SPH News Jan. 22, 2008
SPH News is a school-wide electronic newsletter distributed to SPH faculty and staff every other week during the school year. Please send news items to SPHNews@umn.edu.
From the Dean
Although it doesn’t feel remotely like spring outside, I hope you’re feeling refreshed and ready to embark on this first day of the spring semester. I’d like to wish all our SPH faculty, staff, and students well in the coming weeks and months. As always, I look forward to hearing about your accomplishments this semester.
Before we all get too entrenched in coursework and administrative duties, I’d like to alert you to some upcoming events. These are sure to be highlights of the second half of this academic school year.
National Public Health Week, April 7-11, brings a series of events. As always, the school will host a film festival around various public health themes. Films will be shown evenings that week in the Mayo auditorium.
The first ever SPH Research Day will take place on Friday, April 11. Students will be invited to participate in poster sessions that feature their work. Awards will be given to the top research projects.
Please save the date for these events and watch SPH News for details in the weeks to come. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the opening days of this not-so-spring-like semester.
--John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
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Faculty News
On Jan. 3, Lynn Blewett participated in the Integrated Policy Exercise at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. The topic of this year's policy simulation was "Insuring the Uninsured: Options for Expanding Access to Affordable Health Care."
An article by Kathleen Call, Michael Davern, and Lynn Blewett was named as one of the top 10 articles of 2007 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The RWJF top 10 list highlights research that has had an impact in the policy arena or has helped shape the foundation's work. The article is "Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage: Comparing State Surveys with the Current Population Survey." Call KT, Davern M and Blewett LA Health Affairs, 26(1): 269-278, January/February 2007.
• Learn more online
Lisa Peterson has been elected chair-elect of the American Chemical Society's Division of Chemical Toxicology. Peterson is the first woman elected to head the more than 1,000-member national society of chemists and biochemists whose scientific research focuses on toxicology, the study of poisons, their actions, detection, and treatment of conditions produced by them. She begins her duties as chair-elect this month, and next year she will become chair.
A video of the Vernon Weckwerth receiving the 2007 Global Engagement Award as a Distinguished International Professor is available on YouTube. Weckwerth won the University-wide award, given to faculty or staff in recognition of outstanding contributions to global education and international programs. Weckwerth was recognized for his work to improve the delivery of health services throughout the world.
The Office of Clinical Research offers help to assistant professors working on NIH and other grant applications. This includes assistance with RFA/PA review, detailed editing of the abstract and application, and/or a final read-through before submission can receive individual assistance. The writing staff doesn't consult on scientific content, but are experienced at working with faculty to promote clarity, organization, and adherence to RFA/PA guidelines. For more information, contact Nancy Johnson at 5-1651 or nancyj@umn.edu.
The Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment and the Life Sciences announced a funding opportunity for faculty. This initiative aims to encourage work on the broad societal implications of problems in health, environment, or the life sciences. Request for Proposals (RFP) for the summer 2008 or academic year 2008-09 are due Tuesday, Feb. 5.
• Read the RFP. Questions? Contact Audrey Boyle at boyle032@umn.edu or 6-5624.
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School News
The SPH and Cancer Center researchers, in collaboration with colleagues in the community, have been published in Indian Country News for their work with the American Indian Tobacco Project.
• Read the article
An information session about graduate programs in the Division of Health Policy and Management will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4, in D-330 Mayo. For more information or to make a reservation to attend, please e-mail: eherring@umn.edu, or call 4-8818.
Four experts from the SPH-based Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) recently published articles in a special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production. Cindy McComas, MnTAP director; Catherine Zimmer, MnTAP health care specialist; Kyle Bartholomew, former MnTAP engineer; and Deb McKinley, former MnTAP intern program and communications manager, were contributing authors on four articles related to MnTAP's work in pollution prevention and cleaner production efforts. McComas also served as a guest editor of the edition.
Enter the ASPH Friday Letter Photo-of-the-Month Contest! Each month Friday Letter staff will choose a photo that depicts a public health experience of students, faculty, and staff of ASPH-member schools or affiliates of ASPH-partner organizations. Photo submissions should capture a public health experience such as school/community event or service project, faculty or student research experience, a fellowship/internship experience or a new public health initiative. Submissions should be sent via e-mail as a high-resolution JPEG attachment to submissions@asph.org. Entries should include the photographer's full name, school or organization affiliation, and a brief description (250 words or less) of the photograph. The winning entry for each month will appear in the first issue of the Friday Letter that month. Questions can be directed to Ms. Kate Howe at khowe@asph.org or (202) 296-1099.
