SPH News May 21, 2012
SPH News is a school-wide electronic newsletter distributed to SPH faculty and staff every other week during the school year. To submit items for SPH News, send an email to sphnews@umn.edu by 9 a.m. on Wednesday prior to the desired publication date.
Editor’s Note: SPH News will begin its summer schedule of monthly publication after the May 21 edition. It will be published June 4, July 2, and Aug. 6. Regular schedule will resume Aug. 27.
From the Dean
John Finnegan, Jr.
A Rousing Send-Off
The SPH commencement ceremony last week was truly magnificent, exhibiting all the pomp and circumstance one expects of such occasions—from the processional led by this year’s macebearer, Jill DeBoer, deputy director of CIDRAP, to the hooding of the newly minted doctoral graduates. The event’s rich traditions were nudged into the 21st century through the use of the Jumbotron, which provided a play-by-play account of the activities, and a webcast, which enabled us to stream the event live to families and friends worldwide.
If you were unable to attend the ceremony, you missed one of the most impassioned public health commencement addresses that I have ever heard. Dr. Reed Tuckson, executive vice president and chief of medical affairs at UnitedHealth Group, implored the graduates to innovate public health practice by applying new thinking, new approaches, and new energy to today’s challenges. He urged them to find ways to serve the underserved. Acknowledging that public health and health care must be viewed as part of a health continuum, he called upon the graduates to contribute “profound, innovative, interdisciplinary, multi-sector, scalable, and sustainable” change to the field. As he concluded his remarks, the crowd burst into applause, giving Dr. Tuckson a standing ovation—another first, I believe, for the school’s commencement exercises. (View a Flickr slideshow of commencement photos.)
While his remarks were directed toward our graduates, he stirred the emotions in all of us and renewed our fervor for the field of public health.
Speaking of being passionate about what we do, the public health pledge, which graduates recite before they recess, is a great reminder of why we entered the public health field:
As a public health professional dedicated to enhancing the health status and well being of individuals and communities, I pledge to hold the public interest and health of populations as my highest professional goals.
Thank you for another successful academic year, and all the best for a great summer. As always, we almost immediately kick off our upcoming academic year with the Summer Public Health Institute, which begins its three-week run today. I am grateful to the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Nursing—as well as our various local, national, and global partners—for their continued involvement in this program.
—John R. Finnegan, Jr., PhD
Professor and Dean
Faculty News
Shalini Kulasingam has received a SPH/MMF Faculty Research Grant for her proposal, “A Survey to Determine Screening and Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Uptake between Minnesota Counties with Varying Rates of Cervical Cancer.”
Xianghua Luo has received a SPH/MMF Faculty Research Grant for her proposal, “Statistical Methods for Measuring Relative Reinforcing Efficacy using Drug Purchase Task Instrument Data.”
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer is the recipient of the 2012 Leonard M. Schuman Award for Excellence in Teaching, an award given by the SPH in recognition of exceptional teachers who challenge students with articulate presentations and thought-provoking analyses.
J. Michael Oakes received the 2012 Award for Excellence in Advising, given to SPH faculty who are outstanding in their roles as academic, field experience, or project/thesis advisors.
Techniques in Teaching and Learning: This month’s feature, “More than ‘get into groups of four:’ Understanding cognitive whys and social hows of group work” discusses some of the challenges and opportunities of group projects in the classroom. Read more »
The 2012 August Teaching Enrichment Series will occur Tuesday, Aug. 28 and Wednesday, Aug. 29, Minneapolis Campus. Concurrent workshops will take place 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each day. Several workshops will be broadcast via UMConnect for those unable to attend in person. Online registration will open soon. For questions, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at teachlrn@umn.edu. Read more » Download the flier »
School News
SPH annual performance reviews are due June 15 to the dean’s office. Civil service, bargaining unit, and P&A staff who work at least 50 percent time can use the AHC Performance Appraisal Tool (PAT), a secure on-line employee review form, to complete their evaluations. Employees using PAT do not need to submit hard copies of the review. For questions, contact Lisa Bachman at bach0212@umn.edu or Nancy Casey at ncasey@umn.edu. Access the PAT system »
Dean Finnegan captured SPH Commencement 2012 on his iPhone last week. He interviewed students and faculty and included his own comments about this event. Watch the dean’s video on the SPH YouTube channel »
A new web-based InfoAlert form is available for SPH faculty and staff to get news and information quickly to the Advancement Services team. Once the members of the A-Team receive the form, they will review the information and consider options for disseminating the information. Access the online form »
The State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) received the 2012 Policy Impact Award from the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). This award recognizes SHADAC, led by SPH professor Lynn Blewett, for efforts to improve the federal survey data infrastructure so that data are more useful and accessible and better able to inform state health policy. The award will be conferred at the AAPOR 26th Annual Conference, May 17-20, Orlando, Fla.
