SPH News Oct. 13, 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
We were privileged last week to host a delegation from the Indian Council of Medical Research (that country’s equivalent of our NIH), including its interim director general, Dr. S. K. Bhattacharya, and three high-ranking deputies. The visit helped to further solidify a relationship that began two years ago when Dr. Frank Cerra signed a formal agreement between the ICMR and our Academic Health Center that seeks to advance joint health research by Indian scientists and U of M partners.
An important development from this recent visit was the decision by the joint steering committee of our two organizations to set as its priority funding areas the broad fields of cancer and diabetes. The next step will be a joint scientific symposium to be held in New Delhi this winter, which will seek to match the U of M’s top researchers in cancer and diabetes with Indian researchers working in those areas. From there, we hope that we can form the right scientific partnerships and develop extramurally funded proposals under the ICMR/U of M agreement.
The important lesson here is that just as public health is global, so increasingly is the research that drives it.
—John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
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Media News
September 2008 media coverage featured the following SPH faculty and staff:
Bryan Dowd
Jill Cordes
Roger Feldman
Susan Bartlett Foote
John Finnegan
Wendy Hellerstedt
Patricia McGovern
Ira Moscovice
Toben Nelson
Charles Oberg
Michael Osterholm
Simon Rosser
Traci Toomey
Bill Toscano
Deborah Swackhamer
Beth Virnig
Coverage was featured in local media as well as in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Medical News Today, Science Now, United Press International, and Good Housekeeping. Visit www.sph.umn.edu/about/news/media/ to read more about SPH faculty in the news.
Subscribe to Public Health Scene to get regular e-mail updates on SPH in the news.
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Faculty News
Roger Feldman testified before the Health Subcommittee on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in September on the tax treatment of health insurance premiums. This month, Feldman briefed congressional staff on “How to Fix Medicare – Let’s Pay Patients, Not Physicians,” based on a book he wrote for the American Enterprise Institute. He delivered the same talk to the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Bernard Harlow presented “Menopause and Depression” at the North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting held Sept. 24-27 in Orlando, Florida.
Alan Lifson will serve as team leader for an in-country evaluation of the national scale-up of HIV care activities in Ethiopia.
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer gave a presentation as part of a congressional briefing on eating disorders in Washington, D.C. on September 10. She also received the 2008 Research Award from the Eating Disorders Coalition for outstanding contributions in research, policy, action, and service.
Call for Faculty Award Info for SPH Annual Report. The 2008 SPH annual report will include a list of faculty awards, appointments, and honors. To be eligible for the annual report, the award, appointment, or honor must have taken place from June 2007 to July 2008.
• View the current list of faculty award information If you have an item to add, please send a sentence or two of details to Kris Stouffer at stouffer@umn.edu. Submissions are due by Wednesday, Oct. 22.
RSVP reminder for alumni event at the Weisman. The SPH Alumni Board cordially invites SPH faculty to reconnect with alumni and celebrate the growing community of public health professionals bonded by ties to our school. Please join the board for a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception and tour of the Weisman Art Museum. THe SPH Alumni Networking Event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Cost: FREE we want to celebrate you!
• Register online
by Thursday, Oct 16
It’s time to order textbooks. Faculty should submit their spring semester textbook requests at textbook@umn.edu or call 6-9484.
Beginning this fall, the School of Public Health will conduct all student course evaluations online. Last week, Dean Finnegan sent an e-mail explaining the new system. Instructors teaching half-term classes will receive an additional e-mail asking them to confirm their teaching assignment. For questions, contact Carol Francis at 4-6952 or Mary Ellen Nerney at 6-5005.
The Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute has released two requests for proposals. The institute will award University faculty members up to three research grants of $100,000 each in the area of food policy, and seed grants of $25,000-$50,000 each in the areas of food policy, prevention of obesity and chronic disease, and food safety. RFPs will be accepted until Friday, Nov. 21.
• View
the RFPs, For questions call 5-8693 or e-mail hfhl@umn.edu.
Faculty who attend the American Public Health Association conference are encouraged to set aside specific times, in increments of 15 minutes, to be at the SPH booth. Please contact Melvin Monette in the Student Services Center (D305 Mayo) or e-mail monet0082umn.edu to discuss details.
The AHC Office of Education is sponsoring a series of faculty education initiatives this fall. The first is “Teaching with Technology Tuesdays” and will be held on Oct. 21, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16 in the AHC Learning Commons, 535 Diehl Hall. The second is the “Lunch and Learn” series that will be held from 12:15 to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 13, in 1-450 Moos and 155 Peters (St. Paul). The first session is “Why Use MyU.” The next session, “iTunesU,” and will be held on Oct. 30. Other workshop dates are Nov. 12, Nov. 25, and Dec. 10. For more dates and details contact Janet Shanedling at janet@umn.edu or 6-2783.
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School News
SPH staffers are needed to volunteer at the SPH booth at the American Public Health Association conference in San Diego. Volunteers will work in two-hour increments that are aligned with poster and scientific session times. To volunteer or to see the schedule, please contact Melvin Monette in the Student Services Center (D305 Mayo) or e-mail monet0082umn.edu.
All items that need to be shipped to San Diego for the SPH booth during the APHA conference must be given to Student Services by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Student Services will pre-ship the items that are received by the deadline. Anything dropped off after that time will not be included in the booth.
