From receiving awards to making presentations to attending a spirited reception, USF College of Public Health (COPH) students, faculty, staff and alumni left their mark on the annual American Public Health Association (APHA) Meeting and Expo.

The theme for this year’s event, attended by more than 10,000 public health advocates and held in Atlanta from Nov. 12-15, was “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges.”

Here, some highlights.

Awards

Dr. Karen Liller, a Distinguished University Health Professor and director of the college’s Activist Lab, received the Distinguished Career Award from the APHA’s Injury Control and Emergency Health Section. The award recognizes an individual for their outstanding contributions and dedication to the study of injury and violence prevention.

In her three-page nomination letter, COPH Dean Donna Petersen hailed Liller as a “tireless champion of public health in all its many forms, though injury prevention has and remains her primary focus and passion.”

Petersen went on to outline Liller’s many roles in injury prevention through her distinguished 30-year career, including receiving millions of dollars in federal, state and local funding, producing nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications, teaching thousands of students, writing a textbook on injury in children and adolescents and being a leading contributor to media outlets looking for an injury-prevention specialist.

“I felt so honored to receive this award because it is truly an award from my peers in injury prevention, which means so very much,” Liller said. “After 30 years of work in this field, I still feel there is so much more to do, and I am just getting started! I am proud of my successes, and this award signifies my passion for preventing injuries and death among children and adolescents. I could not be more thrilled and look forward to the years ahead.”

COPH Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer Marshall, who is also director of the Sunshine Education & Research Center, received the Effective Practice Award from the APHA’s Maternal Child Health Section.

The Effective Practice Award is given to those whose work has made a significant contribution to effective public health practice within maternal and child health. Dr. Marshall’s co-leadership of the CADENCE program for patients with perinatal opioid use, co-development of the public health leadership training program, PHEARLESS, and her long-standing research and evaluation collaborations with Healthy Start and the Florida Department of Health led to her nomination.

“It was truly an honor to receive the APHA MCH Section Effective Practice Award,” said Marshall, who is also an alum of the college. “I was an APHA Student Fellow and then Senior Fellow over a decade ago, and I have been actively involved in the section since then as co-chair of the Child Care and Children & Youth With Special Health Care Needs committees. It was wonderful to be nominated by my long-time mentor, Russ Kirby, and to have Dean Petersen in attendance for the award ceremony at the Martha Mae Elliot luncheon.”

Research

Doctoral student Chinyere Reid received the APHA’s Latino Caucus Student Award plus a $250 cash prize for her research abstract titled, “Weathering the COVID-19 storm: Examining the influence of general stress, pandemic-related pregnancy stress and social support on the mental health of pregnant Latina women.”

According to its website, the Latino Caucus for Public Health, affiliated with the APHA, “represents and advocates for the health interests of the Latino community, both within and outside the APHA, while providing leadership opportunities for students and young professionals to engage in research, policy and advocacy efforts.”

Reid was presented with her award at the caucus’ 50^th anniversary gala held in Atlanta during the APHA.

“I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the recognition of my research efforts, especially as the presented study was an extension of my dissertation and adds to ongoing efforts in advancing perinatal health within Latinx communities,” said Reid, whose abstract was one of more than 30 considered for the award.

Reception

With temps in the 50s, a slight breeze in the air and Edison lights providing a festive glow, it was a lovely evening for the college’s annual gathering at APHA.

The festivities kicked off early with tasty appetizers and a private bar.

As per usual, Dean Donna Petersen welcomed attendees giving a special shout-out to COPH students, faculty, alumni, staff and friends of the college. She introduced videos highlighting recent news in the college, including renaming the COPH building after the college’s founder, Sam P. Bell, III, and a $100,000 gift honoring Bell from the Florida Healthy Kid’s Corporation in support of student scholarships.

Liz Bannon, the college’s new alumni officer, invited alums to whip out their phones and scan a QR code for a quick interest engagement survey. “I’m delighted to join the college and meet all of you,” Bannon said. “I didn’t earn a public health degree, but I am a legacy Bull. Public health already feels like home to me.”

Bannon also shared exciting news.

“Your COPH alumni scholarship fund has reached endowment level of $25,000, but as Dean Petersen said, we’re not stopping there! The new goal is $50,000 so that multiple $1,000 student scholarships can be awarded,” Bannon noted.

Development Officer Beth Ahmedic challenged the group to make a gift of any amount to any account.

