Students in the Fall 2020 Public Health course "Social Determinants of Health" completed a photo essay project titled "Re-inventing Long Island and New York City Communities after the COVID-19 Pandemic." Taught by Assistant Professor Dr. Chris Hartmann, the project asked students to reflect on the factors in their neighborhood that contribute to inequities in health issues like COVID-19 and chronic diseases.
"The project came to life as the students embraced concepts learned in the course, and related them to the pandemic and how it impacted their own communities," said Dr. Hartmann. "What it resulted in were photos and accompanying text representing a diversity of community- and individual-level strengths, challenges, and opportunities."
To take the project a step further, Dr. Hartmann and his students partnered with Dr. Rafael Alves Orsi, a professor of social science students at Sao Paulo State University (SPSU) Araraquara in Brazil, for an international comparison. Photo and essay excerpts can be viewed online. To learn more about the Public Health Department at SUNY Old Westbury, including the Health & Society major and Community Health minor, visit the Department's website.