The Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health received a $1.8 million grant to fund enhancements for a new training program that will expand course options and give students an inside look at other ethnicities.

The grant is from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, a division of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and will fund a new program aimed at reducing health disparities in mothers and their children, according to a press release.

"Maternal and child health is an integral part of public health," said Douglas Taren, an associate professor and chair of the master's in public health program in the College of Public Health.

The grant will also provide faculty with the necessary funds for travel and seminars, and will give students and faculty an opportunity to work with the Navajo Nation in an effort to examine maternal and child health issues in rural areas.

Taren said the UA is in a unique position to address American Indian and border health issues, and the grant helps fulfill part of the college's mission to improve the health of diverse communities.

"It really makes the education much more experiential," Taren said.

Taren said the money will be used to aid faculty development and to add new courses to the program, such as a course in maternal and child health epidemiology.

The college will also be able to expand its field-based classes, which are designed to give students firsthand experiences in a variety of public health settings, such as day care centers and substance abuse programs, Taren said.

Taren said maternal and child health is one of the concentrations available to graduate students in the master's program.

Taren said he is especially grateful for the support of his colleagues in the College of Public Health in obtaining this grant.

"It's definitely giving our program national recognition," Taren said.