On behalf of this year's co-chairs, Dr. E. Lisako McKyer of Texas A&M School of Public Health, Dr. Heather Goltz of the University of Houston Downtown and Dr. Bridget Gorman of Rice University, we are pleased to announcement the opening of early registration (https://form.jotform.com/70376151140143) for the 15th Annual Disparities in Health in America: Working Toward Social Justice Workshop.  This year, we are returning to the Texas Medical Center and will be hosted by one of the original seven member who launched the Health Disparities, Education, Awareness, Research & Training (HDEART) Consortium, Rice University.  The workshop will be held in one of Rice's premier faciities, the Shell Auditorium of the Jones Graduate School of Business from June 19 to June 24, 2017.  Coincidentally, the start date of June 19, also called Juneteenth, commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States.  

Register early to take advantage of the discount. Hotel and Airline information for the workshop will be forthcoming and posted on our web page at www.hdeartconsortium.org.  Most of the hotels in the Texas Medical Center proper are within walking distance of the Rice University campus.  Airline arrangements are again being set up with Corporate Travel.  We will announce the launching of that web page soon.

Abstracts are also being accepted this year for Poster Presentations from both Professionals (including postdoctoral fellows) as well as Graduate & Undergraduate Students.  The Abstract Submission Link will go live on March 1, 2017.