The USF College of Public Health is strengthening its commitment to workforce well-being through collaboration between
its Activist Lab and the Sunshine Education and Research Center (ERC). The partnership is helping prepare students to engage with real-world public
health challenges while promoting safer, healthier working environments across Florida
and the nation.
Earlier this year, nearly 100 students, faculty and professionals took part in a two-day
virtual bootcamp co-hosted by the Activist Lab and the Sunshine ERC. The interactive sessions focused
on key issues in occupational safety, health and well-being (OSHW) and included presentations
from faculty experts and ERC leadership, including Drs. Tom Bernard and Jennifer Marshall. A panel of ERC program directors added depth to the discussion, offering a multidisciplinary
view of the field’s most pressing topics.
While the bootcamp provided foundational knowledge and hands-on learning, it also
served as a launchpad for deeper engagement. In February, a group of USF faculty and
students from both the ERC and Activist Lab traveled to Washington, D.C., where they
participated in Capitol Hill visits and attended the national meeting of the Association
of Universities and Programs in Occupational Health and Safety.
During their visit, the team met with staffers from several Florida congressional
offices to share research and educational priorities related to OSHW. Conversations
centered around urgent and regionally relevant topics, such as heat stress, hurricane
and disaster preparedness, and occupational health concerns in the hospitality and
tourism industries—sectors that are vital to Florida’s economy. These visits helped
raise awareness about how training and research through the Sunshine ERC are shaping
safer workplaces and informing public health strategies.
Marshall, associate professor and director of planning and evaluation for the Sunshine
ERC, emphasized the importance of offering students meaningful opportunities to engage
with decision-makers.
The Sunshine ERC, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), is one of 18 centers of its kind in the country and is based at USF’s College
of Public Health. The center prepares graduate-level students in disciplines including
industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, occupational
safety and health services research. Through interdisciplinary training, community
outreach and applied research, the ERC supports the development of a skilled workforce
committed to improving health outcomes for workers across industries.
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