The UConn School of Business is a partner in an upcoming UConn health-focused lecture series addressing everything from weight loss to the opioid epidemic to mental health among college students.
The UConn Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy (InCHIP) brings in top speakers to address trending topics of interest to students and faculty. The School of Business participates in an effort to enhance the intellectual climate of the University.
Lectures take place at the J. Ray Ryan Building on the Storrs campus at 2006 Hillside Road, close to Belden Hall. The series is supported by the Office of the Vice President of Research and other campus schools and organizations. The presentations are from 12:30 to 1:30 in Room 204 and pre-registration is requested.
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, Sept. 12: Erin Winstanley Ph.D. of the West Virginia University School of Medicine will discuss “Country Roads & Misty Mountains: Navigating the Overdose Epidemic in Rural American.” A Johns Hopkins graduate, her research is focused on reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the opioid epidemic as well as the use of technology to improve access and quality of behavioral health services.
Thursday, Oct. 10: Sarah Ketchen Lipson, Ph.D., EdM., of the Boston University School of Public Health will speak about “Understanding and Addressing Mental Health Disparities in College Student Populations.” The presentation will focus on understanding mental health inequalities faced by students of color, gender and sexual minority students, first-generation college students, international students and students from other traditionally underrepresented identities. Lipson will draw on data from her national Healthy Minds Study, the largest and most comprehensive survey of mental health on college and university campuses.
Thursday, Oct. 24: Courtney D. Cogburn, Ph.D. of Columbia University will speak about “Racism, Anti-Racism, Health + Virtual Reality.” Her research investigates the ways we characterize and measure racism and the effects of racism on racial inequalities in health. She is developing a project using data science approaches to explore links between media-based racism and population health.
Thursday, Nov. 7: Michelle Kondo, Ph.D., with the USDA Forest Service, will discuss “Place-Based Strategies for Disease, Injury and Violence Prevention.” Kondo will discuss her quasi-experimental and experimental research of place-based and nature-based interventions in urban areas, and their impacts on human health and safety outcomes. She will also share findings about vacant-lot greening, abandoned building remediation, and green stormwater infrastructure. CEU credits will be offered to psychologists who attend.
Thursday, Nov. 21: Gary Foster, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Weight Watchers International will speak about “What Works for Weight Loss.” He is the author of 180 scientific publications on obesity and behavior change and will speak on evidence-based approaches to wellness for adults and children. He previously was the founder and director of the Center of Obesity Research and Education at Temple University.
Thursday, Dec. 5: Janet M. Turan, Ph.D., MPH of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will speak about “Intersectional Stigma and HIV-Related Health: Challenges and Opportunities.” She will discuss evidence suggesting that people in diverse settings experience intersecting forms of stigma that influence their mental and physical health and corresponding health behaviors, generating a broad range of vulnerabilities and risks. She will also discuss priorities for future HIV interventions and research. CEU credits will be offered to psychologists who attend.
Additional lectures are slated for the spring semester. To pre-register for a program or for additional information, please visit chip.uconn.edu.
