March 30, 2016 – Cypress, CA – Dr. Bernice B. Rumala, Director of Trident University International’s (Trident) Ph.D. in Health Sciences Program and Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, was recently nominated to serve on the 2016 Governing Council of the Southern California Public Health Association (SCPHA).
The SCPHA, an affiliate of the American Public Health Association (APHA), provides public health leadership through the promotion of policy efforts, education, and public awareness. The APHA, founded in 1872, unites experts from all fields of public health in the promotion of public health issues and policies backed by science.
Dr. Rumala will serve as President Elect, as part of a three-year term. For this term she will serve as President Elect this year, President in 2017, and Immediate Past President the following year. Dr. Rumala believes that community outreach and increased awareness of public health issues is critical for SCPHA and, in this role, will focus her efforts in those areas.
One of her stated goals is to link the SCPHA with the public health and health sciences webinars developed by Trident, a collaboration which is already in progress. Working with Dr. Gayle Early and Dr. Eleanor Long of the SCPHA Governing Council, the University will be able to provide further professional and educational development opportunities through the Public Health Talks webinar series to its community of adult learners, the public health community, and beyond.
Dr. Rumala earned a Ph.D. with a Health Equity focus from Columbia University in New York, NY. She holds three master’s degrees from Columbia, including a Master of Philosophy with a Health Equity focus, a Master of Education in International Education Development, and a Master of Arts in Health Education with a Health Disparities concentration. Additionally, she served as a Fulbright Fogarty fellow.
Dr. Rumala’s professional expertise and interests are in the areas of creative innovative leadership, public health, social determinants of health and education equity, community based participatory research, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) & health sciences practitioner diversity. During her time at Trident, she has helped to launch both the Culture of Research and Education (CORE) and Public Health Talks webinar series.
Trident’s College of Health and Human Services offers programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, preparing graduates for future success through the evidence-based decision-making and critical analysis of current issues facing professionals in these fields. In particular, the PhD program offers concentrations in Public Health, Global Health, Health Education and Health Policy and Administration, as well as a Graduate Certificate Program in Public Health.
Trident, a leading 100% online post-secondary institution that offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate levels, is committed to its community of adult learners and over 28,000 alumni. Founded in 1998, the University is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
About Trident University
Founded in 1998, Trident University International (Trident) is a leading online post-secondary university serving adult learners. Trident developed the Trident Learning Model, which employs case-based learning in an online setting to teach real-world relevant critical thinking skills to enhance student’s lives and careers. Trident offers high-quality bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs, led by a qualified faculty team, over 80% of whom have doctoral degrees. Visit www.trident.edu, Trident’s Facebook page, or call at to learn more about Trident’s wide range of program offerings.
