on human health issues. Her research has mainly focused on the impact of persistent organic pollutants/compounds from industrial processes and vehicle emissions, which are implicated in heart and lung disease, cancer, and many other human afflictions. She has taught classes in water and wastewater treatment, hazardous waste management, environmental epidemiology and environmental health risk assessment.

"Virginians have a fundamental right to expect that the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the waters of our rivers and streams are clean and safe," Jeng said. "To that end, I call upon each stakeholder-private industry, the government sector and individuals-to help clean up and protect our precious environment for this generation and generations to come."