The Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health prioritizes service as part of the public health learning experience and provides students with a multitude of opportunities through service learning projects. A popular and exciting service learning opportunity within the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is SAFER (Student Aid for Field Epidemiology Response).
SAFER collaborates with health departments across Arizona and works to train students to conduct outbreak investigations and surveillance for COVID-19 and foodborne illness case investigations. In their roles as disease detectives, students gain real world experiences by interviewing cases about their symptoms, exposures and contacts, learning and working in the state’s infectious disease surveillance system, and communicating with health department staff mentors. In addition to these activities, students have unique opportunities to participate in epidemiologic tracking at major events. Previous events have included the Fiesta Bowl, MLB and NBA All Star games, and the Super Bowl.
Watch Dr. Kacey Ernst performing service to the Arizona community through a broadcast interview on an E. Coli outbreak.
The commitment to service is led by the Department's faculty. Faculty members participate in service on both the local and global levels, often providing students with an opportunity to join them in service-oriented projects. Speaking on the value of the College's service mission, Epidemiology faculty member Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD, says, "The service component of the mission aids students in learning about the challenges faced in our own community as well as more global issues. It helps students and faculty to be aware of what is going on around us and to think of ways to use our skills to problem-solve."