Created: May 31, 2003Last Modified: August 16, 2004
Symposium September 8–9, 2003:
Role and Responsibilities of the Land Grant System
in
Building Community Strengths to Address Biohazards*
(*i.e., natural and man-made threats to public health and the local environment)
A Symposium with cross-disciplinary relevance and appeal, held at Cornell University.
Organized by:
- Lois Levitan, Program Leader of the Environmental Risk Analysis Program (ERAP), Department of Communication, Cornell University
- Rod Howe, Assistant Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Associate Director of the Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI),
- With important assistance from ERAP and CaRDI Staff: Eric Strong, Sara Miller and Sylvia Moravia.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this Symposium was to strengthen the capacity of the Land Grant system to work with communities in preparing and recovering from natural and man-made biohazards (e.g., severe winter weather, highly infectious diseases and water system contamination).
The Symposium was to identify issues and build skills integrating community, biosciences and the Land Grant outreach mission. We built networks across disciplines and between research and outreach, bridging the life and social sciences to develop a framework for biohazard prevention, preparedness, and remediation.
Why We Had a Symposium?
The perception and reality of risks to health, food systems, and the local environment have been in the news and public consciousness with increasing frequency in the past few years, and especially since September 11, 2001.
Although recent perception may be that risks from purposefully malevolent actions (i.e., bioterrorism) are of greatest concern, in fact many recent challenges to community preparedness are from emerging infectious diseases (e.g., SARS and West Nile Virus), severe weather events (e.g., an ice storm causing road blockages and power outage), and food and water system contamination.
While agricultural and life scientists know a great deal about many of the organisms that are potential biohazards, and earth scientists and engineers have gained much ground in predicting and preventing tragedy from natural disasters, the critical interplay between the biosciences and social factors is less well understood.
For example, how might disruptions due to biological threats affect community cohesion, economic and emotional stability, and the health and well-being of residents? Conversely, does a cohesive, interactive community enable more effective risk communication and cooperation under stress?
These interactions will be the focus of the Symposium.
Proceedings
Day One: Developing a Framework
Monday, September 8, 2003
Biology & Community Intertwined — Examples from the Smallpox Vaccination Campaign [Slides–1.11MB]
- Lois Levitan — Program Leader, Environmental Risk Analysis Program (ERAP), Department of Communication, Cornell University (Bio)
Panel: Perspectives on Interconnections between Biophysical & Social Risk Factors [Notes]
- Paul Trader — Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland County; and Vice-chair New York State Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Task Force
- Ann-Margaret Esnard — Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University [Bio]
- Terry Nipp — Executive Director, National Institute for Agricultural Security (NIAS) [Bio]
Background Materials:
- Enserink, Martin. Jan 24, 2003. Go Slow With Smallpox Shots, Panel Says. Science 299 (5606): 486-7 [PDF].
- Koopman, Jim. Nov 15, 2002. Controlling Smallpox. Science 298 (5597): 1342-4 [PDF].
- Flora, Cornelia Butler. 2001. Social Capital is Critical, Even in State of High Alert. Rural Development News 25 (3): http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/rdev/newsletter/Vol25No3-2001/socialcap.html.
- WHO Fact Sheet on Smallpox accessed from http://www.who.int/cemc/diseases/smallpox/factsheet.html.
- Aronson, Stanley M. and Lucille Newman. 2002. God have Mercy on this House: Being a Brief Chronicle of Smallpox in New England. John Carter Brown Library of Brown University. http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2002-03/02-017t.html 10 pages.
EDEN: Role of the Extension Disaster Education Network in Framing the Land Grant Role in Community Preparedness [Slides–1.06MB] [Handouts–367KB] [Notes]
- Eric Hallman — Director of Cornell Agricultural Health & Safety Program, Cornell University; and Chair, New York Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Task Force
- Mark Hansen — Chair, Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN); as well as Coordinator for Emergency Management Programs, Michigan State University Extension (MSUE); and Extension Specialist in Wildfire Prevention Programs
Public Seminar:
Communicating SARS — Civil Liberties vs. Community Responsibility
[Slides–8.65MB]
[Outline–367KB]
- Stewart Auyash — Associate Professor and Chair of Health Policy Studies, Ithaca College [Bio]
A video of the seminar is being developed for more information contact envrisk@cornell.edu
Panelists:
- Richard Beresford — Professor of Neurology, University of Rochester School of Medicine; Adjunct Professor, Cornell Law School; and Chief of Neurology, Canandaigua VA Medical Center [Bio]
- Bruce Lewenstein — Associate Professor of Science Communication, Department of Communication, and Department of Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University; and Editor, Public Understanding of Science [Bio]
Abstract:
How should community leaders balance civil liberties and concerns about community health during an emergency? What lessons in ethics and action might be learned from how SARS was handled in Singapore, Toronto and elsewhere earlier in 2003?
Background Materials:
- Bloom, Barry. 2003. Lessons From SARS. Science 300 (5620): 701 [PDF].
