2026 Details Coming Soon!
This complimentary symposium isn’t just about dialogue—it’s about action! Dive into the complexities of global health issues through the lens of collaborative health for all. Immerse yourself in dynamic discussions, interactive breakout and poster sessions, and insightful keynote speeches.
Whether you’re in academia, healthcare, religious-based work, or at a non-profit organization, don’t miss this opportunity to exchange ideas with, learn from, and develop partnerships with passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds in global health. Your voice and actions matter in achieving collective global health and well-being for all.
Event Highlights
Network with the Community
Visit booths by local organizations.
Hear from Experts in Global Health
Gain invaluable insights from experts tackling pressing global issues.
Unlock Global Health Solutions
Be inspired by Dr. David Dyjack and learn from his experience in international health crises, including work in conflict zones and disaster areas.
MPH in Global Health
Students who meet the qualifications can complete an MPH in Global Health in 5 years vs. six years through the La Sierra University Bachelors and LLU 4+1 program. Learn more about the 4+1 program.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. David Dyjack, DrPH, CIH
Global Health at the Isthmus
Public health is at a turning point. Non-communicable and lifestyle diseases are on the rise, yet we have unprecedented tools to combat them. With data modernization and artificial intelligence, we can predict, prevent, and personalize health interventions like never before. But technology alone isn’t enough—information itself is a social determinant of health. Who has access to knowledge, and how we share it, shapes the well-being of entire populations. This is your moment to be part of a revolution—where science, technology, and advocacy unite to build a healthier, more equitable world. Will you answer the call?
About Dr. David Dyjack
David T. Dyjack, Dr.PH, CIH, is Chief Executive Officer of the 7000-member National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), a position he has held since May 2015. Under his leadership, NEHA has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles on workforce development, attracted over $100 million in federal funding, and, in the process, increased membership by 55%. Throughout his 35-year public health career, Dyjack has been dean of an accredited school of public health, health director for an international non-governmental organization, and a consultant to private sector organizations such as Exxon, Saudi Aramco, and Ford Motor Company. David earned a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan, an MSPH from the University of Utah, and is a board-certified industrial hygienist (CIH).
One World, One Health: Advancing Health through Collaboration
Thursday, April 10, 2025
| 9:00 - 9:50 a.m. | Registration/Breakfast Location: Zapara School of Business (ZSB) Atrium |
| 10:00 - 11:20 a.m. | Welcome, Introduction, Prayer, and Keynote Session Keynote Speaker: Dr. David Dyjack, DrPH, CIH: Issues Tackled By Global Health Location: ZSB Troesch |
| 11:20 - 11:30 a.m. | Break |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. | Global Health Session Location: ZSB Troesch |
| 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch Location: La Sierra University Dining Commons |
| 1:30 - 2:50 p.m. | Breakouts: Topic 1: Community Approaches to Mental Health Location: ZSB Classroom 244 Speaker: Mary Obideyi
Topic 2: Migrant/Immigrant Health Location: ZSB Classroom 250 Speaker: Sasha Ross
Topic 3: Environmental Health Location: ZSB Classroom 226 Speaker: Dr. Sinclair and Dr. Dyjack |
| 2:50 - 3:00 p.m. | Break |
| 3:00 - 3:50 p.m. | Closing General Session and Q&A Location: ZSB Troesch |
Breakout Sessions
About Mary Obideyi, MPH, CHES®
Mary Obideyi, MPH, CHES® but goes by the name Tomi (pronounced Toe-mee), is a Program Coordinator for the Riverside University Health System - Public Health, where she works primarily in the Health Equity Program by supporting community-based organizations that provide equitable and inclusive resources to the community. Tomi, through her platform and business called Tomi The Encourager, is also a motivational public speaker and mental health educator who strives to inspire individuals to be their true and authentic selves through Jesus. As a second-generation Nigerian American woman with lived experiences of mental health problems, Tomi speaks to multiple BIPOC communities, especially youth, about mental health stigma reduction, suicide prevention, and the importance of seeking mental health resources.
Migrant & Immigrant Health: The Changing Legal and Political Considerations Affecting Individual and Global Health Outcomes Today
About Sasha Ross
Sasha Ross serves as a Senior Grants Manager at Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD), one of the 10 largest federally qualified health centers in the nation. She leads program development initiatives for federal, state, and local funders that totaled over $48 million in 2024 and served nearly 160,000 unduplicated patients through more than a million visits. Her work focuses on reducing health disparities among uninsured, low-income, and underrepresented communities through enhanced and expanded primary care, behavioral health, physical rehabilitation, and workforce development programs. With 20 years of experience working in international development, humanitarian aid, public policy, refugee studies, and global health, she holds a Master’s in Church-State Studies from Baylor University and served previously at ADRA International, World Vision-US, International Medical Corps, La Sierra University, and the Southeastern California Conference of SDAs.
What’s Next for Global Health?
Global health is constantly evolving, shaped by emerging challenges, groundbreaking innovations, and shifting global priorities. With recent headlines filled with stories of funding crises, breakthroughs, and policy debates, you may find yourself wondering—what exactly is global health, and where is it headed?
Join us for an interactive discussion on the future of global health, exploring its most pressing controversies, challenges, and opportunities. Career global health experts Dr. Ron Mataya and Dr. Monita Baba-Djara will share their insights on key issues and potential solutions, offering a thought-provoking look at what’s next for the field.
About Dr. Monita Baba-Djara
Dr. Baba Djara is an Assistant Professor at the LLU School of Public Health (LLUSPH) and Director of the Global Health MPH program, where she teaches classes in program design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as Global Health Fundamentals and Health System courses. Before joining LLUSPH, she taught at the Boston University of Public Health for 7 years. For the last 11 years, she has also worked in the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research unit of an international development non-profit organization, providing technical expertise to over 20 country programs and two global programs, including 2.5 years as the Director of the unit. Prior to this, she worked in Cameroon for 16 years, leading and managing hospitals, clinics, and dental clinics and providing mental health services in the Central African region. Over the course of her career in Global Health, she has focused on strengthening health systems, organizational development, mental health, cultural humility, and health equity. Dr. Baba Djara graduated from Walla Walla University with a degree in Theology. She went on to receive her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Loma Linda University and later received her DrPH in Global Public Health from Boston University. She is married with four children and enjoys traveling and teaching.
About Dr. Ron Mataya
Ronald Mataya is currently Professor of Global Health at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine’s Global Women’s Health Initiative which allows him to continue working in Malawi supporting the ob/gyn residency program at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences formerly the University of Malawi College of Medicine.
Before joining the School of Public Health, he worked at the international head offices of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Silver Spring, Maryland, as the Director for Health Programs. There he led a team of public health experts in over 15 countries in implementing different health interventions in family planning and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, child survival and nutrition.
Prior to that he worked in his home country of Malawi as an obstetrician and gynecologist with special interest in women's health nationally and globally. As a result of this interest and his work in Malawi, he won a scholarship to study health policy and management as a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta. He attended medical school at the West Visayas State University in the Philippines and trained in ob-gyn at the Taiwan Adventist Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.
About Dr. Ryan Sinclair
Ryan G. Sinclair is an Associate Professor of Environmental Microbiology in the Loma Linda University School of Public Health and Assistant Professor in the department of Earth and Biological Sciences. He completed his PhD on water quality from Tulane University and has a post doc in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Arizona. He was recently awarded the 2021 SCAQMD Dr. Robert M. Zweig clean air award.