ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
DIRECT FROM AEHAP
From Assessment to Action: A Road Map to Becoming an Environmental Health Science Professional
Kim M. Lichtveld, MSPH, PhD The University of Findlay
Maureen Y. Lichtveld, MPH, MD University of Pittsburgh
asthma in Puerto Rico, it is clear that geo- graphical boundaries to assess the impact of environmental insults on human health are obsolete. Similarly, exposures to nonchemi- cal stressors often related to social determi- nants of health, such as financial distress and poor housing, can result in stress and other adverse health consequences, and can poten- tially synergistically exacerbate contaminant exposures resulting in worse health and well- being (Gokoel et al., 2021; Lichtveld et al., 2018; Nilsen et al., 2020; Tulve et al., 2016). This indirect relationship has contributed to reduced investments in environmental health services, resulting in system weaknesses and vulnerabilities, which were highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Brooks & Ryan, 2021). Attributes of the Environmental Health Professional There are many attributes that make the environmental health profession unique. Key among those attributes are the following three: 1) the profession is by design transdis- ciplinary in nature; 2) to be eective, an envi- ronmental health professional must engage a wide-ranging set of stakeholders from corporations to communities; and 3) career opportunities are multisectoral—from local to global and from worker health to water quality—making environmental health sci- ence professionals highly in demand. Our job now is to let the communities we serve understand how important this discipline is to ensure they can thrive every day of their lives. Future professionals also need to know the myriad of environmental health needs and career options within this degree. This awareness needs to be done early in their
Editor’s Note: In an eort to promote the growth of the environmental health profession and the academic programs that fuel that growth, the National Environmental Health Association has teamed up with the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) to publish two columns a year in the Journal . AEHAP’s mission is to support environmental health education to ensure the optimal health of people and the environment. The organization works hand in hand with the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) to accredit, market, and promote EHAC-accredited environmental health degree programs. This column provides AEHAP with the opportunity to share current trends within undergraduate and graduate environmental health programs, as well as eorts to further the environmental health field and available resources. Dr. Kim Lichtveld is the president of AEHAP and chair of the Department of Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Management at The University of Findlay. Dr. Maureen Lichtveld is dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh.
I ntroduction Is the air safe to breathe? Is the water safe to drink? Can I feed my child the apple I bought at the grocery store? Is my house safe from toxic substances? How will climate change-related flooding and drought impact food security? These are some of the ques- tions environmental health science profes- sionals are trained to counter. From the time John Snow removed the pump handle and Rachel Carson described the origin of a Silent Spring , environmental health professionals consistently provided the evidence that the
health of the environment is inextricably linked to that of people. Never before has the profession been in such need of bolstering its workforce. Over the last few decades many communities have taken for granted the ability to control disease outbreaks and have access to safe food, clean water, healthy homes, and reli- able sanitation (Brooks & Ryan, 2021). This trend has been combined with a realization that the traditional definition of environment is no longer relevant. For example, when Saharan dust increases the risk of childhood
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Volume 85 • Number 7
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