Mission
The mission of the Environmental Health Sciences concentration is to enhance the health of people through anticipation, assessment, recognition, evaluation and control of adverse exposures to toxic chemicals, and microbiological and physical agents. These exposures can occur in air, soil, water or food, outdoors in the ambient environment, and in traditional and non-traditional workplaces and residences.
To accomplish the educational portion of its mission, the concentration prepares students, with prior undergraduate/graduate education in natural and physical sciences, to be leaders, with the technical knowledge and skills necessary to assume expanded roles in evaluating and regulating environmental exposures to humans.
The concentration provides the environmental health sciences core course for all public health majors, and specialty courses for graduate students in the environmental health science specialty. Environmental health sciences courses are also available to graduate students majoring in natural sciences, engineering and health sciences.
Achieving the Mission
To accomplish the research portion of its mission, the concentration conducts basic and applied research to:
- identify sources of environmental exposures
- develop new methods for measuring exposure
- synthesize knowledge and skills to identify environmental exposures
- develop models to assess risk and predict environmental exposure
- develop models for predicting the fate of toxic agents in the environment
To accomplish the outreach and public service portion of its mission, the concentration faculty:
- apply scientific principles to public discussion of environmental exposures
- translate environmental health sciences principles into public policy and regulation
- communicate environmental health sciences research results to the public
- apply skills to resolve new problems through public service and consulting
- contribute their skills to professional societies
- enhance environmental health professionals through continuing education
Environmental health science graduates are employed as public health directors in local and/or state departments. Some students in this specialty are interested in general environmental health practice that deals with sanitation and public health. Other graduates in who take an empahsis on environmental toxicology and risk assessment are employed in consulting firms focusing on risk assessment and state departments of public health, environmental protection and agriculture assessing public health concerns from toxic substances. They are also employed in a wide range of federal agencies (EPA, DoE, DoD, ATSDR, and FDA) and chemical and pharmaceutical industries performing toxicological research and assessing risks. Approximately 25% of M.S. graduates continue to pursue Ph.D. degrees.
