SDSU Imperial Valley’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health with emphasis in Environmental Health

Overview

SDSU Imperial Valley’s new Bachelor of Science in Public Health with emphasis in Environmental Health degree program – an expansion of SDSU’s School of Public Health program – specializes in disciplines of epidemiology, environmental health, occupational health, health services administration and behavioral health. Students enrolled in the degree program will have opportunities to learn beyond the classroom through internships and related faculty-led research. The bachelor’s degree in Public Health with emphasis in Environmental Health  at SDSU Imperial Valley is set to start in Fall 2024.

Transforming Your Future

Earning a bachelor’s degree in public health opens diverse career opportunities that will empower you to positively impact the wellbeing of our region. Potential career pathways include:  

• Environmental or Community Health
• Epidemiology
• Medical Practice
• Social and Behavioral Science
• Communications
• Public Health Education
• Public Policy and Administration
• Emergency Management
• Global or Mental Health
• Air quality or air pollution technician
• Toxicology related careers 
• Occupational health technician

Benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree in public health

• High-paying jobs 
• Career development: entry level to junior associate positions 
• Self-directed applied practice experiences 
• Promote a healthy environment: expand public health knowledge and skills 
• Opportunity to specialize in different MPH concentrations 
• Engage in community outreach: make a difference in your community

Meet Our Faculty

Dr. Miguel Zavala is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University at the Imperial Valley campus. He received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(M.I.T.) and a M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. His research topics include air quality modeling, low cost community air sensors, emissions inventory development, source apportionment, air toxics monitoring, characterizing personal exposure and health disparities within local communities, assessing the pollution impacts of US-Mexico Ports of Entry, and others.
His expertise includes the application of air quality models for understanding the physical and chemical processes that drive air pollution and the estimation of air quality and public health impacts, the evaluation of criteria, air toxics, and greenhouse gasses emissions inventories,
evaluation of air quality management programs, and analysis of meteorological processes that control air pollution.

Dr. Kaya holds a Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, along with post-doctoral trainings in Microbiology and Environmental Engineering. She specializes in Water-Energy-Food-Climate nexus and its impact on Public Health. Since 2002, she has addressed environmental and public health issues, utilizing engineering, microbiology, chemistry, -omic technologies, and AI/ML. Her areas of expertise include environmental surveillance; wastewater-based epidemiology; water treatment and reuse; bioremediation of contaminated sites; risk assessment; characterization-fate-transport of contaminants, including pathogens in various environments; anaerobic digestion; environmental microbiology; development of molecular tools and analytical methods. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Kaya has mentored and supported students, fostering safe and inclusive research environments to empower students in accomplishing their professional goals. Awarded for research and mentoring, including OSU’s 2022 Excellence Award in Undergraduate Research Mentoring, NIH’s AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Mentorship, the ASM Peggy Cotter Early Career Award, and NSF ACADEME fellowship. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Society of Women Engineers, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, American Society for Microbiology, and the International Water Association. programs, and analysis of meteorological processes that control air pollution.

Dr. Lara-Jacobo holds a Ph.D. in Toxicogenomics from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Quebec, Canada. Linda has more than ten years of research, teaching, and mentoring experience, including work with indigenous and rural communities.
Her work aims to connect health, environment, gender equality, social inclusion, and diversity towards a sustainable future. She’s also a member of the HB Women in STEMM Leadership program, acting against climate change on a global scale by observing its effects in Antarctica and increasing women’s
leadership. In 2021, she received the Hispanic Women of the Year Merit
Award (QC, Canada).

Dr. Kai-Chung Cheng is joining SDSU Imperial Valley and the San Diego State University School of Public Health in January 2023. He received his Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. His research focuses on developing monitoring and modeling technologies for air quality and human exposure assessments. He is interested in using wireless sensing and machine-learning approaches to identify and characterize air pollution emissions. Being a new faculty member at SDSU-IV, he looks forward to working with local communities in Imperial Valley, using engineering methods to help address environmental disparities.

Research Grants

Request for Proposals (RFP): Salton Sea Renewable Resource Health Impact Assessment

Environmental Health Assessment: Evaluate current perceived environmental health risks and disparities among community members residing within Imperial Valley.

Improving Biomass Burning Estimate in Mexico

The purpose of this project is to develop a fast-track process to create annual biomass-burning inventories from the available Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), VIIRS Active Fire and Thermal Anomalies archive satellite imagery, calculate fuel consumption, estimate emission (smoke) production suitable for use in various air quality models and differentiate the types of biomass burning based on various fuel classification codes (FCCS), or fuel beds. 

Transfer Pathway

For students interested in transferring from Imperial Valley College (IVC) to SDSU Imperial Valley, the list below showcases the four-year academic pathway.

Schedule a Meeting

For more information about the curriculum and the major, please contact: David Kanaan, chair of SDSU Imperial Valley Division Professional Studies [email protected].

View our SPH IV Brochure (pdf)