Semester-long Ebola forum kicks off Jan. 26

By Laura Douglas-BrownJan. 22, 2015

The Ebola Faculty and Community Forum, which starts Jan. 26, is co-chaired by Deborah Bruner, Robert W. Woodruff Chair in Nursing; Sita Ranchod-Nilsson, director of Emory’s Institute for Developing Nations; and Pamela Scully, director of the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and professor of African Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Emory Photo/Video

The Ebola Faculty and Community Forum — a semester-long, multidisciplinary series backed by all nine schools that make up Emory — begins Jan. 26 with a panel discussion of "Ebola: Past and Present in the U.S. and West Africa."

The conversation is free and open to all who wish to attend. It takes place from 4-6 p.m. at Candler School of Theology’s Rita Ann Rollins Building, room 252. Attendees are asked to RSVP to idn@emory.edu.

The Ebola Faculty and Community Forum was created to offer an extensive, multidisciplinary forum to explore the impact of Ebola virus disease on public health, policy, law, ethics, government, development, religion and more.

A total of seven discussions will be held, running through April 13. Speakers include Emory faculty, experts from organizations currently working on Ebola in West Africa, and former President Jimmy Carter, now University Distinguished Professor at Emory and founder of the Carter Center.

The entire session Jan. 26 session and the April 9 discussion with President Carter will be open to all. For most other sessions, students, faculty and other members of the Emory community may attend the first hour, from 4-5 p.m., while a second hour will be reserved for a small group of faculty who were selected through a competitive application process.

"For the first hour, students, faculty and others in the Emory community can take advantage of the tremendous experts we are bringing in, and the second hour will be just faculty so we can have a very intensive conversation with the experts in helping move curriculum and research forward," says Deborah Bruner, Robert W. Woodruff Chair in Nursing.

Bruner is co-chairing the forum with Sita Ranchod-Nilsson, director of Emory’s Institute for Developing Nations, and Pamela Scully, director of the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and professor of African Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

The forum is organized by the Institute of African Studies, the Institute for Developing Nations and the Nell Hodgson School of Nursing. All nine schools that make up Emory University have lent their support, Bruner says. In addition to the School of Nursing, they include Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Candler School of Theology, Laney Graduate School, Goizueta Business School, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, and the Rollins School of Public Health.

The current schedule for the forum appears below. Attendance for the community portion will be first-come, first-served, and Bruner notes that since the events are expected to be popular, attendees are encouraged to arrive early.

Jan. 26, 4-6 p.m.

Candler School of Theology, Rita Anne Rollins Building, room 252

Topics:

  • Ebola, the disease

  • History and regional background of West Africa
  • Current situation in Liberia
  • The US experience of Ebola: response, treatment, prevention

Speakers:

  • Deborah Bruner, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing, Emory Ebola Task Force: Introduction
  • Carlos del Rio, Rollins School of Public Health
: Opening address
  • Jallah Barbu, Liberian Law Reform Commission: Liberian mobilization

  • Susan Grant, Emory Healthcare, Georgia and Emory Ebola Task Forces: Emory’s preparedness and leadership

Feb. 3, 4-5 p.m.

Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS) Building, room 290

Topics:

  • Ebola, "a neoliberal disease?"
  • Economic, political and social impact in Liberia

Speakers:

  • Pewee Flomoku, Carter Center Liberia

  • Jeff Rosensweig, Goizueta School of Business
  • Pamela Scully, Emory College

Feb. 23, 4-5 p.m.

Goizueta Business School, room W525

Topics:

  • Ebola and the law in the U.S. and West Africa
  • Treatment, vaccine development and ethics

Speakers:

  • Polly Price, Emory Law

  • Paul Wolpe, Center for Ethics

March 3, 4-5 p.m.

Candler School of Theology, Rita Anne Rollins Building, room 252

Topic:

  • Religion as obstacle and asset

Speakers:

  • John Blevins, Rollins School of Public Health
  • Jehu Hancile, Candler School of Theology
  • Emmanuel Lartey, Candler School of Theology

March 23, 4-5 p.m.

School of Medicine, room 110

Topic:

  • Perspectives from institutional partners

Speakers:

  • Shelly Bratton, CDC
  • Consuelo Campbell, Mental Health in Liberia Program, The Carter Center
  • Tom Crick, Access to Justice in Liberia Program, The Carter Center
  • Courtenay Dusenbury, International Association of National Public Health Institutes

April 9, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

School of Nursing Alumni Auditorium, room P01

Topic:

  • Ebola, democracy, human rights and public health

Speaker:

  • President Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. president, The Carter Center

April 13, 4-6 p.m.

School of Law Tull Auditorium, third floor

Topic:

  • Moving forward: research, curriculum, global partnerships

Speakers:

  • Deborah Bruner, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing, Emory Ebola Task Force
  • Elizabeth Downes, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing

  • Bill Eley, School of Medicine, Emory Task Force on Ebola
  • Sita Ranchod-Nilsson, Institute for Developing Nations
  • Pamela Scully, Emory College

  • David Stephens, School of Medicine, Emory Task Force on Ebola

  • Philip Wainwright, Office of International Affairs, Emory Task Force on Ebola

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