Source: Michael Cates, 785-532-2117, cates@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Tyler Nelssen, tnelly@vet.k-state.edu

Monday, March 22, 2010

K-STATE TO CELEBRATE PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK APRIL 5-10

MANHATTAN -- National Public Health Week is April 5-10 and several programs, students, faculty and staff at Kansas State University will be a part of the celebration.

The week will kick off with the "Excellence in Public Health at K-State" awards reception from 5-7 p.m. Monday, April 5, at the K-State Alumni Center. The event is free and the public is welcome. It will include exhibits and recognition of outstanding K-State students, faculty and staff for their work in public health. Throughout the week, various students and faculty also will be involved in raising awareness of the importance of public health-related education, research, outreach/service and practice.

K-State's Master of Public Health program is an interdisciplinary program involving faculty and courses from eight departments in four colleges and three university support units. The program has four areas of emphasis: food safety and biosecurity, infectious diseases and zoonoses, public health nutrition, and public health physical activity.

"The collaborative structure of the program at K-State is an unusual strength compared to other Master of Public Health programs and provides a tremendous variety of opportunities for the participating faculty and students," said Michael Cates, program director.

Two other programs at K-State, One Health Kansas and Pathways to Public Health, are currently promoting awareness and understanding of connections between human, animal and environmental health. The programs also help steer interested students toward health-related undergraduate and graduate programs like K-State's Master of Public Health program.

More information about National Public Health Week and public health programs at K-State is available at:
http://www.k-state.edu/mphealth for K-State's Master of Public Health program;
http://onehealthkansas.k-state.edu for One Health Kansas;
http://onehealthkansas.k-state.edu/pathways for Pathways to Public Health; and
http://www.nphw.org/nphw10/home1.htm for National Public Health Week.