Students

Seedlings in small pots ready for planting

Sustainable Food Systems for Public Health

Travertine Orndorff Garcia

Despite its interdisciplinary nature, public health tends to approach food systems problems in isolation. But occupational exposures, social determinants, personal behaviors, and chronic disease are interdependent, meaning food-systems solutions require deep, broad collaborations.

Volunteers and professionals distribute food to those affected by a crisis

Malnutrition in Humanitarian Crises: The Will to End a Preventable Disease

Muriel Bassil

Across the globe, armed conflicts and natural disasters create severe hunger and malnutrition for millions. In addition to the crisis itself, underlying causes of malnutrition should be front and center—food insecurity, inadequate care for women and children, insufficient health services, and unhealthy environments.

A woman in orange sits on the floor of a prison cell

Not Equipped: The Incarceration of Mothers and Limitations on Reproductive Rights

Sitara Murali

More than a third of incarcerated women worldwide are in US prisons, and 80 percent of those women are mothers. The US prison system is not equipped to provide basic health care to these women and must adapt quickly to ensure basic human dignity and access to adequate health care for a growing population of women.

Hands sliding vegetable scraps from a cutting board into a compost bin

Trash to Treasure: The Incredible Benefits of Composting

Pahriya Ashrap and Amber Cathey

Composting cuts down on the amount of trash we produce and the costs of hauling it, enriches our soil, and sequesters carbon. Take another look at the natural process of composting and how it can help combat climate change and improve your home garden.

construction worker working on a roof

Labor Organizing: An Unexpected Avenue to Health Equity

Leah R. Abrams, MPH ’17

Inequities in socioeconomic status or class are an essential cause of health differences in the US. On the surface, labor organizations might not appear to be about public health, but any group that aims to reduce social inequality is ultimately helping to reduce health disparities.