The Weekly SPHere May 19, 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 today, 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.

>SPHere Spotlight
>Student News
>School News
>SPH Events
>Other Events

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SPHere Spotlight

All SPH students are invited to commencement today. Come to congratulate your classmates and to hear from one of the state’s top public health experts. Minnesota Health Commissioner Sanne Magnan will deliver the commencement address, “Ten Things to Remember.” The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. at Northrop Auditorium. Graduates, please arrive by 4 p.m.  Immediately following commencement, SPH Dean John Finnegan will offer a toast to graduates and faculty in a tent on Northrop Plaza. All commencement attendees are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.
• More about commencement

SPH Dean John Finnegan will discuss “Public Relations for Public Health” on Tuesday, May 27 at 8 a.m. in Auditorium 5 of Blegen Hall. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, kicks off the 2008 Public Health Institute. The three-week institute allows participants to immerse themselves in a chosen field of study for a single day or longer.
• Learn more about the institute

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Student News

Imee Cambronero was recently elected vice president of administrative affairs to the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly (GAPSA) for the 2008-2009 academic year. She will be the representative for graduate and professional students to the administration and will attend the board of regents monthly subcommittee and committee meetings.  

The AcademyHealth Student Chapter partnered with United Way and Portico Healthnet at the May 3 Powderhorn Park May Day Festival in Minneapolis to distribute health care resource information as a part of the “Cover the Uninsured Week.” Information distributed offered resources for sliding fee medical and dental clinics, resources for seeking health insurance and public assistance coverage, pharmacy discount cards, and general health care assistance.  

A new online class, GERO 5115, Introduction to Geriatrics will be offered this summer. The two-credit course, taught by SPH professor Robert Kane, provides an introduction to 15 major topics in geriatrics. It is designed to be understood by individuals trained in multiple disciplines with varying clinical backgrounds. It offers relevant information on how to diagnose and treat conditions common in caring for older people. Each topic has been developed by a national expert on that subject. Each lesson has a test to assure the learner has understood the material.

PubH 8141: Doctoral Seminar in Observational Inference is being offered in the fall semester. The two-credit course will be held from 2:30 to 4:24 p.m. on Fridays in Mayo 1155. The class will be taught by Timothy Church, George Maldonado, and Bruce Alexander.

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.

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School News

The Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health is inviting students to submit poster abstracts on any topic regarding women’s health or gender specific research across the lifespan. The deadline is Tuesday, July 1, and Monday, Aug. 4, for all other poster abstracts. Questions? Contact wmhealth@umn.edu or 6-1125.
• Register online

The SPH Delta Omega Pi Chapter has inducted the individuals below into the Delta Omega Honorary Society for Public Health. Launched in 1924, Delta Omega is the honorary society for graduate studies in public health. The University of Minnesota’s Pi Chapter was founded in 1985 and now has more than 600 members. Election for students is based on outstanding scholarship.
Claire E. Bender
Kari Bomash
David Dobmeyer
Dina Dobraca
Abiola Fashanu
Erin Galegher
Tracy Glenz
Amy Hemstad
Xiang Li
Katherine Nygaard
Zhenyu Pan
Elisaveta Petkov
John Schousboe
Karilyn Schrankler
Charlotte Sortedahl

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 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. Students can design their own course of study and select one-day courses or those that run longer. The institute also includes a variety of free lectures on timely public health issues.
• More about the institute

“Angels and Troublemakers:” A special presentation of the Colonel Patricia Greene Public Health Nursing Lectureship Series, June 5, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Location TBA
• Register online

“Ethics in the Worst of Times: Rationing to Protect the Public’s Health during a Severe Influenza Pandemic,” Thursday June 5. 

• More information

Tenth Annual MCH Summer Institute on Health Disparities Promoting Health Equity: Family-centered program development and advocacy. The Institute will provide an opportunity to discuss how the universal experience of family—and its diverse definitions—can be integrated into family-centered programs and policies that enhance family resilience and improve individual and population health.

• Register online

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Other Events

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. 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”

June 5, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Minnesota Public Health Association reception and annual meeting

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The Weekly SPHere is sent by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455.