The Weekly SPHere April 13, 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
3rd Annual Taste Diversity — A Global a-Fair will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 at the Whole Music Club in Coffman Union. SPH students, faculty, and staff are invited to an evening of activities and ethnic food. There will be array of engaging crafts, demonstrations, and exhibits hosted by SPH students, local restaurants, and businesses. Latin dancing classes, sushi-making sessions, henna painting, slide shows, yoga, and more. Door prizes every 20 minutes.
The Healthcare Reform and Health Equity forum will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, April 17, in Coffman Memorial Union Theatre. The forum will focus on models for reforming our health care system and implications of these models for reducing health disparities. Speakers include Sen. Amy Klobuchar; Jeffery Korsmo, executive director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center; and SPH alumnus Michael Trujillo, health research director for the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (formerly director of the Indian Health Service and Assistant Surgeon General).
• Information and Registration
• Read the dean’s column about the forum
The SPH Student Senate is hosting a school-wide art competition, which is open to students, faculty, and staff. Artwork may be submitted through April 20 at 5 p.m. Submit to the SPH Student Services office. Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runner-up in the two following categories: Faculty/Staff artwork and Student artwork. An overall "viewer’s choice" prize will also be given. An event will be held 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday April 22, in Mayo A301. Refreshments will be served.
The SPH Student Senate volunteer committee wants you to join the fight against cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life beginning Friday, April 17. Last year the SPH relay team raised $5,000. This year’s goal is $7,000. Participate at the event, donate, or both. Donation jars are located in the following areas: Student Services Center (Mayo D305), Dean’s Office (Mayo A3rd floor), WBOB (3rd floor, reception). Please stop by and make a contribution. For more information, contact Erika Vetta at vett0066@umn.edu.
• Join or donate to the SPH Cares about Cures team
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Student News
Two PHAP students, Ben Braus and Nathan Hunkins, were selected for the competitive 2009 Minnesota Department of Human Services Executive Pathways Internship program. Braus is a first year student and Hunkins will graduate this spring.
EnHS Graduate Student Nicholette Zeliadt presented her research along with other fellowship winners at the Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Research Showcase on April 7. The fellowship, which is given to outstanding final-year Ph.D. students, includes a stipend of $22,000 plus full tuition for thesis credits.
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) recently conducted a community engagement meeting with the American Indian community in Minnesota regarding planning for pandemic influenza for at-risk populations. Several SPH students served as note-takers and facilitators for the event, including a large EnHS contingent that included Nick Kelley, Jessica Brown, Katherine Hall, Evan Henke, Jon Tatalovich, and Genelle Lamont. The engagement meeting was held on April 4, at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia, Minn.
Congratulations to the winners of the Second Annual SPH Student Research Day, held April 6. The winners are:
Delta Omega Premier Poster Awards:
Tran Huynh - Duck Husbandry Practices and Farmer's Beliefs about Avian Influenza in South Vietnam
John Li - Evaluation of a Statewide Foodborne Illness Compliant System
Student Choice Outstanding Poster Awards
M.P.H.: Kristen Godfrey - Patient Enrollment in Public Health Insurance Programs at the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic: Identifying Barriers and Remedies
M.S.: Alyssa Olson - Estimating the Beneficial Effects of Recalls for Preventing Foodborne Illness
Ph.D.: John Li - Evaluation of a Statewide Foodborne Illness Compliant System
Faculty/Alumni Outstanding Poster Awards
M.P.H.: Akshay Gupte, Mitika Kanabar and Emily Wang - Impulsive Behaviors and their Association with Dopamine Agonistic Medication Use in Parkinson's Disease.
M.S.: Alyssa Olson - Estimating the Beneficial Effects of Recalls for Preventing Foodborne Illness
Ph.D.: Jee-Ae Kim - Medicare Expenditure Among Racial/Ethnic Groups for Elderly medicare Beneficiaries with Diabetes
A new interdisciplinary graduate minor, Prevention Science, will be offered, beginning fall 2009. This new interdisciplinary minor spans six colleges and eleven departments, giving students for the first time the opportunity to pursue a masters or doctoral minor in Prevention Science. Learn more about the program from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22 in 325 Ed Sciences.
Are you a returned Peace Corps Volunteer? SPH Career Services is collecting names of students for a fall SPH Peace Corps reunion and information session. If you served in the Peace Corps, please email Alicen Spaulding, spau0016@umn.edu with your name, contact information, and where you served. Watch for details about the reunion early next fall.
Want a job that pays well, provides great benefits, and offers job security? The federal government offers great jobs and hires more than 200,000 new employees every month. Attend the SPH Career Services workshop at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 23 in the Student Services Office, D 305. Learn about strategies for finding a job within the federal government or in nonprofit organizations. Learn about jobs that would allow you to gain new skills and succeed in a difficult economy. Questions? Contact Mary Dwyer at dwyer012@umn.edu.
A new course, PubH 6811 Health Disparities Research, Measures, Methods and Data will be offered in the fall. The two-credit class, taught by Kathleen Call and Pamela Jo Johnson, will meet from 11:15 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. on Fridays. The goal of this course is to explore methods for conducting research on health disparities using publicly available data sources. For more information, contact the instructors Kathleen Call at callx001@umn.edu or Pamela Jo Johnson at johns245@umn.edu.
