Physicians, researchers, and advocates for Iowa’s most vulnerable populations addressed public health and the pandemic, the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and the challenge of vaccine hesitancy.

Physicians, researchers, and advocates for Iowa’s most vulnerable populations will address public health and the pandemic, the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and the challenge of vaccine hesitancy on the next WorldCanvass. The program, produced by UI International Programs and hosted by Joan Kjaer, begins at 5:30 p.m. on March 16. WorldCanvass is free and open to all.

Cooking with firewood and other biofuels is one of the most urgent problems in the world today. It affects the health and wellbeing of those inhaling the fumes at close range, relies on increasingly scarce sources of firewood, and contributes over 20% of global black carbon emissions. The harm to individuals and the environment cannot be denied, and yet there’s little awareness of the issue among the general public. WorldCanvass host Joan Kjaer and a panel of experts drawn from multiple fields including engineering, urban and regional planning, public health, anthropology, and geography will discuss the use of traditional wood-burning cookstoves and the complex social and cultural underpinnings of the practice on the April 12 WorldCanvass, a highlight of the UI’s yearly Provost’s Global Forum. The public is invited to attend the April 12 discussion at the Voxman Music Building Recital Hall from 7:30-9:30 p.m. There will be a pre-show catered reception from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

WorldCanvass tackles informatics—also known as big data—on its final program of the 2015-2016 season. Guests from the diverse fields of computer science, medicine, sociology, public health, and geographical and sustainability sciences will discuss the proliferation of big data and their attempts to both understand and utilize this massive and, in many ways, untamed digital resource. “Big Data: Big Brother or Big Sister?” is the topic at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at FilmScene. WorldCanvass is free and open to the public.

On December 17, 2014, U.S. President Obama and Cuban President Castro announced a new era of openness and interaction between their two countries. As the one-year anniversary approaches, WorldCanvass explores Cuba’s rich history and culture through its architecture and urbanism, focusing on the question ‘what comes next?’ We’ll learn about the long and complex U.S./Cuba relationship through the lens of public health, and discuss new openings for educational exchange and business development on the island. WorldCanvass, which is free and open to the public, begins at 5 p.m. on December 8 at FilmScene in Iowa City.

On the next WorldCanvass, Rebecca Arnold, UI Masters of Public Health graduate and senior program officer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communications Programs, will receive the UI’s 2015 International Impact Award. This is the sixth year of the award, which is given to exceptional individuals who have made sustained and deep contributions internationally or in the U.S. to promote global understanding. The presentation and following WorldCanvass discussion will begin at 5 p.m., November 10, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City and is free and open to the public.

CPH faculty member Kelly Baker studies the cascade of health issues connected to water, sanitation, and hygiene

University of Iowa students are participating in more summer and winter study-abroad programs in order to participate in more than just class. In the 2012-13 school year, 62 percent of UI students participated in study, work, internships, or volunteering during summer or winter sessions — as opposed to 55 percent just three years ago.