Gavin Watt is the recipient of the 2012 P&A Excellence Award, given by the SPH to recognize a member of the Academic Professional and Administrative (P&A) staff who has made distinguished contributions to the missions of the University and the school.
In “Top Ten Healthcare Observations from the C-Suite,” SPH faculty member and MHA program director Dan Zismer reflects on the common themes that have emerged through a series of interviews with top executives from multiple health systems. Read more »
The University of Minnesota Public Health Institute kicks off its three-week run today. Check the institute schedule for free lectures and special events.
Learn more »
Follow the institute’s Twitter feed »
“Ensuring Food Safety: Whose Responsibility?” an event in the Finding Common Ground Forum Series, will take place Thursday, June 7, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Cargill Building, St. Paul Campus. U professor Will Hueston will facilitate a panel of experts from the consumer, producer, government, and food processor sectors as they discuss food safety, regulation, and responsibility. The registration fee is $50. For questions, contact Angie Stehr at 5-5209. Read more and register »
SPH faculty and staff: consider encouraging SPH students and alumni job seekers to join the Summer SPH Job Search Support Group facilitated by Career Services, Mondays, June 4-July 16 (no meeting July 2), 10-11 a.m., Room D305 Mayo Memorial Building. The group will review the principles in the book “The 6 Reasons You’ll Get the Job” by Debra Angel MacDougall and Elisabeth Harney Sanders-Park. For questions contact Barb Laporte at 6-5443 or blaporte@umn.edu or Darren Kaltved at 6-4448 or dkaltved@umn.edu.
A new open access, peer-reviewed online journal, Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research, provides research on the effective delivery of public health services. The journal will publish articles within ten weeks of manuscript submission, a fast publication cycle that benefits practitioners, policy officials, and scholars. Frontiers is produced monthly through a collaboration of the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN) National Coordinating Center and the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR). Both Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded centers are based at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. Read more »
Call for Poster Abstracts: Ninth Annual Women’s Health Research Conference. Deadline for short oral presentation is July 9. Deadline for general poster session is Aug. 31. Read more and submit an abstract »
The EpiCH shuttle will provide regular service May 21-June 8 (with no service on Monday, May 28, Memorial Day). No service will be provided June 9-Sept. 3. Regular schedule resumes Sept. 4. For questions, contact Ginger Hughes at 6-9397 or spea0030@umn.edu. Read more »
Reduced campus shuttle service will occur for summer. Campus Connector buses will run May 14-June 8, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., every 15 minutes. There will be no service Monday, May 28, Memorial Day. Read more »
SPH Events
Healthy Homes Workshops will take place Mondays, May 21 and May 30, 6:30-8 p.m., Maplewood Library and Mondays June 4 and June 18, 6:30-8 p.m., Roseville Library. The workshops are an initiative of the National Children’s Study and Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health. Participants will learn to identify toxic chemicals, use non-toxic cleaning products, and create a healthy home. All are welcome. Contact sawye014@umn.edu to reserve a seat. Read more »
“Beyond ‘Add and Stir:’ Engaging Diversity in College Classrooms,” an event in the Teaching and Learning Series will take place Thursday, May 31, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey School. Amy Lee, associate professor and chair, Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning and Rebecca Ropers-Huilman, professor and chair, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development will present. More information and registration »
Epi Students: Volunteers are needed to help execute the U of MN SPH Epidemiology Reunion on Friday, June 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Brit’s Pub in Minneapolis. Student volunteer benefits include ample networking time with alumni and guests, free appetizers, and one free beverage ticket. Interested students should contact Nichole Axtman at mart1047@umn.edu by June 11.
An 8-Hour Site Worker Refresher will occur Thursday, June 7, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Read more and register »
A Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Training Program will occur Thursday, June 28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Read more and register »
Other Events
“The Landscape of Change: Charting opportunities for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management in Health Reform” will take place June 6-7 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. Read more »
The Enough for All Summer Benefit Concert, sponsored by A Minnesota Without Poverty, takes place Monday, June 25, 7-9 p.m., Capri Theater, Minneapolis. Read more »
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