Marshall University will host 36 college students as part of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy’s 2018 Summer Policy Institute. The graduate and undergraduate students from throughout West Virginia will learn about public policy and meet professionals in the field Friday, July 27, through Sunday, July 29, in the Memorial Student Center.
This year, the institute will focus on policies related to the state’s opioid crisis, and experts from throughout West Virginia and beyond will be on hand to discuss solutions. The public is invited to attend a free panel discussion titled “Responses to the Opioid Epidemic: Lessons Learned and Best Practices,” planned for 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 28, in Room BE5 of the Memorial Student Center.
Panelists who will address the growing public health crisis as well as policy solutions include:
- Michael R. Brumage, assistant dean for public health practice and service, West Virginia University School of Public Health, who will discuss adverse childhood experiences and substance use disorder.
- Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, West Virginia University School of Public Health, who will discuss primary substance use prevention for adolescents: The ICE Collaborative.
- Susan Shepherd, manager, Toronto Drug Strategy Secretariat, Toronto Public Health, who will discuss supervised safe injection sites.
- Amy Saunders, director, Marshall University Wellness Center, who will discuss a systems approach to addressing substance use disorder including Quick Response Teams.
Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP to kallen@wvpolicy.org.
“This is an amazing opportunity for students to learn how policy is made in our state and how to work to get involved in implementing policies that are significant to them and also how to change policies to better influence our lives, on local as well as state levels,” said Dr. Marybeth Beller, associate professor and director of Marshall’s Master of Public Administration degree program.
The 2018 Summer Policy Institute is hosted by Marshall University’s Office of Academic Affairs. For more information, contact Beller at beller@marshall.edu.