“As Liz said, we’ve moved the bar for the alumni scholarship fund,” Ahmedic stated. “However, I invite you to consider making a gift to the Founder’s Fund. This fund was created by Sam Bell and allows college leadership to direct the funds to the area of greatest need.”

By night’s end, more than 130 guests visited Bulls Country in Atlanta. Before everyone bid farewell, Dean Petersen had one more new development to share. After 19 years of leadership, she is stepping down as dean of the college.

“The college is stronger than ever because of you,” Petersen said. “I’m leaving the dean’s office, but not the college. I look forward to seeing you at future events because I know you love the college as much as I do.”

Story by Donna Campisano and Natalie Preston for USF College of Public Health

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A daughter of migrant farmworkers, Jazmin Sanchez’s story touched the hearts of many at the 17^th Annual USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) Fall Symposium on Oct. 4.

Sanchez, a USF College of Public Health BSPH student, was selected as this year’s recipient of the WLP Lolita Sauza Visot Memorial Scholarship and student speaker for the sold-out symposium.

The scholarship, for full-time undergraduate students, pursuing all majors, in all colleges, on all campuses, is renewable up to eight semesters. Preference is given to a student who demonstrates financial need and is engaged with the Mexican-American Student Association or the Boricua Student Association at USF.

Sanchez’s remarks inspired the nearly 1,000 attendees as she shared her journey to a bright future.

In her first year of junior high school, Sanchez was introduced to university life and lecture halls. Sponsored by a program that prepares students for college, she took her first tour at the University of South Florida sparking the popular question: “What do I want to do when I grow up?”

She recalls the day she told her parents that she wanted to be a farmer, a sentiment to their careers as their strength inspired her. Her parents laughed together at the idea but encouraged her, nonetheless. As she grew older, Sanchez recognized her deep compassion for those around her and decided that, whichever career she chose for herself, she wanted her degree to give her the strength to help and inspire those most in need. She found herself deciding between social work, nursing, emergency medicine and business.

Thanks to the guidance of Ms. Olle, Sanchez’s counselor since middle school, she was introduced to the USF College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)—an initiative designed to assist students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds in their first year of college and transitioning to complete their bachelor’s degree. This changed Sanchez’s entire trajectory. She originally planned to attend community college, but CAMP gave her hope that attending a university immediately after high school would be possible. Sanchez says she is so grateful she took the leap of faith and is now in her junior year at USF and pursuing a degree in public health.

The connections she created before and during her time at USF helped her find communities such as the USF Latino Scholarship Program (LSP) and WLP. These programs provide students with a sense of comfort as they help prepare them for a professional career but also create a family environment. With the support of WLP and LSP, Sanchez grew confident in herself and her identity as she learned how to navigate through the professional world. Shaking an interviewer’s hand, portraying confidence in an online interview, practicing proper dining etiquette and preparing an elevator pitch now come naturally to her.

Ready to tackle the outside world, Sanchez knows that she will not be forgotten even after graduation, just as she will never forget the generosity of those who have guided her along her journey and set her up for success.

Story by Brooke Russo, USF Advancement Communications and Marketing intern

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This GivingTuesday, the USF College of Public Health (COPH) highlights two campaigns. The COPH Alumni Scholarship Fund is dedicated to student scholarship while the Founder’s Fund supports the education, research and service mission of the COPH.

GivingTuesday is a global movement that encourages people to do good and give back. According to the organization’s website, it is observed on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in more than 85 countries around the world and serves as a reminder to pay it forward.

COPH Alumni Scholarship Fund

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, scholarships stand as beacons of hope, offering students the financial support they need to advance the public’s health. The COPH Alumni Scholarship Fund, which recently achieved its initial goal of $25,000, is now officially endowed—and it’s not stopping there. With the unwavering commitment of the COPH’s Dean Donna Petersen  and the entire alumni community, the fund has set its sights on the next milestone—$50,000. The fund is already halfway there!

This endowment level ensures the perpetuity of the scholarship, which means one student each year will have an opportunity to pursue their education and future careers with a $1,000 scholarship. Help us reach our next benchmark by making a tax deductible contribution here.

Founder’s Fund

The late Samuel P. Bell III established the Founder’s Fund to support the education, research and service mission of the COPH.

