The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #62594

Eliezer Bermúdez, PhD, CFSP¹, Travella Myers², and Leah White². (1) Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Health Sciences, Indiana State University, Arena B-83, Terre Haute, IN 47809, 812-237-3077, hselieze@isugw.indstate.edu, (2) Vigo County Health Department, Vigo County Annex, 147 Oak Street, Terre Haute, IN 47807

Faculty internships, in which a faculty member works temporarily for a government organization or private business, are a concept that is becoming popular among universities. This presentation will discuss how a faculty internship can be set up, advantages of the internship for academia, the sponsoring agency, and the professor. In addition, suggestions on structuring and implementing the internship will be offered. The major objective of this presentation is to encourage Environmental Health educators to seriously consider faculty internships as a means to bridge gaps between academia and the business world. Faculty internships should be beneficial primarily for two groups of professors. First, are those professors who, after earning doctorates, enter the teaching profession without any environmental health practicum experience. Second, are the professors who once worked full time as environmental health practitioners, but have been out a significant number of years with little or no contact with the “real world” of the practice of Environmental Health. The information presented will be based on the author’s experience serving as a faculty intern for the Environmental Health Division of a County Health Department in rural West-central Indiana. Some of the benefits of faculty internships are improved teaching methods, practical experience, community contacts, and internship opportunities for students. The experience will enhance the classroom theory for students and practice implementation can be clarified for the educator.

Learning Objectives:

• Learning Objectives:
• At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants, will be able to:
• 1. List steps involved in establishing a faculty practicum internship.
• 2. Identify advantages of faculty internships for the academic institution, the sponsoring agency, and the professor.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.