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ESG
ESG
SOPHE Award
SOPHE Award
Fellow
Fellow
NCHEC Award
NCHEC Award
Fries Award
Fries Award
FAHE Award
FAHE Award
National Student Case Study Winners
National Student Case Study Winners
Platinum Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
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Silver Sponsor
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Bronze Sponsor

Full Schedule

Full Schedule

  • Tuesday, March 24, 2026
  • 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Webinar: Local Roots, Global Impact: Before You Go to the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference
     CE: 1.0
  • Tuesday, April 21, 2026
  • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    National Case Study Competition in Health Education
  • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Registration Opens
    N/A
  • 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    SOPHE Board of Trustees Orientation (9:30 am) and Meeting (10:30 am)
  • 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Eta Sigma Gamma Board of Directors Meeting (ESG Board Members Only
  • 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    HPP Editorial Board Meeting
  • 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    PW01. Pre-Conference Session: Smart Health: Harnessing AI for Public Health Innovation
  • 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    PW02. Pre-Conference Session: Best Practices to Create Transparency and Building Trust
    Health Communication
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Exhibit Hall Set-Up
    N/A
  • 3:00 PM - 4:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    HE&B Board Meeting
  • 4:15 PM - 6:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    PW03. Pre-Conference Session: HESPA III and Mapping Academic Curriculum to the Updated Practice Analysis Results Workshop
    Moderator: Melissa Opp, MPH, MCHES – NCHEC
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 5:00 PM - 6:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    PHP Editorial Board Meeting
  • 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    SOPHE House of Delegates Meeting
  • 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    SOPHE Board + ESG Board Social (Invitation Only)
  • Wednesday, April 22, 2026
  • 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Registration Open
  • 7:45 AM - 8:45 AM East Coast USA Time
    SOPHE New Member Breakfast (RSVP Required)
  • 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    Opening Plenary
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Wednesday Exhibits and Posters Open
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    A1. Deep Dive: Strengthening Professional Identity and Building a Collective Research Agenda for Health Education Specialists
    Moderator: Melissa Opp, MPH, MCHES – NCHEC
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    A2. Oral Session: Growing Tomorrow's Public Health Workforce
    Moderator: Chasity L. Riddick, DrPH (she/her/hers) – Temple University
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    A3. Oral Session: Clean Air Strategies for Healthier Communities
    Moderator: Carol Cox, PhD MCHES – Truman State University
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    A4. Skill-Building Workshop: Navigating Professional Spaces: A Mentorship-Based Approach to Conference Preparation
    Moderator: Kendall Smith, CHES – The University of Alabama
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    A5. Oral Session: Digital Spaces, Real Impacts: Youth, Screens, and Healthy Choices
    Moderator: La Verne D. Partlow, MEd (she/her/hers) – Gaston County Public Health
    Health Communication
     CE: 1.0
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    A6. Oral Session: Community Health Workers (CHWs) at the Frontlines of Health Equity
    Social Justice and Health Equity
  • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Wednesday Poster Power Hour
    Social Justice and Health Equity
  • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Wednesday Poster Power Hour
  • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    B1. Oral Session: From Classroom to Career: Health Education and Public Health Training
    Moderator: Patsy Schneider-Ingram, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES, ACSM-HFS – Southern Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University, Southern California University of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, University of Hartford, Georgia Military College, Mitchell College
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    B2. Oral Session: Empowering Chapters and Communities through Advocacy and Partnerships
    Moderator: Alexis A. Blavos, PhD, MCHES (she/her/hers) – SUNY-Cortland
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    B3. Oral Session: Strengthening Health Systems through Training and Leadership: Lessons Learned from Africa
    Moderator: Leonard Jack, Jr., PhD, MSc, SOPHE President (he/him/his) – Society for Public Health Education
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    B4. Oral Session: Advancing Infection Prevention and Vaccination Equity
    Moderator: Ethan Greenblatt, MCHES, CPH (he/him/his) – St. Louis County Department of Public Health
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    B5. Oral Session: Powering Equity Through Food and Movement
