The Weekly SPHere Feb. 16, 2009
The Weekly SPHere is a weekly electronic publication for students in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. To submit items for the Weekly SPHere, please send an e-mail to sphnews@umn.edu.
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SPHere Spotlight
The SPH Senate Diversity Committee is seeking volunteers to help plan, organize, and market the Taste of Diversity event scheduled for Tuesday, April 15. The event will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Whole-Music Club in the basement of Coffman Union. Those interested in volunteering for the communications, entertainment, volunteer, and food and beverage committees should contact Mercedes Estrada at estra021@umn.edu or Elizabeth Jacobson at jaco0644@umn.edu.
Students seeking a unique educational opportunity should consider enrolling in the SPH Global Public Health Institute at St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India. The session will be held March 16-24. Global Health India provides an opportunity for students from the United States and India to meet with faculty from the University of Minnesota, experience educational institutions in India, to examine the impact of globalization on health, and identify strategies that support a healthy and productive global workforce. Question? Contact Meghan Taylor at tayl0427@umn.edu or 6-8434. Travel stipends are available.
• More about
Global Public Health Institute
This week, Dean writes about the Public Health Credentialing Exam.
• Read the the dean’s column
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Student News
Dean John Finnegan, Chief Financial Officer Joe Weisenburger, and Career Services Program Director Barb Laporte will host an hour-long forum addressing student financial concerns. A discussion followed by a Q&A session will be on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 3:30 p.m., in Mayo 3-125. Possible topics include: school goal of keeping tuition increases as low as possible; public health tuition and finances at other schools; analysis of tuition, living expenses, indebtedness, and predicted salary for SPH students; and availability of scholarships and loans. Refreshments will be served.
Students who are concerned with the increasing cost of tuition can express their views by participating in a letter-writing seminar hosted by the SPH Student Senate. The session will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the Student SPHere lounge, Mayo A-150. Pizza and beverages will be served. Those who can’t attend the session are still encouraged to write lawmakers. State representatives can be found at the Minnesota State Legislature. For more information about Gov. Pawlenty proposed budget cuts see The Minnesota Daily article from Jan. 27. For more information, contact the Student Senate at sphss@umn.edu.
SPH students Michel Boudreaux, Annie Mach, Nathan Hunkins, and Juliet Massie wrote an article for Minnesota Medicine with the support of SPH professor Donna McAlpine. The magazine solicited ideas on how to improve the health system and published responses in the February issue. SPH faculty member James Hart also authored an article for the same piece.
•Visit Minnesota Medicine to read the article
EpiCH Ph.D. student Mandy Stahre discusses her study, Binge Drinking in the Military, on Public Health Scene, one of SPH’s podcast channels. The study was in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
• Listen to the podcast interview
• Read the news release
A cross-cultural leadership retreat will be held in April for international graduate students who want to learn to become more effective in international environments. The deadline to apply is noon on Monday, March 2. This highly interactive, high-energy retreat will be a living laboratory of what it takes to work with people from vastly different cultures. The cutting-edge Personal Leadership model will be used to develop a cross-cultural skill-set. The retreat will be held April 3 and 4. For questions contact Thorunn Bjarnadottir at 6-4799 or thorunnb@umn.edu. Space is limited so apply online at International Student and Scholar Services. For more details visit the Facebook event page.
ClearWay Minnesota is releasing a new Request for Proposals (RFP) entitled, Regional Grants to Reduce the Harm Tobacco Causes Minnesotans through Coalition Building, Policy Advocacy and Public Education. Under this funding opportunity, ClearWay Minnesota will award new funding to three or four applicants in Greater Minnesota. Letters of intent are due Monday, Feb. 23, 4:30 p.m. Full applications are due on Monday, March 23, 4:30 p.m. Questions about this funding opportunity should be submitted to Molly Moilanen at mmoilanen@clearwaymn.org or by calling 952-767-1421.
• Access the RFP and related forms from ClearWay Minnesota
Career Services, located in D305 Mayo, has resources to help you:
- Create a dynamite resume
- Write convincing cover letters
- Locate field experiences
- Practice interviewing
- Connect with SPH alumni currently working in public health positions all over the world
SPH students and alumni are eligible to access these resources. For more information, see the Career Services web page
Research Day Updates. Information on poster guidelines will be announced in the Weekly SPHere as soon as the Associated Schools of Public Health (ASPH) release abstract guidelines.
