Syllabus

The course syllabus outlines the instructor's policies for PH 3301, the student's responsibilities, and the methods of assessing student learning. PH 3301 is offered as a hybrid class. Seven of the classes will be in the classroom (Jowers 207) and seven will be held on Zoom.  This is the calendar that notes which class sessions will be in Jowers 207 and which will be on Zoom.

UPDATED SYLLABUS for H.Hernandez

  Course Overview

This course provides students the opportunity to develop knowledge on the relationship between the environment and human health. This course will explore contemporary sociopolitical decisions on the environment and the resulting effects on public health (both detrimental and beneficial.) Students will be guided to research, discuss, and interpret evidence-informed writing and data about environmental health issues facing local, state, national, and/or global communities. 

Further details about the course, including how student learning will be assessed are in the syllabus. 

  Course Objectives

The learning objectives for the course are:

• Exploring current and historic environmental determinants of human health; 
• Examining the routes of exposure and health effects of toxic substances and other hazards that are relevant to environmental health; 
• Examining the impact of economic, social, and political decisions on environmental health protection, including on disproportionately affected populations; 
• Assessing current sociopolitical events concerning the intersection of human health and the environment;
• Evaluating personal decisions that influence environmental health in their community and beyond; and
• Demonstrating through writing assignments a mastery of fundamental concepts in environmental health from a public health perspective.

  About the Instructor

I am a native of Detroit, Michigan, and I am a dual citizen of the U.S.A. and Canada.  I developed my passion for public health policy when I worked in Washington, DC at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (think: coal miners).  I came to appreciate the tools of epidemiology to advance injury and illness prevention and the value of governmental and non-governmental interventions to protect public health.  A highlight of my time in the Washington, DC was being appointed twice to investigate horrific coal mine disasters that killed 12 workers in 2006 and 29 workers in 2010. I learned so much from those experiences about the impact of unsafe environments on families and communities.  My affiliation with Texas State University's began in 2016. I am a per course instructor in the Public Health Program.

I earned a master of public health (MPH) and a doctorate of public health (Dr.PH) from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. Currently, I spend much of my time providing technical assistance to community organizations that are concerned about the impact of the "work environment" on people's health.  My colleague Jane M. Von Bergen and I proud that our "On the Job: The Untold Story of Worker Centers and the New Fight for Wages, Dignity, and Health" was published this year by The New Press. 

I love all aspects of public health and consider it an awesome field of study.  I see a bright future for students who are interested in it, too. 

In my free time, I like to hike in the many green space areas in San Marcos, TX (with our Labrador retriever dog named Bueller) and tend to vegetable plants in my plot at the Alamo Community Garden.  Bueller was adopted three years ago from the Paws Animal Shelter in Kyle.  He wants me to share with you this photo of him: