Students and instructors from across the world will soon be connected with those in the University of Maryland School of Public Health community, thanks to grants awarded to several SPH departments and faculty to establish new global public health classrooms.
A global classroom creates collaborative courses and experiences with partner institutions around the world. By connecting communities globally, these classrooms help address international health issues and provide students with diverse perspectives.
The university's Global Learning Initiative, Global Health Initiative and SPH’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office selected seven professors to help build the capacity to engage other students and colleagues across the world. Courses will be held in countries including Brazil, Cameroon, China, Israel, Jamaica and the United Kingdom.
“These courses in the School of Public Health create opportunities for our students to build the skills and capacities to engage across borders to solve the world’s most pressing global health and global justice challenges,” said SPH Dean Dr. Boris Lushniak.
- Dr. Negin Fouladi, SPH Associate Clinical Professor and Director of online graduate programs in the Department of Health Policy and Management will teach “HLSA740 Healthcare Strategic Planning & Marketing” in collaboration with Professors Mark Exworthy and Iestyn Williams at the University of Birmingham, UK.
- Dr. Menglu Liang, Biostatistics Assistant Clinical Professor, will teach “Data mining for early detection of disparity in communities,” in collaboration with Peking University in Beijing, China.
- Dr. Ronald Mower, Kinesiology Senior Lecturer, will teach “Building International Sport-for-Development Solidarities: Physical Culture & Sport Commerce across the Jamaican and U.S. Contexts.” in collaboration with the University of West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
- Dr. Rianna Murray, Assistant Research Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, will collaborate with The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Ketura, Israel, to teach, “Experiential Exploration of Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems” and “Project-Based Data Practicum at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems.”
- Dr. Kerry Tripp, Family Science Principal Lecturer, will teach “International Family Law: the Parent/Child Relationship in the Americas,” implemented in collaboration with the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
- Dr. Abdel-Razak Kadry, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health, and Dr. Muhiuddin Haider, Clinical Professor for Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, will lead a collaboration with the University of Buea in Buea, Cameroon, to teach, “Understanding the Impact of Climate Change on Water and Food Security: A Focus on Women and Children in Africa.”
“We are honored to receive this grant,” Haider said “Global classrooms are important as they provide students the opportunity to become proficient in cultural competency.”