SPH News Sept. 8, 2009
SPH News is a school-wide electronic newsletter distributed to SPH faculty and staff every other week during the school year. To submit items for the Sept. 21 edition of SPH News, please send an e-mail to sphnews@umn.edu by Wednesday, Sept. 16.
From the Dean 
Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. I hope you agree that this is an inspiring time of year, full of momentum and promise.
For those of you who are new to the SPH, I encourage you to take advantage of all our school has to offer outside of the classroom. We have a world class mentor program, robust schedule of public lectures, variety of blogs and podcasts, and a faculty and staff that are exceptionally connected to the public health practice community.
Between discussions of health care reform and H1N1 planning, public health issues are on the minds of many beyond our school. By now you should have received email messages from the University and the SPH on what you need to know about H1N1 in the coming semester. I encourage you to read these important updates and to check out the resources at the University’s H1N1 site.
I continue to maintain my open door policy as dean. And I attend as many school events as my schedule allows. I hope our paths will cross at some point this year, and I encourage you to share any ideas you may have on how we can build upon our three-pronged mission of research, education, and outreach.
Best of luck in the coming year.
—John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
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Media News
August media coverage featured the following SPH faculty and staff:
- Jean Abraham
- Alvaro Alonso
- Lynn Blewett
- Kristine Ensrud
- Roger Feldman
- Susan Foote
- John Finnegan
- Alan Hirsch
- David Jacobs
- DeAnn Lazovich
- Russell Luepker
- Leslie Lytle
- Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
- Michael Osterholm
- Nancy Sherwood
- Marla Spivak
- Mary Story
- Deborah Swackhamer
Coverage was featured in local media as well as in Augusta Chronicle, Ethiopian Review, Atlanta Health Journal, United Press International, Science Centric, health.com, staffnurse.com, Opposing Views, Detroit News, Reuters India Pakistan Daily Mail, msnbc.com, cbsnews.com, Bloomberg News, and Washington Post. Visit SPH in the News to read more about SPH faculty in the news.
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Faculty News
Faculty note for H1N1 flu — In preparation for a possible disruption of in-person classes due to the H1N1 flu, Dean John Finnegan has charged the SPH’s Digital Learning Group (DLG) with ensuring there is an online presence for all SPH courses offered this fall. The DLG is also offering three one-on-one walk-in tutoring sessions—all which take place in Mayo A301—on WebVista this fall:
- 8-10:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 10
- 1-4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 5
- 8-11:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 6
If you have any questions, please call Jim Harpole at 626-5069, or send him an e-mail at decsph@umn.edu.
The 2009-10 faculty guidebooks are now available for faculty to distribute to students. The book lists the expertise of our faculty by subject and by full-page listing for each faculty member. Request books from Karen Carmody-McIntosh at 4-6708 or carm0074@umn.edu.
SPH faculty — please encourage your first-year graduate students to sign up for the SPH Mentor Program. The commitment is one to two hours per month from October-April. The program offers students a chance to link their academic work to a career in public health by building a relationship with a working professional. Many SPH students report that having a mentor is one of the most rewarding experiences of their education.
• Apply online by Sept. 17
Julie Jacko has been appointed by Minnesota Commissioner of Health, Sanne Magnan, to serve on the Minnesota eHealth Advisory Committee to represent academics and clinical research. The Legislature has extended the committee’s charge to 2015 and expanding its responsibilities.
• Read about the Minnesota eHealth Initiative
Harry Lando received the 2010 John Slade Award from the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. Lando has worked to bring together tobacco control researchers, policy makers, and practitioners across the globe.
• Read more about Lando’s award
Patricia McGovern, Nancy Nachreiner, Wendy Hellerstedt, and colleagues from the Medical School and HealthPartners Research Foundation were awarded a seed grant from the University’s Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health: “Determinants of Preconception, Prenatal and Postpartum Health in an Urban Population.”
Nancy Nachreiner was elected as section councilor for the
Injury Control and Emergency Health Services (ICEHS) section of the American Public Health Association. The ICEHS section works to strengthen communications and relationships among professionals interested in unintentional injury, violence, emergency health services and emergency preparedness.
