Who we are
We have a faculty that represents many disciplines; most members of our faculty have both ample professional experience and strong research backgrounds. A typical professor in EOH teaches from one to three courses while conducting research, service, or is engaged in professional practice. One of our faculty spends a good deal of his time in Peru assessing the effects of lead on a mining community while another professor manages a large chemical manufacturing plant alongside teaching multiple classes. Some professors spend much of their time developing curricula or setting up internships for students. Other professors teach in our academic programs and teach hazardous materials classes targeted to technicians and professionals seeking continuing education.
Our students range in age from their early twenties to their fifties with most students in their mid to late 20s. Most of our students come from outside the State of Missouri and possess a variety of backgrounds, including the natural and physical sciences, clinical medicine, and even the social sciences. While most of our EOH students come from the U.S. we have students from all over the world, including India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Nigeria, China, Iraq, and Pakistan.
What we do
Most of our students seek to attain either the Masters of Public Health in Environmental Health or the joint Masters of Public Health in Environmental Epidemiology. Many of these students enter our MPH program right after they complete their undergraduate degree. Some students, however, will have worked for several years and some of these students will bring significant environmental science or health experience into the classroom from their current or former employment. Our degrees prepare students for professional practice in industrial hygiene, community environmental health, and epidemiology. We also have 4 – 6 PhD students at any time with research interests that vary from understanding welding exposures that lead to Parkinsons Disease, to managing mold and allergens indoors, to developing novel ways to use chemosensors to detect lead in dust or blood. The PhD students are prepared to lead research projects at Research and Development facilities, teach at universities, serve in government leadership positions, or continue their current careers enriched with significant research experience. Our students leave with unmatched skills, formed through our competency driven curriculum, research and practice experience opportunities, and emphases on teamwork, project leadership, and commitment to justice through environmental and occupational health.