“Considered the  ‘Godfather’ of the college, Bell was the biggest cheerleader the COPH had,” Petersen said. “Many members of the college community have memories of him relentlessly asking people both near and far to give to the college. This year’s theme calls for donors to give ‘any amount, to any account.’”

To honor Bell’s commitment to the COPH, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Founder’s Fund. In doing so, the college is better positioned to live out it’s tagline “our practice, our passion” for years to come.

By helping these funds reach their goals, donors are not just contributing to a scholarship, they are investing in the future of public health. Every gift has a ripple effect, creating a positive transformation in the broader community.

Story by Liz Bannon, College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health (COPH) announced it has received a $100,000 gift from Florida Healthy Kids to establish an endowed fund in honor of the late Samuel P. “Sam” Bell, the college’s founder.

The gift will fund scholarships for doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows at the college studying child health policy.

Bell, who died in March, was a former Florida state legislator who tirelessly championed many public health causes, especially those that benefitted children.

Among some of his many initiatives, he advocated for the regulation of tap water temperature to prevent scalding injuries and death; rallied for subsidized adoptions for special needs children; and fought for the passage of a bill requiring child restraints in cars.

One of Bell’s enduring legacies is the establishment of Florida Healthy Kids, a government-subsidized insurance plan that has become the model for the national Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

At a ceremony held Oct. 10 naming the building housing the college after Bell, Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, chair of Florida Healthy Kids, announced the $100,000 gift.

“To compound his good work and innovative ideas for the CHIP program for years to come, we, as a board, decided to create for the COPH the Sam Bell Memorial Endowment Fund in the amount of $100,000,” Haridopolos said to the crowd of roughly 200, which included USF President Rhea Law and former USF President Betty Castor, the wife of the late Bell.

After the gift’s announcement, Dr. Donna Petersen, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the college, spoke to the crowd and made note of Bell’s passion for both students and the welfare of children.

“For the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation to create this endowment with a $100,000 gift to the College of Public Health brings Sam’s legacy full circle,” Petersen said. “It is extraordinary because it reflects Sam’s enduring legacy in promoting the health of children, and his unwavering trust in us, the College of Public Health, to develop the next generation of scholars and leaders to ensure we continue to advocate for the best policies for children.”

Dr. Steve Freedman, a COPH professor of health policy and pediatrics and Florida Healthy Kids ad hoc board member, said earmarking the funds for doctoral students studying child health policy made sense, given Bell’s ability to use policy to bring public health initiatives to fruition.

“Focusing the doctoral fellowship on child health policy was a reflection of Sam’s commitment to the health of Florida’s children and his success using the policy process to achieve those ends,” Freedman said. “Advanced work in connecting public health to public policy is so clearly manifest in Sam’s public and private history.”

Chinyere Reid, a COPH doctoral student and a recipient of one of several scholarships endowed by Bell and Castor, told gatherers that scholarships such as hers not only lighten the financial load of a student, but they also act as an inspiration.

“Sam Bell’s generosity has touched the lives of countless individuals, including mine and many public health students here at USF,” Reid said. “As I’m about to graduate and transition into a public health career, I aspire to follow in his footsteps promoting the well-being of families and the community at large, just as he did. Sam Bell’s legacy will continue to shine brightly through the lives of scholarship recipients like myself, who are committed to making a positive impact on the world one small step at a time.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Samuel “Sam” P. Bell, III, father of the USF College of Public Health (COPH) and overall champion of USF, died March 14 at the age of 83.

Bell, the husband of former USF president Betty Castor, served in the Florida Legislature for 14 years. He dedicated himself to improving health policies throughout the state, particularly those policies that affected children.

When USF recognized his contributions to the university and the community several years ago with the prestigious Class of ’56 Award, he commented that by honoring him, he hoped the university was really honoring the COPH.

“It’s my main claim to fame,” he told a reporter at the time. “I had no particular connection to the college when we embarked on bringing a school of public health to Florida,” he added. “But the decision to bring it to USF turned out to be a great choice in every way. At USF, the COPH is seen as an equal partner in the health system.”

Bell’s contributions to public health are long and illustrious.

He helped bring about Florida Healthy Kids, a government-subsidized insurance plan that became the model for the national Children’s Health Insurance Program. His efforts also led to the state’s regulation of tap water temperatures to prevent scalding injuries, the subsidization of adoptions of special needs children and the establishment of a network of neonatal intensive care units.