Party Planners Wanted. The SPH All-School Winter Reception scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, needs to be exciting, fun, and memorable; therefore, your help is needed. We are seeking volunteers to assist in the planning of this event. We ask that you attend three, one-hour meetings (dates and times to be determined) to discuss, plan, and execute tasks. Because the event team appreciates your creativity and service, they will reward volunteers with a special treat. To volunteer for the SPH All-School Winter Reception planning committee, please contact Nichole Marthaler by phone 6-9303 or e-mail mart1047@umn.edu by Friday, Oct. 24.
For details on the Minnesota statute that allows employees to take time off from work to vote please visit this University Human Resources Web page. Administrators are reminded that the policy could affect morning coverage on Nov. 4 so they may need to readjust scheduling to cover employee absences during the morning hours.
The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), a University of Minnesota-led Homeland Security Center of Excellence, held its 2008 Annual Meeting Sept. 29 and Oct. 1. More than 140 research investigators, industry advisors, NCFPD staff, and government representatives attended in order to develop NCFPD's strategic research and education plan. Twenty-eight student research posters on food defense projects were presented. Ryan Newkirk, an epidemiology Ph.D. student, presented his poster "Fluid Milk System Characterization and Risk Assessment: A Proposed Methodology."
• More about NCFPD
Emergency Response courses are being offered through the SPH and the Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training. The courses are designed for sanitarians, first responders, environmental health students, food safety managers, public safety personnel, and hazmat workers at all levels. No prior coursework is required. Students receive certification as “operations” or “technician level” hazardous materials responders (required through OSHA 1910.120). Questions? Call 6-4515.
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SPH Events
Ruzong Fan will discuss, “Extended Homozygosity Score Tests to Detect Positive Selection in Genome-wide Scans” during a seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Fan is from the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University. The seminar will be held at 3:30 p.m. in 5-125 MoosT. A social tea will be held at 3 p.m. in A434 Mayo. All are welcome to attend.
• More about Fan's lecture online or call
4-4655
“Comparison of Imputation Methods for Survey Data,” is the topic of Jianmin Liu’s Plan B Presentation. The presentation will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, in Mayo A301. Liu is a master's candidate in biostatistics. Refreshments will be served prior to the presentation. For more information call 5-5451.
“The Hispanic Paradox: Reality and Misconception,” is the topic of the EpiCH division seminar on Friday, Oct. 17. David Shoham, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, is the speaker. The seminar will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in room 364 of WBOB. For more information contact Carol Raichert at 5-1836.
“Using Social Network Analysis to Understand and Change Health Behavior” is the topic of Thomas Valente’s seminar on Thursday, Oct. 23. Valente is a professor and director of the Master of Public Health Program in the Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. The seminar will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in 1-451 Moos Tower.
• More about Valente's lecture
Miguel Hernan, associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health will lead the EpiCH division seminar on Friday, Oct. 24. The seminar will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in room 364 of WBOB. For more information contact Carol Raichert at 5-1836.
For more events, go to the SPH Online Calendar
CPHEO Announcements
Upcoming Courses
Introduction to Epidemiology: Online Module
This online training provides an overview of epidemiology, key terms, and examines the role of epidemiologists in public health practice.
• Access the module
Tools for Managing Volunteers During and After a Disaster
These tools were developed for Medical Reserve Corps coordinators, public health agencies or any organization that may deploy volunteers to assist during or after an emergency or disaster and can be adapted to meet your agency needs.
• Access tools online
Public Health Policy and Advocacy – Online Module
In this online module, learners will examine how policy becomes law and the "nuts and bolts" of advocacy that influence legislators.
Access Module
Incident Management Systems Awareness
Oct. 16.
Additional Information
Confined Space Entry and Retrieval
Oct. 17.
Additional Information
24- and 40-Hour Emergency Response Training
Oct. 20-24.
More information
8-Hour Emergency Response Refresher
Dec. 4
• View course description
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Other Events
Oct. 16, 1 to 2 p.m.
Participatory Approaches in Asian American Health Disparities Research by Grace Ma, Temple University
Oct. 16, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Ukrainian Event Center
301 Main St. N.E., Minneapolis
Friends of Fremont Clinic Health Services fundraising gala, $25 in advance and $30 at the door. FCHS hosts an annual gala to raise awareness of the vital role that community-based clinics play in providing health care to those in need, and to raise funds for providing care for the uninsured. For more information or to purchase tickets contact 612-287-2400.
“Views from the U: The Political Science of Election '08” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20. Hosted by the University's political science department, the forum features six faculty experts on campaigns and elections. This forum is free and open to the community. It will be held McNamara Alumni Center. For more information contact bethier@umn.edu.
Oct. 23, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
"The Art of Caring," A benefit to support the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic, will be held at the Weisman Art Museum. Come join supporters from the PNC for an evening of art, hors d'oeuvres, live music, and the chance to bid on unique items at the silent auction. The PNC is a free clinic operated by over 100 University of Minnesota students from the schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Public Health. Advance tickets are $25 adults and $10 students. Tickets at the door are $30 adults and $15 students. Please direct questions to pete6585@umn.edu.
• Advance tickets available online
Oct. 27-28
Minnesota Water Resources Conference. More information
Nov. 6, 8:30 to 4 p.m.
Children in Nature: Healthy Development by Design conference or contact Arboretum Education at 952-443-1422.
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 Oct 13, 2008