The Fresno County Preterm Birth Initiative, a program with the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, recently received a proclamation from the City of Clovis recognizing Nov. 17, 2018 as World Prematurity Day. The Fresno County PTBI, along with many community partners, organized the local World Prematurity Day event to bring awareness to the epidemic of preterm birth. Fresno County is home to some of the highest rates of preterm birth in California.

Miguel Perez (Public Health) presented "ABC for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases" at the second annual meeting of the Latin American Lifestyle Medical Association in Lima, Peru in early November. He also just returned from Santiago, Chile, where he presented on "Cultural Competence in Healthcare: Opening Doors and Improving Healthcare Delivery" at the 15th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine. While in Santiago, he also conducted training on cultural competence at the Universidad del Desarrollo.

The College of Health and Human Services honored its heroes in health and human services during the annual Hero Awards on Nov. 9. The nine honorees included community members and alumni — individuals who advocate on behalf of children and families in the Central Valley region, and strive to make a positive difference in their communities.

Learn more about each of the heroes on the College of Health and Human Services blog.

Luke Pryor (Kinesiology) partnered with the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine to explore the energy cost of walking and standing. In their recent publication, they determined the most economical walking speed (3.1 mph) and discovered an algorithm that accurately predicts energy expenditure during walking and standing.

Read more about the study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine.