Title: Message from the Chair

Author:

Section/SPIG: Environment

Issue Date:

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Entering 2004, I am very honored to lead the ambitious efforts of the APHA Environment Section during such a groundbreaking year. With the theme of the 2004 APHA Annual Meeting being Public Health and the Environment, the opportunities before us remain tremendous. Beyond the expertise and interest we collectively bring to the program planning process, this year especially, we also look forward to not only collaborating with other sections to promote the many linkages their work has to environmental health, but also to leverage the many ways that environmental health issues remain some of our most desperate public health issues yet.

Being quite an active and large section, we are very proud and excited that we will be provided with some of the largest numbers of scientific sessions at this year's Annual Meeting. In order to make sure that we meet many of our established goals for the year our section officers and committees have already been working diligently on assigned tasks. This year we have decided to create Advisory Council to assist our wonderful Program Planners in their many tedious tasks and deadlines. In addition to the large duty of program planning, our section leaders are planning to work with APHA to make sure that the 2004 conference and all to follow will make as many environmentally friendly considerations as possible. Various membership drives are under way and we have placed specific focus on the recruitment and retention of students to the Environment Section. Special awards and scholarships are being planned to make the students' participation more attractive and accessible.

Best regards,
Nsedu Obot Witherspoon