Public health professor brings international epidemiology conference to Anchorage
by Kathleen McCoy |
The Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) named University of Alaska Anchorage Assistant Professor of Public Health Betty Buchan, Ph.D., DFTCB, the 2009 Meeting Champion of the Year at the ACVB 29th Annual Seymour Awards Banquet held earlier this month at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center.
The Meeting Champion of the Year is bestowed upon an individual or local organization that has helped bring a large piece of national or international convention business to Anchorage. Dr. Buchan, a member of the International Epidemiological Association, has been instrumental in working with members of ACVB's Convention Meetings Sales and Service (CMSS) team to book the World Congress of Epidemiology, anticipated to bring anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 people from more than 50 countries to Anchorage in October 2014, and worth an estimated $2.3 million for the local economy.
The triennial World Congress of Epidemiology meetings represent the largest gathering of epidemiologists from around the world and provide a forum for researchers, teachers, and other practitioners of the discipline to have a frank discussion about the new directions and issues related to epidemiology. According to Dr. Buchan, they will be focusing on health issues impacting locations with similar climates and altitudes of Alaska's various regions at the 2014 meeting.