The USF Maternal and Child Health Student Organization (MCHSO) will hold its 10th annual symposium on Friday, March 1, at the USF College of Public Health (COPH).

The MCHSO is a forum for students interested in maternal and child health to interact and engage in service and learning opportunities related to the well-being of women and children. It is open to all USF students, regardless of major or graduate/undergraduate status.

This year’s symposium is entitled “Reframing Adolescent Health: How Changing Social Norms Can Build a Healthier Future.”

“We will have sessions on LGBTQ+ health, sexual and reproductive health, suicide prevention and human trafficking,” said Rumour Piepenbrink, an MCHSO research and education chair and first-year MPH student concentrating in both epidemiology and maternal and child health. “We’ll also have breakout sessions on skill building and transitioning from adolescent to adult health care.”

Speakers—who were chosen because of their expertise in adolescent health, says Piepenbrink—will include:

• Dr. Michelle Forcier, a Providence, RI, pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine
• Dr. Diane Straub, a USF Health pediatrician whose research focuses on the transition of youth with special health care needs to adult health care
•  Dr. Dae Sheridan, a licensed mental health counselor and board-certified clinical sexologist

The symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to all USF students, faculty, staff and the public. The event is free. For more information, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health