The Texas A&M Energy Institute and the Texas A&M Health School of Public Health USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness signed a formal agreement on September 10, 2024 at the Texas A&M Energy Institute to build collaborative, complementary, and novel efforts in relevant research, education, and training.
The USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness promotes the development of knowledge, skills, and capacity supporting emergency preparedness planning, response, mitigation, and recovery in communities throughout the country, with an emphasis on the rural and underserved. Over its 20-year history, the USA Center has collaborated with 19 countries and all 50 US states to prepare the public health workforce, community health workers, tribal health workforce, school nurses, county judges, and other non-traditional responders to plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
The signing event was attended by Dr. Stratos Pistikopoulos, Director of the Texas A&M Energy Institute, University Distinguished Professor and Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Dow Chemical Chair; Dr. Jason Moats, Director of the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness; Dr. Shawn G. Gibbs, Dean of School of Public Health, Texas A&M Health; and Dr. Eleftherios Iakovou, Harvey Hubbell Professor of Industrial Distribution and Texas A&M Energy Institute Associate Director for Resilience and Sustainability of Integrated Energy and Manufacturing Supply Chains. Also in attendance from the USA Center was Brandi Sebesta, Assistant Director; Dr. Angela Clendenin, Associate Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology; Mercedes Duchicela, Senior Program Coordinator; and Mayra Rico, Program Coordinator. Dr. Christine Blackburn and Dr. Matt Boyce, Center Faculty Affiliates and Assistant Professors in the Health Policy and Management Program joined the celebration.
