The Weekly SPHere May 12, 2008
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.
EDITOR¿S NOTE: After May 19, the Weekly SPHere will be published monthly during June and July and distributed on the first Monday of each month. It will resume weekly publication on Monday, Aug. 4.
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SPHere Spotlight
Congratulations to all 2008 SPH graduates. Commencement festivities are just a week away. Graduates, please arrive by 4 p.m. The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 19 at Northrop Auditorium. Doors will open at 4:15 p.m. for family and friends who are planning to arrive early. Current SPH students are invited to attend to support and cheer classmates as they celebrate their accomplishment. The commencement speaker is Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Health Commissioner. Immediately following commencement, SPH Dean John Finnegan will toast graduates and faculty in a tent on Northrop Plaza. All commencement attendees are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.
• More about commencement
• Read Dean John Finnegan¿s remarks to this year¿s graduating class
The 2008 Summer Public Health Institute will be held May 27 through June 13. The institute offers a variety of short courses in public health fields or in fields related to public health.
• More about the institute
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Student News
A new student survey soon will be available online based on the results from School of Public Health student focus groups conducted earlier this semester. The results from the focus groups are available online by following the link below. Please keep your eye out for the new student survey to be administered online around May 15.
• Download the focus group report (PDF)
Twenty-one graduate and professional degree students were awarded fellowships in 2008 through the Walter H. Judd International Graduate and Professional Fellowships. Ten of the recipients are SPH students. The fellowships provide assistance to students enrolled in master¿s and professional degree programs and increase opportunities for students to study, undertake internships, and conduct research projects abroad. Congratulations to the following SPH Judd recipients: Matilda Essandoh-Bondzie, an epidemiology and community health student, will study in Switzerland; Elizabeth Hutchinson, an epidemiology and community health student, will study in Tanzania; Lindsey Johansen, an epidemiology and community health student will study in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Betsy Mathews, a community health education student, will study in India; Heather Oleson, an epidemiology and community health education student, will study in India; Melissa Riedesel, an epidemiology and community health student, will study in Kenya; Sarah Sevcik, a community health education student, will study in Tanzania; Alicen Spaulding, an epidemiology student, will study in Argentina; Elizabeth Tesdell, a public health nutrition student, will study in the Palestinian Authority; and Wei Wang, an environmental health sciences student, will study in China.
• More about the student projects
Congratulations to the incoming SPH Student Senate officers. Debby Caselton was elected president, Emily Wang was elected vice president, and Becky Seel was elected secretary.
Travis Sherman was part of a team that took second place in the CLARION Interprofessional Case curriculum 2008 national competition.
Melissa Nelson has been awarded a post-doctoral National Research Service Award in mental health services research. It is a two-year position at Rutgers¿ Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. Nelson will graduate this spring and her fellowship will begin at the end of June.
The competition is now open for Fulbright U. S. Student Grants for 2009-2010. This federally supported program enables American college graduates to study, conduct research, or assist in English language classrooms abroad in more than 140 countries worldwide. The grants support round-trip travel, living expenses, health and accident insurance, and in some cases full or partial tuition. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent by the beginning of the grant period, and should have strong academic records. The application deadline is Sept. 8 for the campus review and interview process. Questions? Contact Alison Skoberg, Graduate Fellowship Office, 314 Johnston Hall, 5-7579, skobe001@umn.edu.
• More about
the Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Students seeking a clinical research opportunity are encouraged to apply for a part-time job as an assessor for a study funded by the American Diabetes Association entitled, “Self-Managed Walking Improves Function in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).” Tracie Collins, associate professor in the Medical School, is conducting the study. Interested students should send an e-mail to tcc@umn.edu. Please type “Assessor Position” in the subject heading.
A new educational psychology course will be offered in the fall. EPSY 8400-001: Theory and Application of Prevention Science: Enhancing Well-Being and Mental Health across the Life Cycle is a three-credit course and will be held from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays. This seminar will take an interdisciplinary perspective on issues related to the promotion of mental health and well-being across the lifecycle. The course will be taught by John Romano, a professor in the educational psychology counseling and student personnel psychology program. Questions? Contact Ramano at roman001@umn.edu.