“Sam’s contributions to children and public health truly helped shape our state,” said Laura Kolkman, a USF COPH Advisory Council member, a council that Bell once chaired. “I’m honored to have known him and call him a friend.” “His work will live on through USF and the many children’s causes he championed,” added Dana Nafe, another advisory council member.

Bell worked tirelessly on behalf of the university and college.

According to Kara Steiner, senior director of development USF Health, Bell established three funds in the college, one for graduate students to study public health disparities in Africa, one for the general needs of the college when he was chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, and most recently, a scholarship for students studying public health policy. He also supported the Salud Latina program, jump-started numerous other scholarships in honor of retired faculty members for programs like health management, tropical medicine and maternal and fetal health and initiated the Global Health Symposium, which took place in 2019.

“Sam was the first one to contribute to get things moving,” said Steiner, who worked with Bell on many initiatives and scholarships. “In our last meeting, his goal was to get the directorship of the Chiles Center endowed to ensure that the health of women and babies remains a priority for our college and the state of Florida in perpetuity. No one loved the USF College of Public Health more than Sam Bell and his impression on the college, its faculty, research, students and programs will be felt for decades to come.”

According to COPH Dean Donna Petersen, it’s Bell’s commitment to service that will be his lasting legacy.

“I don’t know what drove him to be so dedicated to service and improving the human condition. But he was and he did, in everything he touched,” Petersen said. “He was strong and persuasive, but always gracious and kind. He was someone who just seemed to deeply understand people at both the individual and collective level. He understood that people need to be cherished and that communities need to be supported. Whether it was his role as a lawmaker, philanthropist, advocate or volunteer, he was inspired by the things that would make a difference in people’s lives. And in so doing, he inspired us to want to keep doing everything we can to make a difference, too.”

Visitation will be held on March 30, 2023. A memorial service will be Friday, March 31, 2023. For more information on the funeral arrangements and to read more about Bell’s life and service, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Public Health (COPH) doctoral student and research assistant Dr. Marlene Joannie Bewa has earned the Faculty for the Future Fellowship.

The fellowship is sponsored by the Schlumberger Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at supporting gender equality in STEM and generating conditions that encourage women to pursue scientific careers in STEM disciplines. The organization awards fellowships for advanced research in STEM and “acts as a catalyst for these women to further tap into their potential,” according to their website.

Bewa, who also earned her MPH from the USF COPH in 2018, will receive up to $50,000 to conduct her dissertation research. 

“My research examines and measures quantitatively and qualitatively sexual and reproductive knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and at-risk behaviors among minority women, adolescents and youth with a focus on unintended pregnancy, contraceptive use and maternal health outcomes,” she said.

Bewa said that according to the World Health Organization, 17 million adolescent girls give birth every year and African countries lead the world in adolescent pregnancy rates.

“My dissertation will examine the multilevel factors of unintended pregnancy and contraceptive use among adolescents and young adults in Benin Republic, West Africa. It will identify perspectives for family-planning promotion and policy change through a mixed method research design,” she said. “This research will guide the design and implementation of future evidence-based programs and services for adolescent girls and suggest strategies for concrete multi-sectoral approaches to addressing adolescent pregnancy.”

Bewa said she looks forward to connecting with “like-minded researchers and women in science from all over the world who are conducting cutting-edge research,” as a result of the fellowship.

“Belonging to this cohort of women scientists gives me a support system I had been lacking for a while as well as a sense of belonging. It also helps to remove financial barriers and other stressors in conducting my dissertation research,” she said.

Upon graduating with her PhD in 2022, Bewa said she aims to work in research and teaching as an assistant professor or lead a global health or sexual, reproductive, maternal and child health organization building on her past experiences as an executive in a global health practice and non-profit work.

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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“While growing up, I had always seen health as just medicinal, but now, I know that there is more to health than just medicine,” said USF College of Public Health (COPH) undergraduate student Adesola “Sola” Orogade.

Orogade is a junior from Deltona, Fla., majoring in public health, with a minor in psychology and applied behavioral analysis. She is the first named recipient of the endowed Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP)/Alena Frey Memorial Scholarship in Public Health.

The scholarship was established through the generosity of friends and family in memory of Alena Frey, a COPH alumna who passed away in June.

Frey, a student who was beloved by so many at the COPH, was working toward her master’s in health science degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“I feel motivated and inspired by Alena Frey to keep striving to make a difference in the communities that I will live in,” said Orogade. “Alena’s determination, numerous engagements and impact on the lives of many have challenged me to do more in my community.”

