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.
Poster showing Florida's congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Marshall)
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.
Dr. Jennifer Marshall (left) and student in an office in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Marshall)
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.