DESCRIPTION: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. 
I am part of the leadership committee of the Ethics Section and act as the Student Assembly Liaison for the section. I am hoping to garner funds to attend this meeting for an opportunity to finally meet my public health colleagues in person after speaking with them over the phone for the past two years. This meeting would provide tremendous value in professional development, as APHA members are also key personnel in federal agencies, private research institutions, and academia--all areas wherein I hope to pursue a career and/or postdoc. I would also like to meet members from other sections, such as Epidemiology, Veterinary Public Health, Food and Nutrition, and Medical Care, to forge new networks that may benefit my own research during my PhD program. If I am to attend, I will undoubtedly spend time at the Student Assembly booth as an informal representative of Virginia Tech and the BEST program.  

ESTIMATED EXPENSES: 1) Registration (early bird)--$230, 2) Flight to Chicago--$300, 3) Gas (to drive from Blacksburg to airport in Charlotte, NC)--$120. (Hotel group rates are not yet posted, but I may be able to find free housing.)