Orogade said she is grateful to the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Program for “believing in me” and for naming her the first recipient, which will ultimately provide $2,500 in scholarship support to Orogade annually.  

“This scholarship means more to me than financial support. It has been an encouragement to me in many ways,” Orogade said. “I feel more motivated to study harder and to serve and learn more about the various communities that I can positively impact during and post-college without having the constant worries about financial concerns. Gaining this scholarship has challenged me and made me learn to be grateful for every little thing in my life. I am grateful to Alena Frey’s parents and family for honoring her in this way.”

“We hope that with the help of this scholarship, which we would to like to continue to grow, other like-minded students will carry on her dedication to public health, in her remembrance,” said Sophia Sorolis, Frey’s mother. “At USF, Alena discovered that her public heath passion was heath education and helping people become the best versions of themselves. We hope the recipients of this scholarship will discover their own public health passion and demonstrate compassion for people.” 

Orogade said she’s come to realize a passion for public health policy and hopes to pursue a career where she can advocate for those who need it in the future.

“I am glad and grateful to be a part of this diverse community at USF,” she said. “Every class I have taken reminds me of what public health is and its impact, and I am grateful for all the professors that have made my love for public health deepen. I’d love to dive into the law field where I can expand my knowledge of health and family law after I graduate from USF. I would also like to utilize my public health and law knowledge to advocate for health policy reform for the different populations and communities in dire need of it.”

Aside from maintaining a 4.0 GPA, Orogade has also stayed highly connected and involved with varying campus organizations. She has worked with more than 25 student groups across academic disciplines, assisting in a range of efforts from project management to planning events.

This semester she has also taken up membership in the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity Epsilon Chapter as a leadership committee chair and the COPH Health Scholars as the student coordinator.

“I love volunteering. It’s been a de-stressor for me during the semester,” Orogade said. “I love interacting with the people I meet during my volunteering experiences, and volunteering gives me a sense of happiness and purpose. I never understood the joy of helping others until I started volunteering, and this has changed me forever. As Maya Angelou said- ‘People will forget what you said, what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ I believe that effort like this is part of the entire progress that strives to make the world a better place.”

Frey, too, found many ways to stay connected and involved during her time as an undergraduate, something that has remained in the memory of many at the COPH.

“The motto of the College of Public Health is ‘our practice is our passion’ and Alena exemplified that in everything she did,” said COPH Dean Donna Petersen. “She was intellectually curious, she was a natural leader, she understood what it meant to serve her community, and she knew how to live life to the fullest. She carried the spirit of the college with her and we will always carry the spirit of Alena with us. The ability to support other students financially who share her talent and enthusiasm allows her gifts to continue to be shared and for others to be inspired by the way she practiced her passions. Sola is the perfect inaugural recipient of the scholarship. It is students like Alena and Sola who give us hope for the future, hope that the work we do at the college will be carried far and wide in service to our ultimate purpose: keeping people healthy and promoting the highest quality of life for everyone, everywhere.”

The Frey family is grateful for the outpouring of philanthropic support for the scholarship in memory of their daughter. As a gesture of thanks, and to maximize the impact this scholarship will have on the life of Sola and the students who will follow, they have committed to match any future donations made in Alena’s honor up to $5,000. To make a gift online, visit https://usf.to/AlenaFreyScholarship. For more information, contact the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program at wlp@usf.edu.   

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Public Health doctoral student Hunter Drake has been named an HIV League Scholar for 2020 and awarded a two-year, $7,000 scholarship.

The HIV League Scholarship is the only national scholarship for students living with HIV and recognizes “the immense potential of its scholars, and aims to build their knowledge, skills, and leadership,” according to the non-profit organization’s website.  

“As a survivor of HIV, I know all too well the detrimental outcomes of stigma,” Drake said. “There is no domain of life left untouched by the effects of stigma. It can lead to depression, low self-esteem, self-hatred, ostracization, social withdrawal, poor medication adherence, and even dropping out of care. Prejudice and discrimination hurt, and I do not want anyone else to ever go through the kinds of experiences I had.”

Drake, who also earned his master’s degree in psychology from USF, said this scholarship provided an opportunity to network with other scholars living with HIV and expand upon his educational experiences.

