The Weekly SPHere May 26, 2009
May 26, 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.
EDITOR’S NOTE: After May 26, the Weekly SPHere will be published monthly on June 8 and July 6. It will resume weekly publication on Aug. 3.
>SPHere Spotlight
>From the Dean
>Student News
>School News
>SPH Events
>Other Events
SPHere Spotlight
The Public Health Institute starts today! This year’s institute (May 26-June 12) 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
Free lunch on Wednesday, June 3, for the first 12 students who volunteer to participate in a focus group regarding internal communications at the SPH. Interested? Contact Mark Engebretson at enge@umn.edu.
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From the Dean
A couple of years ago, Prof. Mary Story was Associate Dean for Student Affairs. A major obesity prevention initiative from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, work with the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and her large grant portfolio necessitated her stepping away from the associate dean's duties. It was very much in the interest of public health and the School that Mary pursued these initiatives, much more than my regret over losing her daily presence in the Dean's Office. But Mary and I have had morning coffee on a regular basis ever since, and I always asked the question: when can you come back? The answer, it turns out, is June 2009.
Mary will rejoin the Dean's Office part-time as Associate Dean for Student Life and Leadership. In this role, she will assure that the SPH experience outside of the classroom supports, refines, and expands our students’ learning through professional enculturation, personal growth as a community citizen, and the development of leadership skills complementing public health and graduate training. She will help to assure that the organizational climate of the school fully supports our students and aligns with our values of openness, respect, integrity, and responsibility for ourselves and others. This includes such areas indispensable to our students as:
Cultural awareness and diversity
Community citizenship
Academic and Professional Advising
Career Development and Counseling
Student Activities and Organizations
Student Participation in Governance
Working with our faculty, staff, and students, we also hope to enhance the range of opportunities for students to develop, test, and expand their leadership skills and to integrate them with their professional and graduate experience especially in community settings.
It will be good to have Mary back again participating as a member of the SPH Executive Team and working in concert with Debra Olson, Associate Dean for Education, and Judy Garrard, Senior Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs; and Bill Riley, Associate Dean for Strategic Relations and Partnerships. I am a firm believer in the power of morning coffee leading to good things!
—John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
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Student News
Kate Bauer was awarded a 2009-2010 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the Graduate School. The title of her submission was “The family environment and adolescent girls’ weight, physical activity and dietary intake: Implications for obesity prevention programs.”
Benjamin al-Haddad was awarded a 2009-10 Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship by the Graduate School. His area of focus is development strategies and population health dynamics.
Five of 10 Judd recipients are SPH students. The Walter H. Judd International Graduate and Professional Fellowships provide assistance to increase opportunities for students to study, undertake internships, and conduct research projects abroad. Congratulations to the following SPH Judd recipients:
- Anna Bartels, a Maternal and Child Health student, will study in Uganda;
- Edward Kasner, a global environmental health student, will study in China;
- Amber Koskey, an environmental health student,will study in Uganda;
- Meghan Mason, an MPH student in medicine, will study in Senegal;
- Jeffrey McCullough, a public health policy and administration student, will study in Uganda.
Follow nine SPH students as they practice public health around the globe and blog about their experiences. The 2009 Notes from the Field blog is up and running and students are preparing for their adventure.
• Subscribe to e-mail updates
The State Department is accepting applications for the U.S. Department of State's 2010 Spring Student Internship Program. The deadline is Wednesday, July 1. You must be a U.S. citizen and student to be eligible.
• More information and online applications
The West Metro Medical Foundation is awarding scholarships to selected applicants pursuing graduate level education in nutrition and in health care management or administration. Application deadline for the Hoban Scholarships is Aug. 15. Find the application and requirements online or in the Career Resource Center, D305 Mayo.