• Visit the ICEHS section of the American Public Health Association website
Michael Osterholm has been elected to membership of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Founded in 1921, the CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting the understanding of foreign policy and the United States’ role in the world. The CFR publishes Foreign Affairs, the preeminent journal on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy.
• Read more online
Mary Story has received the Medallion Award from the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in recognition of her outstanding service and leadership to ADA and the dietetics profession. The ADA’s Medallion Awards, given each year since 1976, honor individuals who have shown dedication to the high standards of the dietetics profession through active participation, leadership, and devotion to serving others in dietetics and allied health fields.
• Read more online
Deborah Swackhamer has been appointed by Governor Pawlenty to the Clean Water Council. She is one of nine recent appointments to the 23 member council created by the legislature to provide advice on how to administer and implement the Clean Water Legacy Act, including making recommendations to the Governor on the appropriation of funds in the Clean Water Legacy Account.
• Read more online
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School News
H1N1: Lessons from the Southern Hemisphere and Minnesota’s Preparedness The School of Public Health, in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Global Health Initiative, will conduct a panel discussion on the novel H1N1 flu virus and how various sectors of society will and should respond to a potential pandemic. Michael Osterholm, SPH professor and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) will be joined by John Finnegan, dean of the School of Public Health, as well as Minnesota health commissioner Sanne Magnan and Abbott Northwestern emergency medicine physician Dan O’Laughlin to discuss H1N1. This discussion is scheduled for 9:00-11:00 a.m., Sept. 10, at Coffman Memorial Union Theater. Admission is free and the event is open to the public, but attendees must RSVP to Steven Guzowski at steven.guzowski@wilsoncenter.org, or (202) 691-4342.
• Additional Information
CPHEO and PHP Stats Reflect Great Growth. Activities for the 2008-2009 year have been released by the Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO) and the Public Health Practice (PHP) major. The PHP major continues to be the fastest growing major in the SPH, with 340 current active students. For 2008-2009 PHP graduated 35 certificate and 31 MPH candidates, and students in the major took a total 2,279 credits. In 2008-2009 CPHEO delivered 248 courses to a group of 28,772 registrants. These courses were delivered online and in the classroom, both locally and internationally.
The Center for Public Health Preparedness announces its latest online module, Crisis Intervention During Disaster. The goal of this module is to help learners identify reactions to trauma and take appropriate and effective action to assist individuals in crisis. Participants are eligible to receive up to 0.05 CEUs (0.5 contact hours) for completion of training including pre-test, post test and evaluation.
• Register online and learn more about our Public Health Emergency Training (PHET) Series
New Group Facilitator’s Guide for Disaster in Franklin County Now Available. The simulation can be projected in a classroom setting where participants engage in a group discussion about the problems presented, learning from each other in addition to learning from the online simulation.
• Learn more about the guide
This month’s issue of Research Brief discusses alcohol use, eating patterns, and weight behaviors in a university population. The brief comes from SPH assistant professor Melissa Nelson.
• Read the Research Brief online
Farm to Table Study Program: Uruguay will occur on Oct. 25-31. The program will explore the food system from farm-to-table while considering aspects of animal welfare and health, food safety, and public health. Facilitated discussions with key government and private sector leaders and site visits along the food supply chain are designed to integrate knowledge and skills in food safety, animal health, and public health. Registration is on a first-come first-serve basis and is limited to 20 participants.
• Read program information and register online
“All in the Family: Fetal Effects of Maternal Overweight and Obesity,” presented by the National Children’s Study Speakers’ Series, will be held on Sept. 9 from 3-4 p.m., at the Wilder Center in St. Paul. This event is free and open to all but seating is limited. Please register to Laurie Ukestad at ukest001@umn.edu.
The Deborah E. Powell Center will present the Sixth Annual Women’s Health Research conference on Monday, Sept. 21 at the McNamara Alumni Center. This year’s theme is “A Focus on Women’s Mental Health and Neurosciences.”
• Register online
The First Annual Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Symposium: Critical Issues in Research and Public Policy will occur on Sept. 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cowles Auditorium, Hubert H Humphrey Center. Nationally and internationally renowned speakers will present state-of-the art science on four highly controversial topics related to the effects of food consumption on human health: food processing, consumption of organic foods, high fructose corn syrup, and antibiotic use in animals.