The Idealist.org Nonprofit Career Fair and Working for Change Conference will be held Tuesday, April 14. Come to this event to explore jobs and career paths in nonprofits and social change organizations. This event is both a career fair and a career exploration conference. Workshops run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Career Fair runs from 12 to 4 p.m. The event will be held in the Great Hall of Coffman Union.This event is free and open to the public, but please pre-register.
• More details
• Preregister
A "Careers in Consulting" panel discussion will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, April 20, in room 402 of Walter Library. The panel will discuss career opportunities in the consulting industry. This free event is open to all U of M students.
The Academic Health Center is sponsoring the lecture, "Affordable Healthcare," on Tuesday, April 21. Samir Brahmachari, a professor and director general for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in New Delhi, India, is the keynote speaker. The CSIR has launched an open source drug discovery (OSDD) initiative to accelerate development of new drugs to treat infectious diseases that plague the developing world. The goal is to provide affordable health care by providing a global, web-based interactive platform. The lecture will be held at 11 a.m. in 3-100 Mayo. For more information contact Mark Paller at 5-3655.
The 5th Annual HARAMBEE art and performance show, hosted by the Academic Health Center Multicultural Society, will be held April 22, 4:30 p.m. The Food and Art Gallery begins at 6: p.m. Performances Location: Coffman Memorial Union Theatre. Performers are AHC students, staff, and friends from the community For more information contact Tara Gause at gause010@umn.edu.
Multicultural graduate and professional students who will graduate in summer 2009 are invited to the 5th Annual Celebration of Achievement on Saturday, May 9. Register at the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence by Friday, April 17. Direct questions to Trumanue Lindsey at Lind1078@umn.edu.
The Learning Abroad Center has funding of up to $500 for students participating on non-credit work, intern, volunteer, or teaching programs during summer 2009. Students must complete an application and submit a 250- to 300-word essay illustrating their reasons for choosing the program, how it will impact their personal, professional, academic or long-term goals, and how they plan to fund the program in addition to the awarded fellowship. The deadline is 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 and students will be notified by May 1.
• View the list of approved programs
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School News
The Bell Museum and Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy presents an Earth Day free screening of the film, A Sense of Wonder. The film will be screened at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Bell Museum Auditorium. Based on the life of environmentalist Rachel Carson, the documentary-style film examines Carson’s final year of life, during which she battled cancer, an unexpectedly high public profile and backlash from her critics. A panel discussion featuring SPH professor William Toscano and experts from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Healthy Legacy campaign will follow.
The Department of Health and Human Services has released a new report, "Americans Speak on Health Reform: Report on Health Care Community Discussions," which summarizes comments from the thousands of Americans who hosted and participated in Health Care Community Discussions across the country. The report is available on a new website dedicated to health reform. The site allows users to share their thoughts about health reform with the Obama Administration and sign a statement in support of President Obama’s commitment to enacting comprehensive health reform this year.
• Visit the website
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SPH Events
The Division of Health Policy and Management Work in Progress Seminar Series continues with ¿Part 3: Econometric Perspective.¿ Bryan Dowd is the presenter and the discussants will be Michael Oakes, James Neaton, and Melanie Wall. The forum will be held from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 in D325/327 Mayo — please note the room change. Attendees are encouraged to read the following article before the session: Heckman, James J. "Econometric Causality." International Statistical Review 76(1):1-27 (2008). If you cannot locate the article online, contact Ann Reilly at areilly@umn.edu to request a copy. Light snacks and soft drinks will be provided.
Jolynn Gardner will discuss, ¿Alcohol abuse among college students,¿ during the Epidemiology and Community Health Division seminar held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15. The seminar will be held in room 364 of WBOB. For questions contact Carol Raichert at 5-1836.
Tales from the Horn: Somalia’s Struggle for Health Care takes place Sunday, April 19. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Willey Hall. SPH professors Kathleen Call, Alan Lifson and Joan Patterson are among the featured speakers. Hear about Somali use of the American health care system. Learn about the impact of war on mental health and how to get involved with international health. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by contacting nasra.gia@gmail.com
• More information
¿The Struggles to Produce the Surgeon General’s 1964 Report and a National Policy on Smoking and Health: Actions (and Inactions) of America’s Federal Health Agency,¿ is the topic of Jon Harkness’ discussion on Friday, April 24. Harkness, an adjunct assistant professor of the History of Medicine, is the featured speaker during the division seminar sponsored by the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health. The seminar will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in room 364 WBOB. For questions call Carol Raichert at 5-1836.
2009 Summer Public Health Institute May 26-June 12. This year’s Public Health Institute features 45 courses emphasizing theory to application across practice and interest areas in public health. Participants can build or expand professional knowledge and expertise; learn best practices; broaden career options; network with experts and colleagues; and explore new areas of interests. Courses are available for graduate credit or professional continuing education hours.
• More information online
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Other Events
April 24, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Documentary Screening of Money-Driven Medicine
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 Apr 12, 2009