    Moderator: Jody Early, PhD, MS (she/her/hers) – School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Washington-Bothell; Center for an Informed Public, University of Washington
    Policy and Advocacy
  • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    B6. Deep Dive: Transforming Rural Health Communication through Interactive Mapping Tools
    Moderator: J. Michael Wilkerson, PhD, MCHES (he/him/his) – UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
    Health Communication
  • 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    C1. Oral Session: From Local to Global: Partnerships for Health Equity and Education
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    C2. Oral Session: Youth-Centered Mental Health Literacy Approaches
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    C3. Deep Dive: The Power of ESG Involvement: Reflections on Legacy, Mentorship, and Opportunity
    Moderator: Alexis A. Blavos, PhD, MCHES (she/her/hers) – SUNY-Cortland
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    C4. Deep Dive: How to Foster Optimism Amid Fear: Addressing Youth Climate Anxiety Through Communication and Advocacy
    Moderator: Heidi Hancher-Rauch, PhD, MCHES (she/her/hers) – Butler University
    Policy and Advocacy
  • 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    C5. Oral Session: From Avatars to Impact: AI in Public Health
    Moderator: Jodi Brookins-Fisher, PhD, MCHES, FESG (she/her/hers) – Central Michigan University
    Health Communication
  • 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    C6. Oral Session: Scaling Health Communication for Impact
    Moderator: La Verne D. Partlow, MEd (she/her/hers) – Gaston County Public Health
    Health Communication
  • 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Plenary 2: Climate Change, Environmental Ethics, and Public Health
    Moderator: Caitlyn L. Jasumback, MSPH (she/her/hers) – Utah Public Health Association
    Policy and Advocacy
  • 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Opening Reception
  • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Wednesday Evening Poster Reception
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Wednesday Evening Poster Reception
  • Thursday, April 23, 2026
  • 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Registration Open
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D1. Skill-Building Workshop: Medical Improv: Spontaneity as a Health Promotions Skill
    Moderator: Alexis Smith, MPH (she/her/hers) – Emory University
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D2. Roundtable: Advancing Suicide Prevention & Youth Mental Health
    Moderator: Tiffany Neal, MPH, MCHES (she/her/hers) – American Heart Association
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D3. Roundtable: Co-Designing the Future: Engagement and Leadership in Health Education
    Moderator: Lori Dewald, EdD, ATC, MCHES, F-AAHE (she/her/hers) – American Public University System
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D4. World Cafe: Countering Misinformation and Building Trust Through Civil Dialogue
    Moderator: Patsy Schneider-Ingram, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES, ACSM-HFS – Southern Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University, Southern California University of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, University of Hartford, Georgia Military College, Mitchell College
    Health Communication
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D5. Skill-Building Workshop: Dreaming Poetic Health Justice: Writing, Reading, & Teaching Poetry for the Public’s Health
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D5. Skill-Building Workshop: Dreaming Poetic Health Justice: Writing, Reading, & Teaching Poetry for the Public's Health
    Moderator: Sarah Pember, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
    Social Justice and Health Equity
  • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    D6. Skill-Building Workshop: Using AI-Driven Tools to Empower Public Health Practitioners in the Age of AI
    Moderator: Kathy Finley, MS (she/her/hers) – Indiana University, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Applied Health Science
    Health Communication
  • 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Thursday Exhibits Open
  • 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM East Coast USA Time
    Plenary 3: 2026 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award and Plenary
  • 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    Lunch on your own (Visit Exhibits)
  • 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    Thursday Poster Power Hour
  • 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    ESG Advisor Session
  • 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM East Coast USA Time
    Thursday Poster Power Hour
  • 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    SOPHE All-Member Business Meeting (All Welcome)
  • 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Eta Sigma Gamma Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony| T-shirt exchange |NCHEC Undergraduate Major of the Year
  • 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    E1. Skill-Building Workshop: Rooted in Readiness: Growing Your Public Health Career from the Ground Up
    Moderator: Ethan Greenblatt, MCHES, CPH (he/him/his) – St. Louis County Department of Public Health
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    E2. IGNITE: Building Inclusive, Healthy, Empowered Communities
