Environmental Health and the Community
Over the last decade, medical science has uncovered the far-reaching effects of pollution and environmental contamination on human health. This Praxis Lab explored how modern industrial life exposes individuals to toxic compounds from inception, with repercussions across all organ systems, including chromosomes, the very building blocks of life. The health consequences are so profound that they can even be passed down through generations.
Students examined the influence of governmental policies on these health risks, as well as the steps citizens and communities can take to protect themselves. A critical inquiry was made into whether economic growth can coexist with a healthy environment. In collaboration with leaders from Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE) and university faculty in Economics and Environmental Studies, students engaged creatively with this pressing community issue.
Instructors:
Dr. Hans Ehrbar
Dr. Brian Moench
More Praxis Labs
Infectious Disease on the Run
Margaret P. Battin, PhD
Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, MD
This Praxis Lab examined the history, science, and ethical implications of pandemics, from the Black Plague to COVID-19. Students analyzed how diseases spread, the social and political responses to outbreaks, and the ethical considerations of public health interventions.
How We Die
Margaret P. Battin, PhD
This Praxis Lab explored the evolving landscape of death and dying in the modern world, examining the shift from infectious disease mortality to prolonged battles with degenerative illnesses like cancer, heart failure, and dementia.
Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment
Erin Castro
Roberto Garcia
This Praxis Lab examined the deep connections between education, incarceration, and justice in the United States, a country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Students explored the historical and systemic forces that have expanded the carceral state, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color.