ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN HOUSTON AND BEYOND

Credit Hours: 3 · Undergraduate Upper-Level

This interdisciplinary course reviews public health topics characterizing the economic, social, physical, and built environment aspects of environmental health. This course explores the conceptualization of a healthy environment as a determinant of health from the individual to the community to the population levels. The course will focus heavily on the science behind public health efforts to mitigate environmental threats to population health in the Greater Houston area and Texas, including climate change, air quality, flooding and water quality resources, and natural disasters. Students will critically appraise how environmental health issues may directly impact their health. Students will practically apply public health concepts to advocate for environmental health improvement at Rice and beyond.