    Moderator: Sheree H. Keitt, DrPH, MPH, CHES (she/her/hers) – Community Catalyst
    Social Justice and Health Equity
  • 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    E3. Speed Networking: Speed Networking Session
    Moderator: Kathy Finley, MS (she/her/hers) – Indiana University, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Applied Health Science
    Moderator: Patsy Schneider-Ingram, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES, ACSM-HFS – Southern Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University, Southern California University of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, University of Hartford, Georgia Military College, Mitchell College
  • 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    E4. Skill-Building Workshop: Harnessing the Power of ePortfolios for Professional Growth, Mentorship, and Workforce Development
    Moderator: Lori Dewald, EdD, ATC, MCHES, F-AAHE (she/her/hers) – American Public University System
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM East Coast USA Time
    E5. Skill-Building Workshop: The Editors™ Playbook: Navigating the Publishing Pathway
    Moderator: Keely Rees, PhD, MCHES (she/her/hers) – University of Kentucky
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Plenary 4: Awareness to Action: Partnering with Communities to Advance Health Equity
  • 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Plenary 4
  • 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Meet and Greet Mixers and Volunteer Engagement Fair
  • 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    Thursday Evening Poster Reception
  • 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    "It Was a Win-win Experience": Preceptor Insights from the Connecticut Public Health Fellowship Program
  • 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    Dine Arounds on Own
  • Friday, April 24, 2026
  • 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    Yoga for Public Health Professionals: Cultivate Well-being and Resilience
     CE: 1.00
  • 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM East Coast USA Time
    CE Information
  • 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
    F1. Oral Session: Care Under Pressure: People, Policy, and Planetary Health
    Moderator: Alexis A. Blavos, PhD, MCHES (she/her/hers) – SUNY-Cortland
    Policy and Advocacy
  • 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
    F2. Oral Session: Empowering Sexual Health Through Testing and Truth
    Moderator: J. Michael Wilkerson, PhD, MCHES (he/him/his) – UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
    F3. Deep Dive: Harnessing the Power of ePortfolios for Professional Growth, Mentorship, and Workforce Development
    Moderator: Ethan Greenblatt, MCHES, CPH (he/him/his) – St. Louis County Department of Public Health
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
    F4. Oral Session: Shaping Change Through Storytelling
    Moderator: La Verne D. Partlow, MEd (she/her/hers) – Gaston County Public Health
    Health Communication
  • 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
    F5. Oral Session: Strengthening Community and Rural Health Through Partnerships
    Moderator: Kendall Smith, CHES – The University of Alabama
    Program Planning and Evaluation
  • 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM East Coast USA Time
    F6. Oral Session: From Voice to Action: Youth-Led Mental Health Advocacy
    Moderator: Caitlyn L. Jasumback, MSPH (she/her/hers) – Utah Public Health Association
    Policy and Advocacy
  • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    Learning Lab: Where you lead, I will follow: Prioritizing teen leadership to empower new public health leaders
    Moderator: David Brown, EdD, MLIS, MCHES – Network of The National Library of Medicine
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    Learning Lab: Assessing and Addressing the Educational Needs of Illinois School Health Center Staff
    Moderator: Patsy Schneider-Ingram, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES, ACSM-HFS – Southern Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University, Southern California University of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, University of Hartford, Georgia Military College, Mitchell College
  • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    G2. Learning Lab: From Waco to West Africa: Case Studies of Academic-Practice Partnerships for Global Health Training
    Moderator: La Verne D. Partlow, MEd (she/her/hers) – Gaston County Public Health
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    G3. Learning Lab: Where you lead, I will follow: Prioritizing teen leadership to empower new public health leaders
  • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    Learning Lab: TikTok Doc – Understanding How Undergraduate Public Health Students Perceive Health Communication
    Health Communication
  • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM East Coast USA Time
    G5. Learning Lab: Exploring the Integration of Tobacco Treatment into Peer Support Specialist Training for Substance Use Disorders
    Moderator: Kendall Smith, CHES – The University of Alabama
    Leadership, Mentoring, and Training the Next Workforce
  • 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM East Coast USA Time
    Closing Plenary
  • 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM East Coast USA Time
    SOPHE Give Back