MERR 41Pandemics and Planetary Health
Examines global health events through our own personal experiences and foundations in public health, environmental health, social theory, and governance, generating insight about how infectious disease spreads within our communities and across geographic boundaries. A focal objective is to explore lessons from present and past pandemics to inform future actions and responses within our global and local communities. Case study methods are used to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic and engage in learning across multiple global health events and intersecting planetary health challenges, in a theory and practice-based exploration of pandemics from the perspectives of global health, society, science, and human behavior. (Formerly offered as Pandemic Case Studies: Principles in Public Health.)
- Open to all UCSC students. Merrill 41 fulfills: General Education - Perspectives: Human Behavior (GE-PE-H) Global and Community Health (GCH) - BA Lower Division Elective: Social Science and Political-Cultural Competency
Find a section and add it to your scheduleLive seat counts, time-conflict checks and the walk from your previous class.
When it runs
Winter 2026Open Winter 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Seminar | Tue Thu 11:40am–1:15pm | Cowell Com 134 | C. Wong | Open 25/30 |
Who teaches it
| Instructor | Rating | Difficulty | Would take again | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cindy Wong | 4.1 / 5 | 2.4 / 5 | 77% | 29 |
From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.
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