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SPH Events & Courses
The SPH Health Disparities Working Group will meet from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31, in Mayo A301. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served. Rhonda Jones-Webb will discuss the Health Disparities Research Forum and provide information about a training grant and Kathleen Call will discuss faculty development. There will also be a dialogue with SPH faculty members Patricia McGovern and Wendy Hellerstedt, investigators with the National Children's Study.
CPHEO Announcements
Upcoming CPHEO Courses
The workshop "Designing and Conducting Focus Group Interviews" will be held on March 17-18 and 19-20.
• Learn more/register
"Breathe Easier: Advances in Indoor Air Quality and Mold Recognition, Identification and Remediation" will be held March 18-20. The topics are presented in a two-part series. You have the option of attending a one-day session on indoor air quality issues, a two-day session focusing specifically on mold identification and remediation, or both sessions over three days.
• Register online
A farm to table study tour in the Netherlands will be held Feb. 6-9. The Global Food Safety Systems Leadership Initiative is sponsored by an international consortium of universities fostering public-private partnerships committed to a safe supply of affordable food everywhere. Please contact Meghan Taylor at 6-8434 or tayl0427@umn.edu for program itineraries, financial support applications, and registration forms.
Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations for Food Safety, Animal Health and Public Health will be held in Paris-Geneva-Rome Feb. 10-15. The Global Food Safety Systems Leadership Initiative is sponsored by an international consortium of universities fostering public-private partnerships committed to a safe supply of affordable food everywhere. Please contact Meghan Taylor at 6-8434 or tayl0427@umn.edu for program itineraries, financial support applications, and registration forms.
- 8-Hour Site Worker Refresher will be held Thursday, Feb. 7.
- 24/40-Hour Site Worker Training will be held Feb. 11-15.
- Incident Management Systems Awareness will be held Thursday, Feb. 21
• View a detailed course listing
• Register online
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Other Events
Join U of M alumni, faculty, staff, and students for the 2008 Legislative Briefing and Reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the McNamara Alumni Center. Connect with other University supporters and President Bruininks in this energizing annual event. Attendees will get an insider's preview of the University's 2008 capital bonding request and learn how to share their story in a way that will help the leadership and citizens of this state realize how the University of Minnesota touches each and every one of them. Enjoy a light dinner buffet and learn what you can do to support the U.
• 5:30 - 6:30 p.m: Light dinner and cash bar reception
• 6:30 - 8:00 p.m: Legislative briefing program.
• RSVP Online to attend the Legislative Briefing or call 6-1417.
The annual State of the Academic Health Center address, "Fulfilling the Vision: Breaking New Ground," by Frank Cerra, will be Thursday, Jan. 31, in Mayo Auditorium. The address will be preceded by the Academic Health Center Faculty Assembly, and all faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend. Both sessions will be telecast to the Duluth, St. Paul, and Rochester campuses. The State of the Academic Health Center Address will be from 4 to 5 p.m. A reception will follow.
"Quasi-likelihood Power and Sample Size Calculations for Models from Unknown Distributions" will be presented by Jonathan Mahnken, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine on Thursday, Jan. 31 at noon. The lecture will be held in 2-520 Moos Tower and lunch will be provided. For more information contact Sara Hahne at 6-6031.
Save the date. Mark your calendars for the Cancer Center's Annual Members and Staff Recognition Event and Years of Service Awards to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, in the west wing of the Campus Club. More details to come.
"Discover the Connections! Bridging Strategies to Prevent Child Injury and Maltreatment," is the topic of a new conference to be held in California Feb. 24-26. California's first combined conference on the prevention of child injury, abuse and neglect will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento. The conference is a collaborative effort sponsored by the California Departments of Public Health and Social Services; and the California Kids' Plates Program at the Center for Injury Prevention Policy and Practice. The cost is $150 plus additional fees for a CPS skills-specific session scheduled for Feb. 24.
• Learn more online
The Eugene Kenaga International DDT Conference on Environment and Health, "DDT: Killer or Savior?" will be held Friday, March 14, in Alma, Michigan on the Alma College Campus.
Learn more/register
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• Events on the AHC Web Site
• Events on the SPH Web Site
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Last modified on Tuesday Jan 22, 2008