"Our mission is translating passion and learning into advances that protect the health of all," noted Howard Koh, director of the Division, in his opening remarks. He thanked Student Advisory Committee co-coordinators Binta Beard and Jennifer Usas for their energy in helping to organize the event.

Koh's comments were underscored by a wealth of information made available by Division students and staff, who talked with visitors and provided literature about current initiatives, such as the HSPH Center for Public Health Preparedness, the newly-funded Massachusetts Community Networks to Eliminate Cancer Disparities through Education, Research and Training (MASS CONECT), and the Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, which teaches mediation and leadership skills. Another effort housed at the Division, the Tobacco Control Research and Training Program, conducts research on the product development and marketing strategies of Big Tobacco.

"We are enormously proud of this Division, which serves as the students' connection to public health practice," said James Ware, HSPH Dean for Academic Affairs.

Speakers included State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, who chairs the Joint Committee on Public Health for the Massachusetts Legislature, and Phil Johnston, chairman of the board of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.

The Division engages in "crucially important work," Koutoujian remarked, "and we need to work together to create good policy for the good of the community."

Noted Johnston, "It's important that the public health infrastructure has a strong, vocal constituency." He praised the School's work on behalf of community health as well as Koh's leadership over the years. Koh served as Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health for six years.

They were joined by Chris Hager, chief health counsel with the office of House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and former deputy director of the Division. "State government has some of the best tools to improve the population's health," said Hager, adding that the most sound public health policies are created based on data and evidence generated by public health professionals. "Public health can't help but be interdisciplinary," she said, citing the need for public officials and public health professionals to work together, "and I'm grateful for that."

Also showcased at the Open House was a community-based collaboration between HSPH and Florida A&M University. Named the Center for Healthy Options and Innovative Community Empowerment, the effort targets residents of Roxbury, MA and Gasden County, FL to address systemic health care inadequacies among low-income minorities. One goal of this collaboration is to establish advisory boards in Roxbury and Gasden County to help conduct community-based public health research.

Visitors learned about a three-year investigation of links among adolescent dating violence, sexual health risk, and adolescent pregnancy, and a pilot study on violence victimization and health outcomes among trafficked women and girls in Nepal and India.

Moreover, unveiled was the current issue of The Public Health Practitioner, a newsletter produced by the Student Advisory Committee of the Division of Public Health Practice.

In addition to Koh, Beard, and Usas, organizers of the event included Betty Johnson, director of the Yerby Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and assistant director for student practice support.

--EM