Dr. John Capitman, executive director for the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, recently received confirmation of his appointment to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Governing Board by the Senate Rules Committee of the California State Legislature.
The confirmation follows his February 2014 appointment by Governor Jerry Brown and fills the seat designated for a health expert on the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District board. Capitman joined 14 other members of the board to play a vital role in decision-making that work to reduce air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley region. Capitman, along with Dr. Alex Sherriffs, are among the only members that are not elected officials.
The San Joaquin Valley region consists of eight counties, ranging from Stockton to Bakersfield and is home to some of the nation’s worst air quality, effecting nearly four million people.
“I have devoted the last 10 years to developing the only health and public health policy group in California with a primary focus on how place, race/ethnicity, and poverty impact health,” said Capitman. “Over the last decade, our research has highlighted how place, race/ethnicity, and health are linked in the San Joaquin Valley. Residents of our region face among the worst levels of air pollution and concentrated poverty in the nation, and as a result face more illness and premature death”
“I am so honored to work the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Governing Board because its work is intended to promote our region’s health by engaging all community sectors in reducing exposure to criterion pollutants. Finding ways to reduce air pollution risks to our communities’ health while also promoting economic vitality is a challenge of national significance.”
As a Nickerson Professor of Public Health at Fresno State, Capitman is widely recognized for his work in health disparities, long-term care, substance abuse and ethnic disparities in cancer care. Furthermore, he possesses 30 years of expertise in the areas of health policy research analysis.
He was formerly a professor and director of long-term care studies in the Schneider Institute for Health Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University before leading the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, where he has been since 2005. In his role he collaborates with health researchers to address health issues affecting people living in Central California.
Capitman received his bachelor’s degree, Magna Cum Laude, in linguistics and philosophy from Yale University in 1976 and his Ph.D. in social psychology from Duke University in 1980. He received post-doctoral training as a Gerontological Society Research Fellow, State of California, Department of Health Services, Division of Long-Term Care in Sacramento, California.
For more information, contact Dr. John Capitman at jcapitman@csufresno.edu.
Fresno State College of Health and Human Services 