Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences is the field of study that deals with the
- anticipation, identification and characterization of potentially harmful physical, chemical, and biological agents in community and workplace environments;
- identification and study of the relevant pathways of exposure;
- assessment of the effects of such agents on the environment and human health; and
- development of interventions to prevent or ameliorate problems associated with environmental or occupational contaminants.
Biological, genetic, psychological, and social factors are also important determinants of environmental and occupational health.
The Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences offers the academic degrees, M.S. and Ph.D., and the professional degrees, M.P.H. and Dr.P.H. The academic degrees are designed to train professionals to develop both in-depth knowledge in a particular specialty area and broad understanding of the complexity inherent in environmental problems, with a focus on research. The professional degrees focus upon public health practice related to prevention, assessment, and control of occupational and environmental exposures, and injuries and illnesses, which constitute major problems not only nationally but worldwide. Areas of faculty teaching and/or research interest in the division include: indoor and outdoor air quality, industrial hygiene, chronobiology, environmental microbiology, injury control, medical geography, occupational health, occupational medicine, toxicology, hydrology, and exposure assessment.
Two Centers are located within the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences: the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health and the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness. Each Center has training and research grant funding devoted to problems related to its core area of focus.
Research Centers:
