WHS SoCal Networks!

Join us on Thursday July 9 at 4:00 PM as Rita Burke, President of WHS SoCal, shares her vision for the organization. We'll also provide ample opportunity to network, catch up with old friends and meet new ones!

Rita Burke, PhD, MPH

Rita V. Burke, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California where she teaches classes on disaster management, violence and public health leadership. Previously, she worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where she led all research efforts in pediatric disaster management and injury prevention.

Dr. Burke has over 60 peer-reviewed publications, over 50 abstracts at local, state and national conferences and book chapters. She is the former co-chair of the Research Committee for the Pediatric Trauma Society, the current co-chair for the Los Angeles Children in Disaster Working Group and co-chair of the Disaster and Emergency Response sub-committee of the American Public Health Association. She is a member of the American Public health Association, Society for Epidemiologic Research, the American College of Epidemiology, and the Education Sub-council for the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. She is the Associate Editor for the peer-reviewed journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness and co-author of Landesman’s Public Health Management of Disasters. She is the Principal Investigator to examine the gaps in preparedness for families with children with access and functional needs as well as another grant that examines the role of faith-based organizations in disaster preparedness.

Dr. Burke received her MPH and PhD in epidemiology from the University of California, Los Angeles where she also received several competitive grants and fellowships while earning her doctorate.