Media sources on the Ebola epidemic
The following University of the Pacific experts are available to comment on patient's civil rights, vaccine prospects, the role of big data in controlling epidemics, talking with children about life-threatening illnesses, and other issues related to Ebola.
Civil rights in an epidemic
Leslie Gielow Jacobs, director of the Capital Center for Public Law and Policy at Pacific McGeorge School of Law, can talk about the civil rights of Ebola patients and those with whom they come in contact. She can discuss legal issues related to mandatory quarantines and travel restrictions, among other questions. Jacobs is a former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. and has authored an important body of scholarship on constitutional law. She has a special interest in issues of bioterrorism and national security. Contact: Leslie Gielow Jacobs, ljacobs@pacific.edu, (916) 739-7217
Travel health; history and future of vaccines
Mark P. Walberg, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at University of the Pacific, is available to talk about issues related to travel health, including prospects for an Ebola vaccine. Walberg holds a certificate in travel health from the International Society of Travel Medicine and is a faculty trainer for the American Pharmacists Association Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Certification Training Program. Walberg received his doctor of pharmacy degree and doctorate in pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry at University of the Pacific's Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He has bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from UCLA. He teaches courses in advanced immunizations and immunology, the history and future of vaccines, and travel health/medicine. Contact: Mark Walberg, mwalberg@pacific.edu or (805) 338-5546.
Controlling epidemics with data
Rick Hutley, interim program director for University of the Pacific's new San Francisco master's degree program in analytics, is available to talk about the role of big data in tracking the spread of infectious diseases. Hutley is the former CIO of British Telecom's Concert Communications Company and most recently served as vice president for Cisco System's global strategic consulting arm, Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group. Contact: Rick Hutley, rhutley@pacific.edu
Talking with children about Ebola
Scott Jensen, associate professor of psychology at University of the Pacific, can discuss how parents might expect their children to react to news coverage of the Ebola epidemic, how parents can help their children work through their fears and what lingering effects parents might look out for in the weeks and months after news coverage of the illness has stopped. Jensen's primary research interest is in parenting and parenting interventions. Contact: Scott Jensen, 209.938.8125, sjensen@pacific.edu
Media contact:
Keith Michaud | 209.946.3275 (office) | kmichaud@pacific.edu
