Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

About

Environmental and occupational health scientists are at the forefront of today’s most critical public health challenges. Whether addressing workplace safeguards during a pandemic or mitigating the threats of extreme weather, aging urban infrastructure, and food-borne outbreaks, those working in environmental health and occupational safety inform the health policies that impact where we live and work. Faculty expertise and leadership span industry, government and academia. Along with interactive curricula, students obtain hands-on learning and research opportunities that produce tangible results for contemporary public health problems. Specifically, our students investigate the relationship between environmental/occupational exposures and human health impacts to inform safe worksites and healthy communities. The environmental and occupational health degree programs are managed by the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS). 

Public health has changed over the decades from promoting vaccinations and smoking cessation programs to combatting the effects of dangerous weather, workplace threats, and fractured infrastructure. Advanced industrial technologies bring promise but also unexpected public health problems. These problems are primarily due to our changing landscape in the way people interact with the environment, and how these interactions impact the exposome. In addition, the lines between where we work and live are increasingly blurred and as our lifespans have increased, we are working longer than ever before.

The EOHS Department offers graduate degrees that address the public health priorities of our time so that our graduates have the skills and experience needed to prevent or mitigate environmental risks in the home and workplace. Our offerings not only consider hazards associated with environmental exposures, the mental and social well-being of workers are also an important part of the graduate coursework. The EOHS faculty bring both research and practical experience to the classroom so that students are trained with the latest advancements. Our graduates are at the forefront of public health practice to lead government, industry and academia.                  

The world realized during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic the role the environment plays in the global economy when businesses and industry sectors were impacted. No matter your interest in public health, some aspect is related to the environmental and occupational sciences field. Find your niche in this ever-evolving public health discipline so that you can lead your community’s response when the next environmental challenge is upon us. EOHS welcomes you!    

Professor Kristina D. Mena, MSPH, PhD

Chair, EOHS