The Bachelor of Science in Public Well being, set to start out fall 2024, will examine environmental overall health difficulties that are prominent in Imperial Valley.

Miguel Zavala, associate professor in the College of Public Well being at SDSU Imperial Valley, saw harm to regional agricultural landscapes in his hometown close to Guanajuato, Mexico, from what he mentioned had been a outcome of activities by manufacturing industries. The effects had been so profound, he mentioned, that several of his close relatives had been beginning to have overall health difficulties.

“When you are in a smaller, tight-knit neighborhood who operate each day in agriculture or manufacturing industries, your motivation is to present for your family members and move forward with operate duties,” mentioned Zavala. “Yet, when you see persons about you beginning to get sick to the point of hospitalization, it opens your eyes to the lengthy-term disparities that a damaging atmosphere has on folks of all ages.”

At the time, Zavala had tiny awareness of environmental overall health as it relates to the study of public overall health. Pulling from his private experiences, Zavala’s present study focuses on air pollution. 

Zavala, alongside assistant professors of environmental health Linda Lara-Jacobo and Kai-Chung Cheng, will be launching SDSU Imperial Valley’s new Bachelor of Science in Public Well being degree system to bolster the quantity of regional public overall health pros inside the area. The system is anticipated to be provided fall 2024. 

“We have passionate, committed students who see the impacts of water and air pollution in our area and want to make a lasting adjust in our neighborhood,” said Guillermina Gina Nunez-Mchiri, dean of SDSU Imperial Valley. “Our new public overall health key will expand profession possibilities and enhance a mighty group of regional professionals to enhance advocacy, assistance and study that we will need in the Imperial Valley.”

The operate of public overall health pros requires ongoing study to create, implement and assess applications to cut down threats to individuals’ overall health. According to Zavala, public overall health pros are also heavily involved in connecting with neighborhood members by means of advocacy, education, and building countywide sources that will enhance their excellent of life.

“Public overall health is all about neighborhood,” mentioned Zavala. “You ingrain oneself into the socio-financial overall health disparities that persons encounter and you locate action-primarily based options that will make a distinction in the lives of these you care about. For me, it has been a pretty rewarding journey.”

The new Bachelor of Science in Public Well being degree system will specialize in disciplines of epidemiology, environmental overall health, occupational overall health, overall health solutions administration and behavioral overall health. Via this system, students will have internship possibilities with regional organizations to get jobs in hospitals, government agencies, international applications, private/volunteer agencies and clinics. Students can also pursue a Master of Public Well being degree at SDSU. 

SDSU Imperial Valley’s new public overall health system builds on the university’s operate to continue to expand its degree offerings and student assistance solutions. In May possibly 2022, the university announced the creation of a new, accelerated pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) system. The SDSU Imperial Valley BSN system supplies freshman entry students the chance to comprehensive their BSN in 3 years and transfer eligible students in two years.