- Singer, Peter, Ross Upshur, et al. July 14, 2003. Ethics and SARS: Learning from the Toronto Experience. University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (http://www.utoronto.ca/jcb/SARS_workingpaper.asp).
- Hoenig, Henry. 16 June 2003. Beijing Goes High-Tech to Block SARS Messages. The New Zealand Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3507534).
- Gostin, Lawrence O, Scott Burris, and Zita Lazzarini. 1999. The Law and the Public's Health: a Study of Infectious Disease Law in the United States. Columbia Law Review 99 : 59-128 [PDF].
- Bruce, Julie. 2003. Bioterrorism Meets Privacy: an Analysis of the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act and the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Annals of Health Law 12:75-119 [PDF].
Posters
- Cain, Steven. EDEN: Supporting Extension Educators in Disaster [Abstract]
- Cornell Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI) [Abstract]
- Cornell ERAP Web Development Team. Emergency Preparedness Resources for New York State — Website [Abstract]
- Harrison, Roberta. Oswego County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Annex for Emerging Infectious Disease in Non-human Populations [Abstract]
- Koch, Becky. Communicating Before, During and After a Disaster [Abstract]
- Koch, Becky. Home Moisture Education (Handout) [Abstract]
- Marshall, Peter. Results of a National Study Assessing Extension's Disaster Education Programming Capabilities [Abstract]
Day Two: Gaining the Skills/Developing the Structures
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Social Impacts of an "Ag Problem" — Case Study of Foot & Mouth Disease [Slides–1.78MB] [Handouts–1.12MB]
- Alfonso Torres — Director of Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and Associate Dean of Veterinary Public Policy, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; Formerly Chief Veterinary Officer for the US (1999 to 2002) and Director of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.
Background Materials:
Communicating About Risks in the Community [Slides (Lewenstein)–1.58MB] [Handouts (Lewenstein)–288KB] [Slides(Scherer)–1.58MB] [Handouts(Scherer)–288KB] [Notes]
- Clifford Scherer — Associate Professor of Communication, Cornell University; and Advisor on Risk Communication for the US Food and Drug Administration and the New York State Department of Health [Bio]
- Bruce Lewenstein — Associate Professor of Science Communication, Department of Communication, and Department of Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University; and Editor, Public Understanding of Science [Bio]
Background Materials:
- Scherer, Clifford W. and Napoleon K. Juanillo Jr. 2003. The Continuing Challange of Community Health Risk Management and Communication In Handbook of Health Communication. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Lewenstein, Bruce. 16 June 2003. Models of Public Communication of Science & Technology [PDF].
- Slovic, Paul. 1987. Perception of Risk. Science 236 (17 April): 280-285 [PDF].
Role of Key Federal, State & Community Partners in Emergency Preparedness [Notes]
- Moderated by: Mike Hoffmann — Associate Director for Agriculture and Food Systems in Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE); as well as Director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM); and Professor of Entomology, Cornell University [Bio]
Panelists
- Bruce Akey — State Veterinarian/Director (Acting), Division of Animal Industry, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets [Slides–72KB] [Handouts–95.6KB]
- Jacqueline Byers — Director of Research, National Association of Counties (NACO)
- Charles Wright — Regional Director, Region #4, New York State Emergency Management Office (NYSEMO)
Funding Land Grant System research & outreach for biohazard preparedness, response & recovery [Notes]
- Moderated by: Max Pfeffer —Associate Director, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (CUAES); and Professor of Development Sociology, Cornell University
- Ralph Otto — Deputy Administrator for Plant and Animal Systems, (USDA/CSREES)
Breakout sessions to explore funding proposals & initiatives
- Creative Tension: Social vs. Biophysical—Role of Politics, Political Pressures & Economics in Developing & Implementing Emergency Plans [Notes]
- Family and Personal Preparedness versus Community Responsibility [Notes]
- Strengthening the Role of the Land Grant and Extension System [Notes]
- Limits & Opportunities: GIS, Database Models, & Technology in Aiding the Community [Notes]
Objectives
- Bring together multi-disciplinary intellectual resources of the Northeast Land Grant universities for two days of focused attention and networking to assess how the Land Grant system can better address biohazard prevention, preparedness and recovery
- Build an interdisciplinary understanding and framework for working on these issues
- Network within the Land Grant system to identify relevant expertise and interests
- Identify agencies, resources and groups outside the University system that are addressing community biohazard prevention, preparedness and recovery
- Discuss the role of the Land Grant system in working with public agencies on these issues
- Learn about potential funding sources to further Land Grant system work on these issues
- Develop research and outreach strategies that integrate perspectives from the social and biosciences for biohazard prevention, preparedness and recovery
Co-Sponsors
- Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine
- Cornell Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI)
- Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)
- Cornell Department of Communication
- Cornell Environmental Risk Analysis Program (ERAP)
- Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (CUAES)
- Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)
- Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD)