_01.jpg)
_02.jpg)
Program’s founder was former Arnold Dean Dr. Donna Richter
August 19, 2009
Donna Richter
The Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership is celebrating ten years of training public health professionals in the epic battle against HIV.
Under the leadership of IHPL Executive Director Dr. Donna Richter, the institute has trained a cadre of more than 300 graduated professionals (called “fellows”) working today in an expanding network of community-based organizations.
Roberta Shields, mother of Christopher Bridges (better known as the hip-hop artist “Ludacris”), was the keynote speaker for the anniversary at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta.
After a successful 20-year career at a Fortune 50 company, Shields took over her son’s foundation that has donated over $750,000 to support grassroots organizations working to help our youth.
The anniversary was held in conjunction with the 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference where hundreds of delegates met to consider strategies to combat an epidemic that affects more than one million persons in the U.S.
About one-fifth of those with HIV have not yet been diagnosed and are unaware of their infection, according to government estimates.
“This event was an opportunity for professional development, networking, and the rekindling of old friendships. It also served as a reminder of the strides our scholars have made in HIV prevention and the struggle still ahead of us in eradicating this disease,” said Richter, former dean of the USC Arnold School of Public Health and a nationally recognized researcher and author.
Institute Fellows, current Scholars, colleagues of Fellows and Scholars, faculty, staff, and other friends of the Institute are invited to the celebration which featured:
- Fellows’ presentations
- Exhibit hall
- Town hall forum
- Keynote speaker
- Gala dinner
The IHPL is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). Total funding for the project thus far exceeds $14 million.
Since 2000, the institute has hosted participants, or “scholars,” from community-based organizations in 39 states and two U.S. territories. The basic training program is a series of four week-long seminars at a single location and intensive work on a significant CBO-based project between on-site sessions.
Additionally, the IHPL offers advanced seminars, which are short, intensive trainings that build upon the instruction of the core IHPL curriculum. The organization also offers networking opportunities at national conferences, publishes a newsletter, and provides web-based HIV prevention resources. Some fellows also return to the institute as faculty, Richter said.