• Access information and applications online
The U of M Office for Business and Community Economic Development is seeking applications for its Community Health Initiative Summer Internship Program. The program supports community-based organizations and businesses that address public health disparities, conduct research, and provide social services. Graduate students work in these organizations, full or part-time, from June 1 through Aug. 31 as a part of the internship program. This is an excellent opportunity for community organizations to build capacity and for students do important work in the community while being paid. The application deadline is Friday, May 29. For more information contact Aron Khoury, at khou0012@umn.edu or 5-8460.
• Online applications
Register by June 1 to present your research poster at the First Annual University of Minnesota Undergraduate and Graduate Student Research Expo. The event will be held in the new TCF Bank Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Current students and 2009 graduates are both welcome to present.
• Information and registration
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School News
Today kicks off the 2009 University of Minnesota Public Health Institute. Now in its eighth year, the three-week event allows participants to design a course of study tailored to their needs. The institute draws hundreds of participants from throughout the country and world.
• Check
out the full roster of institute courses, lectures, and field trips
• Follow the event on Twitter
This month’s issue of Research Brief discusses the public health approach to college student drinking. The brief comes from SPH faculty member Toben Nelson.
• Read more online
U of M Simulations and Exercises for Educational Effectiveness (U-SEEE) is accepting applications now through June 18 for the U-SEEE fellows program for the period July 2009-June 2010. The program is an opportunity for University of Minnesota graduate students in public health, other health-related fields, or education to gain specialized training in the intersection of public health preparedness systems research and education. Awards are $20,000 per year for up to two years.
• Additional information
Late registration for the 2009 Certified in Public Health Exam runs until June 12. The exam will be offered Aug. 8-29. For more details about the exam see the exam website. The SPH’s Public Health institute is offering a review course for the exam. It includes test-taking strategies and other support tools and services to help prepare. Scholarships are available for the course.
• More on the course
• More on the Institute
The University of Minnesota Public Health Institute (PHI) is using Twitter to let you know about special events or other PHI updates. If you have a Twitter account and need to communicate with PHI, post @PHI2009 before your tweet.
• Join today to start receiving PHI2009's updates
H1N1 Resources. The recent outbreak of H1N1 Influenza prompted the University of Minnesota Center for Public Health Preparedness to develop and distribute a list of free resources most pertinent to influenza outbreak and response. This information can be found under the ‘Influenza Resources’ side panel.
• Access resources online
“Dirty Bomb! After the Blast” is a 3D simulation that puts learners in the decision-making role to navigate through three missions working as a public health responder after a dirty bomb explosion. The comprehensive simulation is designed for all types of public health professionals who may be called to respond during a large-scale disaster.
• Click to access the simulation
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SPH Events
The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety will present, “Occupational Health in India,” on Tuesday, May 26. Robert Joseph, professor of community medicine at St. Johns Medical College in Bangalore, India, will lead the discussion. The session will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in 3-125 Mayo. Light refreshments will be served.
“Ethical Issues in An Aging Society” will be discussed on Tuesday, June 2 during the Center on Aging and the Center for Bioethics 2009 Summer Institute. This day-long conference will be held at the U of M Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Ave. in St. Paul. Author and ethicist Martha Holstein of the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group is the keynote speaker.For more information call 5-8954.
•Conference brochure and registration information
The Center on Aging presents “Improving Primary Care for Chronic Illness,” a symposium for health care professionals on Thursday, June 4. The event will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. David Colin-Thomé, United Kingdom National Health Service, is the keynote speaker. For questions call 5-8954.
• Conference brochure and registration information
The SPH Roundtable, Public Health 2050: The Impact of Technology on the Field of Public Health, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., on Thursday, June 4, in the Union Theater at Coffman. SPH professors Julie Jacko and B.R. Simon Rosser will serve as moderators for the event.
• More information and registration
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Other Events
May 29-30
Exploring Medical Missions Conference
June 28-July 1 2009
Public Health Systems Research Interest Group Meeting
For more events, go to the SPH Online Calendar
Subscribe to SPH calendar updates by e-mail
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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.
Last modified on Tuesday May 26, 2009