“Earning this scholarship meant the opportunity to take an additional course this semester learning to conduct focus groups,” Drake said. “While I have informal training, getting both theory and instructed practice formally under my belt enables me to better serve the labs I work with at USF and the HIV community with which I work.”

In addition to working toward his doctoral degree, Drake is working with Dr. Stephanie Marhefka, COPH professor and assistant dean for research, on an R01 called The Positively Quit Study examining novel video group based approaches to smoking cessation. He’s also involved in two additional research initiatives, one examining the decisional capacity for youth living with HIV to consent to participate in treatment and research and another examining the stigma experiences of black and brown same-gender-loving men.

“These projects are allowing me the time to better formulate my research questions around stigma,” Drake said.

Drake said he hopes that other students living with HIV feel empowered to see the ways HIV League Scholars are advancing in academia and that it helps to reduce the stigma they may feel.

“There is much work to be done in the area of health-related stigma, and I am developing more than a few novel ideas on how to improve our response to both enacted and internalized stigma,” he said.

Drake is also hopeful of the ways those in public health can help reduce stigma.

“Public health practitioners can help by using less stigmatizing language. People are not the virus; they live with the virus. To me, referring to people living with HIV as ‘HIV-infected’ is degrading. I prefer to be called a person living with HIV,” he said. “Second, no policy affecting people living with HIV should ever be crafted, implemented, or assessed without the input of the HIV community. Third, more community-based participatory research should be done to improve the research questions being asked about people living with HIV.  

Drake said upon graduating he hopes to continue in academia as a professor and researcher and is thankful for the experiences he’s had at the USF COPH.

“The USF COPH has a beating collective heart. I have never seen a place where so many people come together from multidisciplinary backgrounds and cultures to coordinate efforts in service to goals meant to care for and protect the wellbeing of the world,” he said. “Simply put, we have the most incredible faculty, students, and staff right here in the USF College of Public Health.”

Learn more about the scholarship and this year’s scholars here:
www.hivleague.org/scholarship

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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In observance of Giving Tuesday, the USF College of Public Health presents a 24-hour online giving campaign dedicated to student scholarships.  Supporters of the college can make online gifts from 12 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Strategically placed after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and CyberMonday, Giving Tuesday coincides with the start of the holiday shopping season and serves as a reminder to give a gift during this special time of the year.

“We have a day for giving thanks.  We have three days for getting deals … This year, support a day for giving back,” says a message on the #GivingTuesday website.

Dean Donna Petersen and public health students strike a bullish pose.

Double the dollars. Multiply the impact.

An anonymous donor has offered a $35,000 challenge match for all gifts in support of the COPH that come in during the anniversary year.  All gifts are matched dollar-for-dollar up to $35,000!

Help the COPH celebrate 35 years of educating, mentoring and training the next generation of public health practitioners and allowing us to pursue “our practice, our passion” for years to come.

Can’t wait until Giving Tuesday?

No problem. Make your secure gift today. Give an amount that signifies the 35th anniversary milestone—$35, $350 or even $3,500.

Big or small, every gift will continue to provide more opportunities for students and help the COPH maintain its status as one of the best public health programs in the country!

Together, we can give more in support of student scholarships.

This initiative is part of the USF College of Public Health’s yearlong 35th anniversary celebration.  To learn more about giving to the COPH, contact Kara Steiner ’06 at ksteiner@health.usf.edu or (813) 974-3023.

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With Halloween right around the corner followed closely by Thanksgiving and more, the eating season is here! Orangetheory Temple Terrace is providing members of the USF College of Public Health community with a great opportunity to support COPH and get fit with “The best one-hour workout in the country,” according to The New York Times.

(Now through October 31, Orangetheory Fitness in Temple Terrace is offering reduced rates to COPH faculty, friends and family. Plus, the gym will donate $15-$25 per membership for COPHers who join this at this location by May 1. Simply mention this reduced rate offer and continue to work out for at least three months.

It’s just that easy.

Gym donations will benefit the college’s Greg Alexander Scholarship Fund. The amount given varies depending on the membership level.

To learn more about this exclusive offer contact Orangetheory Temple Terrace at 813-400-2977 or visit with a staff member. OT is located at the corner of Bruce B Downs Blvd. and Fowler Avenue. They will also be tabling in the COPH lobby on select Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in October.

For information about other 35^th Anniversary giving opportunities, contact Kara Steiner at 813-974-3023 or karasteiner@usf.edu.

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