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News — MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University Public Health Program students spent the spring semester planning and producing the inaugural observance on campus of .

The student-led events highlighted one of the nation’s most pressing health issues — addiction — and brought attention to climate change and potential careers for public health professionals.

“I feel like we informed a lot of people about what public health is,” said I’mya Hill, a public health major from Columbia, who co-produced the week of activities. 

The week kicked off in early April when MTSU welcomed journalist Sam Quinones for an evening public talk on his recently published book, “From Crisis to Community: Stories of Hope in the Shadow of Fentanyl.” 

Following the program, students were able to chat with Quinones about his new release and ask questions about his award-winning book, “The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth.”

“Throughout this semester, students and faculty from throughout the  have been partaking in a virtual book club to read the author’s most recent book about the addiction crisis,” said Chipper Smith, Public Health faculty member in the in the 

Hill worked on assembling a panel of three recently graduated Public Health alumni, who talked with students about the industry and “asked them how to navigate” potential career pathways.

The panel was facilitated by Hill and fellow public health undergraduate Selah Almond-Harvey, who collected questions from students beforehand. Alumni included Michael Rankins, Aubrenie Jones and Sarah Murfree.

The students rounded out the week of events talking with the campus community about the importance of green spaces on overall health.

“Participating in Public Health Week helped me get into my public health major and understand the importance of public health in our society,” Hill said, “and it gave me the courage and confidence to know, ‘I can do this.’”

MTSU’s community involvement and engagement provides an avenue for students to learn, too, Smith said.

“I think it was valuable to highlight what all public health does and show students the diversity of careers and topics that are covered by public health,” said Vinny Black of Chapel Hill, who works for the Tennessee Department of Health while pursuing his doctorate in public health at MTSU.

Although this was the first year for the observance on campus, Black said he was impressed by the small but mighty team that produced the events.

“I hope to see all our events grow in scale in the coming years,” Black said.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])