Save the Dates: Poster training session (you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to participate in research day) is Friday, Feb. 27, from 9 to 11 a.m. in Mayo 3-125. Abstract submission deadline: Monday, March 9. If you have questions, please contact the SPH Dean’s Office at 4-6669.
GradFest ‘09 will be held in the Great Hall of Coffman Memorial Union from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 and from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 26. Now in its 15th year, GradFest delivers "no hassle for a tassel" service to U of M graduates with one-stop access to everything needed to prepare for graduation. GradFest event questions can be answered by calling 5-6564, or e-mailing kari@umn.edu. For more information, visit the
• More information at the
Bookstore website
2009 SPH Commencement. The School of Public Health’s commencement will take place on Monday, May 18, at Northrop Memorial Auditorium. Students should register if they plan to:
- Receive their degree within a year of commencement.
- And/or walk at the commencement ceremony
All graduates will have their name included in the program, whether they attend commencement or not. Students must register by Friday, March 12. For questions call Nichole Axtman at 6-9303 or e-mail mart1047@umn.edu.
• More information/register online.
Become a new leader in global health as a volunteer for the Unite For Sight organization. The group, which supports eye clinics with human and financial resources, is offering opportunities to volunteer in Ghana, Honduras, or India during the spring, summer, fall and winter. For more details visit
• Details at
Unite for Site website. Questions to volunteers@uniteforsight.org
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School News
HPM student Shi-Yi Wang will discuss the, "Health Care System in Taiwan," on Friday, Feb. 20, noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Mississippi Room of Coffman Union. The discussion is sponsored by the International Student and Scholar Service Global Network Association of Minnesota. The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served. Register to gnam@umn.edu.
• More at Global Network Association of Minnesota or e-mail lcnieh@gmail.com
It’s time to celebrate togetherness during the annual Student Senate-sponsored event, Pamoja. This year’s event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Campus Club on the 4th floor of Coffman Union. Pamoja, which is the Swahili term for togetherness, gives students, faculty, staff and others a chance to meet, network and enjoy each others’ company. Business casual dress is preferred by not required at the free event. Door prizes will be raffled off throughout the evening. Families are welcome to attend.
An information session to discuss research funding for projects to reduce the harm tobacco causes for Minnesotans will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18 in 2-520 Moos Tower. The session is presented by Clearway Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that seeks ways to reduce tobacco use and exposure. Refreshments will be provided. Register to Megan Whittet at 952-767-1415 or mwhittet@clearwaymn.org
Call for Nominations for SPH Faculty and P&A Awards. The SPH Recognition, Awards, and Honors (RAH) Committee now welcomes nominations for the following awards: the Leonard M. Shuman Award for Excellence in Teaching, The SPH Community Services Award, the Charles N. Hewitt Creative Teaching Award, the SPH Award for Excellence in Advising, and the SPH P&A Excellence Award. Nominations and supporting documentation are due Friday, April 10 and should be sent to Recognition, Awards and Honors Committee, c/o Stefannie Anderson (stef@umn.edu), MMC 197, A302 Mayo.
• Details/forms on the SPH awards page
Public health research grants up to $15,000 are available through the University of Minnesota: Simulations and Exercises for Educational Effectiveness (U-SEEE), through its U-SEEE Pilot Research Program. Research should relate to enhancing the usefulness of education and training that build the capacity of the public health preparedness system. Applications are due Monday, March 9.
• More inforamation/application
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SPH Events
The Health Disparities Working Group will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Attendees will hear from SPH Professor Jean Forster and Kris Rhodes about the American Indian Community Tobacco Projects. Rhodes is the senior coordinator of the program. The meeting will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. in Mayo A301. Please register to Jennie Anderson at ander422@umn.edu.
• More about the group
Senior Vice President for Health Services Frank Cerra will present his annual State of the Academic Health Center address on Thursday, Feb. 19. It will be held in the Mayo Auditorium from 3 to 4 p.m.
SPH Professor Darin Erickson will discuss his research during the Epidemiology and Community Health division seminar on Friday, Feb. 20. The seminar will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in room 364 of WBOB. For more information contact Carol Raichert at 5-1836.
SPH Professor Lyn Steffen will discuss her research during the Epidemiology and Community Health division seminar on Friday, Feb. 27. The seminar will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in room 364 of WBOB. For more information contact Carol Raichert at 5-1836.
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Other Events
For more events, go to the SPH Online Calendar
Subscribe to SPH calendar updates by e-mail
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Last modified on Sunday Feb 15, 2009