Public health technology corps | School of Technology for Public Health

Solve real-world problems at the intersection of public health and technology

The Public Health Technology Corps at Arizona State University provides students in the School of Technology for Public Health with the opportunity to partner with community and cross-sector partners to advance projects that leverage technology to improve public health processes, systems and outcomes.

This innovative program places students with diverse partner organizations locally and globally, from public health departments and community health centers, to Indigenous/tribal, nonprofit and government organizations, to collaborate on place-based, technology-focused public health projects.

The corps, which serves as the applied practice experience for the Master of Public Health degree and capstone for the Master of Science in Public Health Technology, provides students with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and training working in interdisciplinary teams with community and cross-sector partners to solve real-world problems at the intersection of public health and technology.

Public health technology scholars enhance their research and design skills and data-reporting abilities and benefit from extensive networking opportunities and avenues for professional development. And they can create long-lasting professional relationships within a cohort of like-minded Sun Devils dedicated to driving innovation and making a positive impact.

2024–25 projects

Optimizing Public Health Data Reporting Through United States Core Data Interoperability Adoption

Standardize data feeds from electronic health records with the goal of implementing the United States Core Data Interoperability standards. This project will include data and legal analysis to ask how public health reporting could look different and be more effective if we used United States Core Data Interoperability standards from electronic health records and what are the trigger mechanisms needed to do this.

Mapping Heat Risks: Understanding Origins of Heat-Related Deaths

Create data visualization and synthesize findings for potential policy recommendations.

Advancing Health Equity: Indigenous Data Science Education

Plan and help host an annual workshop on tribal lands focusing on Indigenous Data Science Education in Health-Based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. This project is seeking logistical support with this event to include marketing, event planning, development of materials, computational approaches and week-of instructions.

Heat-related morbidity and mortality mapping project

Create a heat map to identify the point of origin for heat related deaths in the county or state. This will entail identifying decedents whose cause of death was heat related then tracking down records via the county medical examiner, hospitals, or ambulatory services to understand point of origin. Work with physicians and faculty members in order to identify data sources, create data visualization, and synthesize findings for potential policy recommendations.

Eligibility

While Public Health Technology Corps projects are rooted in public health, they are interdisciplinary. We welcome undergraduate and graduate students, in-person or online, in disciplines such as biomedical informatics, law, engineering, marketing and communication, computer science, political science/policy, data science, and more. To apply, you must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or higher), and at least 18 years old.

Learn more about the PHT Corps