by Lori Andersen, MEd, CHES
Attending APHA is one of the highlights of my year. I always look forward to presenting research, learning from other practitioners and scholars, and networking with old and new colleagues. This meeting’s experience was again, wildly successful.
For the first time, I attended my section’s business meeting. For whatever reason, I never felt I was invited to participate in those meetings before, but under the influence of a former mentor, I finally attended and it was a fantastic experience! I was able to meet other leaders in my field and contribute some ideas and suggestions for the upcoming 2014 meeting in New Orleans. I’m really looking forward to becoming more active in the section over the next few months.
I also always enjoy the opening session. Its effects always rejuvenate my passion for public health and the work that I’m involved in. This year, Dr. Sir Michael Marmot was the main speaker. He has a way of challenging the systematic influences that always seem to dictate the larger social determinants of health; his speech motivated me to get more involved in the policy changes that need to occur in United States to improve health outcomes.
As usual, I learned much from leading researchers during oral and poster presentations throughout the entire conference. The research is frequently eye-opening and introduces me to nuances in the field that I may not have realized existed. This year, I was more successful in introducing myself to leading researchers and am hopeful I can progress into a post-doc or faculty position in a setting doing fascinating research.
I always recommend public health students and professionals to attend the APHA annual meeting. And after my experience this year, I would recommend students to get involved in their section business meetings. Don’t hold yourself back! We all have something to contribute.
Lori Andersen is a PhD candidate in the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences. Her research interests center around obesity, with particular focus on physical activity and school food environment.
