An overview of the goals, functions, and methods of public health. After an introduction to the core concepts and tools used in public health research and practice, applications of these methodologies are considered in the context of current controversies/problems in public health. Students work together to develop strategies for prevention and control that take into consideration different points of view, outside research, and impacts on individuals and communities.

Racial trauma, also referred to as race-based traumatic stress, refers to the accumulated psychological and emotional injuries experienced as a result of intergenerational and systemic racism and racial bias. This interdisciplinary course will draw from scholarship on the psychology of race and racism, racism as a public health crisis, emotional justice, education for racial justice, as well as anti-racist education for social, cultural, and political change. The scholarship used in the course, which is grounded in lived experience, will also point us in the direction of resistance, healing, and cultivating joy especially in our current racial context. Students from across all fields are welcomed and encouraged to enroll and this course is ideal for students of all racial backgrounds who have engaged in some academic, personal, and/or professional work related to race/racial justice. This course will give space for learners to engage in how racial trauma has impacted their own and others' lives, now and across generations, and what potential paths towards collective resistance, healing, and wellbeing look like. Grounded in some of the latest work related to defining and exploring racial trauma and racial healing, including how people of all racial categories have been traumatized by the racialized violence and dehumanization of People of Color, this course will focus on understanding racial trauma and building new paths forward for us all.

This course explores the vital role of somatic practices in addressing and healing racial trauma. Combining theoretical insights with experiential learning, students will investigate the physiological and psychological impacts of racial stress and develop practical skills for promoting resilience and well-being. Grounded in my research on the physiological responses to activism and enriched by my expertise as a master yoga teacher, meditation instructor, reiki master, and breathwork leader, this course offers a holistic approach to racial healing. Through lectures, discussions, and embodied practices, students will gain a deep understanding of how to use somatics to foster personal and collective healing.