USF College of Public Health (COPH) faculty, staff, students and alumni from across the state came together for the 2024 Florida Public Health Association (FPHA) Annual Conference on July 30-31.
This year's conference, themed "Public Health Unbound: Here, There, Everywhere," welcomed attendees with fresh energy and innovative ideas, setting the stage for significant public health discussion. Participants were treated to an array of insightful sessions, workshops and keynote speeches designed to inspire and empower public health professionals across the state.
COPH is coming to your neighborhood
The pre-FPHA festivities kicked off with a college meet-up for COPHers attending the annual meeting. “It was an opportunity to connect with Bulls from across the state,” said Natalie Preston, COPH director of the Office of Engagement and Constituent Relations and host for the event. “We even had a few special guests to join us—Dr. Deanna Wathington, APHA president-elect, and Dr. Nicole Piggott, who led a pre-conference workshop on public health communication.”
Graduate student Catherine Oakes (left) with Dr. Nicole Piggott (Photo courtesy of Natalie Preston)
Natalie Preston and Dr. Deanna Wathington strike a bullish pose at the college’s FPHA meet-up (Photo courtesy of Dr. Montez Kaufman)
A charge for advocacy
Wathington, who is a former vice dean of COPH’s Office of Academic and Student Affairs, presented a packed keynote address titled “Public Health Unbound: Creating a Future of Possibilities.” She brought updates from APHA, highlighting legislative achievements and action items for the presidential election season.
Additionally, Wathington spoke directly to students in the audience. “APHA has several active calls for student participation and all of them can be found on the American Journal of Public Health website."
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Deanna Wathington)
Her final plea was for the more than 200 public health practitioners in the ballroom. “Pull out your mini-computer that we are all walking around with,” Wathington said. “Go to APHA.org and click on the policy and advocacy tab.” Wathington walked attendees through the organization’s advocacy priorities and encouraged them to Speak for Health, not just in August but throughout the year.
(Photo courtesy of Natalie Preston)
Lunch and learn
Dr. Jay Wolfson, the COPH’s interim dean, led the audience on an engaging discussion centered around “Regaining the Public’s Trust in Public Health.” He recapped what public health professionals got right and wrong during the COVID pandemic. This served as a springboard for opportunities related to the presidential election. “Don’t dismiss someone because their political viewpoint is different than yours,” Wolfson said. “Start with listening, understanding and then engaging them in thoughtful discussion around key public health priorities. It is not about who is right or wrong, but how we unite to do what is best to improve the public’s health.”
Wolfson’s challenge to the audience was to read the Florida Supreme Court’s “First Interim Report of the Twenty-Second Statewide Grand Jury.” According to Wolfson, “The assignment serves two purposes. First, as public health professionals we should be intimately familiar with the comprehensive mistakes of the past so that we do not commit them again.”
The future is female
Two COPH staff members took on new leadership positions within FPHA.
Allison Rapp moved to president of the group while Parnia Roghani Shareef, who received her MPH from the college, moved to vice president. Both Rapp and Roghani Shareef are program planner analysts with the COPH’s Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice.
The FPHA membership elects the second vice president, who serves a one-year term. Every year the officers move up—from second vice president to first vice president to president and immediate past president. All in all, officers serve for four years. Rapp and Roghani Shareef served last year as vice president and second vice president, respectively.
“Almost 11 years ago, I moved from South Carolina to Florida and one of the first things I did was attend the FPHA Annual Conference. This year I was honored with the role of president,” Rapp said. “For the last year, I served as vice president and chair of the conference planning committee. I had a vision, perhaps too much at times but the planning committee, board and the Suwannee River AHEC staff delivered that and more. I didn't get to take half the pictures I wanted, but I left with a heart so full it could burst. Let's be UNBOUND!”
“My cup is always full after attending the FPHA conference. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many familiar faces and see the impactful public health work happening across our state,” Roghani Shareff added. “I'm thrilled to serve as this year's FPHA vice president and look forward to collaborating with such dedicated public health professionals!”
COPH alumna and one of the first fellows for FDOH Hillsborough County Claire Maher at FPHA. (Photo by Dr. Somer Burke)
Also recognized by the FPHA at their annual meeting was PhD student Kelli Agrawal who received the Presidential Award. This award is chosen by the association’s president and given to a FPHA member who has exemplified outstanding contributions to FPHA during the past year.
Other award winner includes two MPH students Elijah Gelongo, who received a student scholarship, and Marcela Jimenez Ramirez, who received the Most Innovative Poster Award for her poster, “The Voices of Hillsborough: A Photovoice Project.”