Participants are needed to complete a study about exercise and reducing risk for breast cancer. The Women In Steady Exercise Research (WISER) study at the University of Minnesota, is a four-year study examining the effect exercise has on oxidative stress and estrogen levels in women. The study will involve 400 women between 18 and 30, who will participate for six months. Participants will be randomized into a control or exercise group for four months. A free fitness center membership will be provided for exercise participants. All participants will receive $300 upon completion of the study.
¿ Learn more online (Click on “Becoming a WISER Woman.”)
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School News
The SPH team “SPH Cares about Cures“ raised a total of $4,704.32, with roughly $236 coming from Penny Wars for Relay for Life. Congratulations to the Health Policy and Management division for winning the Penny Wars with the highest score.
Health Policy and Management: +3,061
Environmental Health: +2,027
Epidemiology and Community Health: +1,678
Biostatistics: -686
The U of M exceeded its goal of $130,000 and raised over $152,000 in the campus’ 2008 Relay for Life event.
Beginning June 16, the EpiCH Shuttle Route and Schedule will change. See details of changes below. The regular schedule will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 2
Leave from EpiCH: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Leave from Mayo: 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.
• Download Summer schedule
Mayo Building Pick-up/Drop-off Point Change for EpiCH Shuttle: Starting with the summer schedule change, the pick-up/drop-off point on the East Bank will be changing. Instead of stopping in the cul-de-sac in front of the Mayo Building, the pick-up/drop-off point will be on the west-side (back) of the Mayo building, just off of Church Street. This route change is permanent.
• Download map of new pick-up/drop-off point
• Link to new pick-up/drop-off point via Google maps (photo included)
Public Health Scene is a new SPH blog that keeps up with news related to SPH and its faculty and research. The blog is updated several times each week.
• Go to Public Health Scene
• Subscribe to e-mail feed from Public Health Scene
Save the date for the “Challenges and Tensions in International Research Collaborations,” conference on Oct. 2¿3. The University has made reduced-cost registration available for a limited number of University faculty and students. Questions? Contact Melissa Anderson at 4-5717 or mand@umn.edu.
• Conference details online
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SPH Events
The annual SPH Faculty and Assembly Meeting will be held Friday, May 16. All SPH faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held in Mayo Auditorium beginning with refreshments at 8:45 a.m. The meeting goes from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m.
“Spatiotemporal and Threshold Models for Relating UV Exposures and Skin Cancer in the Central United States,” will be the topic of Laura Hatfield’s Plan B presentation on Monday, May, 19. The presentation will be held at 1 p.m. in A110 Mayo. Refreshments will be served prior to the presentation.
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Other Events
May 12, 3 p.m.
“Crafting a Health System that Protects Us All: Dynamic Principles and Democratic Powers” will be the topic of discussion on Tuesday, May 13, 3 p.m., and ends with a reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. It will be held in the theatre at Coffman Union. Please register by Monday, May 12, to Carol Uchal at cuchal@bhs.umn.edu.
May 15, 6 p.m.
“Savannas Forever Tanzania: Lion Conservation and Public Health in the African Savannas,” will be presented at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 15, in room 105, 717 Delaware St. Craig Packer, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and a Distinguished McKnight University Professor is the keynote speaker.
May 22, noon to 2 p.m.
Tyrone Terrill from Saint Paul Department of Human Rights and the African American Leadership Council will host an informal discussion on health disparities in the African American community and will be held at the Halle Q. Brown Community Center 270 Kent Street, Saint Paul on Thursday, May 22 from noon to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Register to phdr@umn.edu and indicate date of the event.
May 23, 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Pillsbury United Communities and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation will host a breakfast roundtable designed to bring together community leaders for specific action steps to eliminate health disparities and will include a screening and discussion of portions of Unnatural Causes, a recent documentary describing the role of social inequalities and their health consequences. This event will be held at the Pillsbury House Theatre. Breakfast will be provided. Register to phdr@umn.edu and indicate date of the event.
May 23, noon to 1 p.m.
“Overview of Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities in Health Status and Health Care”
Last modified on Sunday May 11, 2008