Who We Are
The Children’s Environmental Health Center in the U.S. Southern Great Plains was established to reduce children’s school absenteeism caused by both chemical and non-chemical environmental stressors, particularly in underserved rural and agricultural communities.
The Administrative Core (AC) provides the Center’s scientific and organizational foundation, including strategic coordination, milestone tracking, and cross-campus collaboration across OU Health Sciences Center, OU-Tulsa, and OU-Norman. The AC convenes Internal and External Advisory Committee Boards, facilitates regular leadership and project-level meetings, and oversees ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement. Four specialized sub-cores support the Center’s research efforts: the Intervention Core, Data & Modeling Core, Risk Assessment Core, and Health Equity Core.
The Translation Core (TC) promotes bi-directional engagement and effective dissemination across diverse audiences, including researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the public. It leads the development of Center branding and a comprehensive communication strategy, supports community outreach initiatives (such as policy briefs, symposia, and webinars), and evaluates the impact and reach of these efforts. It also leverages the established infrastructure and expertise of the OU-Tulsa Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI) to enhance communication and constituents engagement.