Karen Awura-Adjoa Ronke Coker and Bianca Punch, doctoral students in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions department of environmental and global health, are one of just five student teams across the U.S. to receive the 2022 Climate Justice Student Champions award from the American Public Health Association.
Teams received funding to create academic community experiences that show how climate change affects health equity. These experiences are taking place in the month of September as part of APHA’s 150th Anniversary monthly theme, “Protecting our Environment to Protect our Health.”
Coker and Punch have designed events for members of the UF campus that provide a platform for persons from historically marginalized communities.
The first part of the experience is a Zoom webinar on Thursday, September 29 from 3-5 p.m. with a panel composed of four professionals from Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora, communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change. This webinar is an opportunity to highlight and amplify the voices, work and research in these regions related to climate justice and health equity to inspire action to go beyond the conversation. The aim is to provide an academic experience for the UF audience to engage and critically think about climate justice and health equity.
Visit the event webpage to register for the webinar or submit questions.
The second experience is a mini photo exhibit on Friday, September 30 from 3-5 p.m. in the HPNP Complex auditorium featuring submitted photographs based on climate justice and health equity. Prizes will be provided for the winners.
Visit the photo submission page to submit your work.