By Keelia O’Malley, MPH
I like to describe APHA as the annual public health pep rally. It has served to be a rejuvenating experience and energetic reminder of why I became interested in the public health field in the first place. Being in a place surrounded by over 13,000 other people who are working towards similar goals, facing and overcoming the same barriers as me is so refreshing! It is an inspiring and motivating experience. The opening session is always energizing and this year’s conference was no exception. Seeing Sir Michael Marmot speak so passionately at the 2013 conference about the need to be continually optimistic to continue to work towards health equity was so powerful.
From listening to highly acclaimed and published leaders in the field of public health sharing and discussing their work to meeting fellow doctoral students, APHA is a great opportunity to network and learn from others at all levels of their careers. I particularly enjoyed meeting faculty members and students from other universities who are bridging the gap between research and community practice. I enjoyed hearing and observing the way that the city and leadership in Boston have implemented programs and policies aligned with public health. Throughout the duration of the conference in Boston I was thinking about all of the great work going on in New Orleans that will be highlighted at next year’s conference!
Keelia O’Malley is a part-time PhD student in the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences. Her research interests are focused around policy and large-scale programmatic interventions addressing the social and physical determinants of dietary behavior and their impact on obesity and other chronic diseases.