• Read more and register online
The EpiCH Shuttle resumes service today, Tuesday, Sept. 8.
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SPH Events
Student Senate BBQ. SPH faculty and staff are invited to kick off the new school year and meet SPH students and the SPH Student Senate. The BBQ will occur on Thursday, Sept. 17, 4:30 p.m., on the plaza behind Coffman.
Pits, Pitfalls, and Health Issues in Minnesota’s Iron Ore Industry will be presented by Jeffrey Mandel on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 1-2 p.m., Mayo A301.
• Additional Information
Jay Kaufman, associate professor in the department of epidemiology, biostatistics, and occupational health at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, will discuss “Mechanistic Inference from Observational Data: Defining and Estimating Direct and Indirect Effects” on Friday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m.-noon, at the West Bank Office Building, 1300 S. 2nd St., 3rd floor, Room 364.
• Additional Information
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota is convening an international summit on the H1N1 influenza pandemic and critical business preparedness. “Keeping the World Working During the H1N1 Pandemic: Protecting Employee Health, Critical Operations, and Customer Relations” is a two-day conference featuring a variety of pandemic response experts from public and private sectors. The conference will occur Sept. 22, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Marriott City Center, 30 S. 7th St.
• Read more and register online
Media Production for Public Health seminar series will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m., in 2-110 Weaver-Densford. SPH media producer Paul Bernhardt will lead a series of discussions designed for SPH students on using basic media production tools to craft and communicate effective public health messages and conduct cutting-edge research. Faculty and staff are welcome.
• Read about the program and register online
Breakfast Briefing: Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers, Risk Assessment and Fit Testing for Novel Influenza A (H1N1) will occur on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 7:30-9:30 a.m., at the University Office Plaza (2221 University Ave. S.E.). The learning activity will focus on respiratory protection and respirator fit testing for health care workers.
• More information and register online
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Student News
Del Doherty has won the Young Voices in Research for Health international essay contest. His essay, “Never Let A Disaster Go to Waste: Opportunities Presented by the Swine Flu Epidemic for Innovation in Global Public Health Emergency Response,” will be published in Nov., in the Young Voices in Research for Health 2009 anthology. The contest is sponsored by The Global Forum for Health Research and the scientific journal Lancet.
• Read more about Young Voices in Research for Health
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has hired six SPH students to work on Team Diarrhea (AKA “TEAM D”), an epidemiological unit that investigates foodborne illnesses. Four of the new students will be starting their MPH programs this week. Since 1999, MDH has worked with a total of 90 SPH students, with at least 42 of the 90 using MDH data for their Master’s projects.
• Watch Team D
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CPHEO News
Case Management: Tools for the Test and the Task
Sept. 9-11
• Additional Information
For Emergencies Only? Successful Respiratory Protection Program Implementation
Tuesday, Sept. 15
• Additional Information
24- and 40-Hour Site Worker Training
Sept. 21-25
• Additional Information
Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review
Sept. 21-25
• Additional Information
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Other Events
American Association for the History of Nursing Conference 2009 will occur on Friday, Sept. 25 and feature keynote speaker Steven Berlin Johnson, a best-selling author of six books on the intersection of science, technology, and personal experience.
• Read more and register online
Learn to access free social science and health data. The Minnesota Population Center (MPC), a developer of demographic data, will hold workshops on data training on Friday, Sept. 25, noon-1:30 p.m., at Wilson Library. The MPC provides population data to thousands of researchers, policymakers, teachers, and students. The workshops are free but limited to 30 people. E-mail training@pop.umn.edu to register.
Thea Lee will host two information sessions on a project concerning women of color. The project will introduce a new way of understanding and addressing the effects of oppression to marginalized communities in the Twin Cities. Lee has presented on topics including body-focused therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, cultural competency in health care and mental health, as well as social, collective, and historical. The sessions will occur on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6-7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 19, 4-5 p.m., at 500 University Ave W, Suite F-5, St. Paul. Contact Thea Lee at 651-319-2110 or lee.theam@gmail.com for more information.
For more events, go to the SPH Online Calendar
Subscribe to SPH calendar updates by e-mail
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Events on the AHC Web Site
Events on the SPH Web Site
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Last modified on Monday May 11, 2009