SPH News Nov. 2, 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 Nov. 16 edition of SPH News, please send an e-mail to sphnews@umn.edu by Wednesday, Nov. 11.
From the Dean 
I’m pleased to announce that Brad Carlin has accepted appointment as head of the Division of Biostatistics. He will take over on May 1, 2010.
As many of you know, our Division of Biostatistics is considered one of the top units of its kind nationally, especially in terms of research productivity. Much of this research involves colleagues from throughout the health sciences. As competition heats up for federal research dollars—and as our reliance on complex, high dimensional data grows—it’s critical that we continue to support and grow the division’s portfolio of collaborative, translational research. This is a mission that Brad has made central to his goals in the coming years.
I also want to thank John Connett for his nine years of service as head of biostatistics. His thoughtful leadership has greatly contributed to the division’s good standing. John is stepping down to devote more time to his own research on clinical trials and lung health.
Brad’s experiences as an accomplished researcher will serve the division and school well, as will his dedication to teaching. I’m looking forward to working with him in this next stage of his career and in this next chapter of school leadership.
—John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
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Media News
October media coverage featured the following SPH faculty and staff:
- Jean Abraham
- Kristin Anderson
- Jeff Bender
- Lynn Blewett
- Ryan Cox
- Rodger Feldman
- John Finnegan
- Susan Foote
- Craig Hedberg
- Julie Jacko
- Robert Jeffery
- Leslie Lytle
- Jeffrey Mandel
- Claudia Munoz-Zanzi
- James Neaton
- Melissa Nelson
- Toben Nelson
- Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
- Simone French
- Michael Osterholm
- Mark Pereira
- Gurumurthy Ramachandran
- Lyn Steffen
- Mary Story
- Robert Town
Coverage was featured in local media as well as in the NBC Nightly News, American Medical News, Hutchinson Leader, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Canadian Press, Duluth News Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Web MD Healthy Eating and Diet Blog, Daily Gleaner, Fargo-Moorhead Forum, Associated Press, Grand Forks Herald, Daily Globe, Reuters, Alibaba News, Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Greenwich Times, Unite Press International, and Time Magazine.
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Faculty News
R.K. Anderson has received the George T. Angell Humanitarian Award from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Anderson is an expert in human-animal relationships and environments.
Deborah Swackhamer, co-director the U’s Water Resources Center, is the 2009 recipient of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s (SETAC) Founders Award, the highest award given by the organization. The Founders Award recognizes outstanding career accomplishments that promote research, education, communication, and training in the environmental sciences. SETAC is a non-profit, worldwide organization dedicated to the protection, enhancement, and management of environmental quality and ecosystem integrity.
•Read more about SETAC
The fall semester Faculty Meeting and Faculty Voting Meeting will occur on Thursday, Dec. 17, 8-11 a.m., location to be determined. Faculty and staff are invited to attend.
• Additional Information
Taking the Mystery out of Promotion and Tenure will occur on Friday, Nov. 13, 1:15-2:15 p.m., in Mayo A301. This SPH sponsored information session will discuss the procedures of faculty promotion and tenure for current and prospective faculty seeking promotion and/or tenure. Sr. Assoc. Dean Judy Garrard will facilitate. RSVP to Stefannie Anderson at stef@umn.edu.
Support of TR01 grants and Large-grant RFAs: The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will provide support for clinical translational research by disseminating funding opportunities (both federal and industry), serving as support teams for investigators seeking grants and contracts, and providing proactive support in the preparation of grants and contracts. Support will include biostatistical, regulatory, clinical research implementation, and financial and administrative support.
• Read the complete details of the CTSI support at the SPH website
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School News
SPH experts soon will be on the frontlines working to help developing countries better respond to emerging infectious diseases that pose a threat to human and animal health. The SPH and several other U of M schools are part of a team project called RESPOND that will implement a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) cooperative agreement with funding up to $185 million. SPH associate dean for education Debra Olson (pictured) will serve as associate director for the project and SPH professor Bill Toscano as a regional lead. SPH faculty members Claudia Munoz-Zanzi and Randy Singer will also contribute to the work.
More about
RESPOND
The University of Minnesota has launched a new Master of Development Practice (MDP) degree to train professionals in international development. The interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary degree program spans seven academic units, including the SPH, and will be offered as a partnership between the Humphrey Institute and the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change. The U of M is one of only four universities in the United States to have such a program. Some of the program's required courses will be taught in the SPH by SPH faculty. This programs is viewed as an attractive dual degree opportunity for SPH students.
Join SPH colleagues at the school’s alumni and friends reception at APHA. The reception will be held in conjunction with the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in Philadelphia, on Monday, Nov. 9. The event will be held at the Field House, located inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, location of the APHA annual meeting, from 6:30-8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Registration is not required. If you have questions, contact Nichole Axtman at mart1047@umn.edu.
The Annual School Visit with Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences, Frank B. Cerra will occur on Monday, Nov. 23, 12-2 p.m., in the Mayo Auditorium. Faculty, staff, and students are invited.
The October issue of research brief comes from assistant professor of health policy and management Pinar Karaca-Mandic. She writes about Behavioral Impact of Graduated Driver Licensing on Teenage Driving Risk and Exposure. Research Brief is a monthly electronic publication that profiles the work of SPH faculty members.
Read Research Brief
Watch a video of Karaca-Mandic discussing her research
Breast cancer awareness, school lunch, and health care reform were three recent topics on the Public Health Moment podcast. Featured faculty members included Lynn Blewett, Beth Virnig, and Jamie Stang.
Listen at Public Health Moment
Sue Borowick is the new director for the Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO). Borowick brings over 24 years of training and management experience in both the private and public sectors. She has expertise in training needs assessment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Her experiences with e-learning tools, methods and strategies, facilitation, project management, product development and implementation, and negotiations will enable her to contribute to CPHEO’s initiatives.
Request for Proposals: Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute has released a request for interdisciplinary research projects related to food and health. The institute will award up to one research grant of $50,000 to $100,000 in each of the following areas: food policy, prevention of obesity and chronic disease, and food safety. Criteria for funding are interdisciplinarity, innovation, potential impact, utilization of new collaborations, quality of the research proposal, and potential for future external funding. Deadline is Nov. 23. For more information, see request for proposals or email healthy foods.
Homecoming 2009: Thank you SPH volunteers. During the U’s “Ultimate Homecoming” Oct. 4-10, the SPH participated in an open house and parade. The open house attracted thousands of spectators and many stopped by the SPH booth to see demonstrations led by SPH staff member Diane Toscano, faculty member Nancy Nachreiner, and student Ania Urban. The following Friday, SPH had a walking unit in the parade.
• Watch video of the parade
• Look at photos of the parade
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make our participation in Homecoming 2009 a success: Jessica Appert, Dawn Bazarko, Jane Braun, Sarah Brunsberg, Sung Choi, Chris Drucker, Sarah Ekerholm, Joe Finnegan, Chris Gabel, Molly Gagnon, Patricia Gannon, Dotty Gondwe, Katie Hall, Carol Hansen, Sarah Henderson, Evan Henke, Tran Huynh, Jooyeon Hwang, Siddharth Jain, Kelli Kinneberg, Katie Knutson, Cecilia Kramer, Deb Lasher, Sharad Manaktala, Dan Musser, Vicki Pearson, Jaime Preussler, Rema Ramakrishnan, Krystal Rampalli, Andrea Rice, Spencer Rudolf, Xiaoyan Sheng, Jared Shenk, Davinderjit Singh, Meghan Taylor, Ania Urban, Gavin Watt, Ming-Ta Yang, Bignlin Yue, and Michael Zambrana.
The Summit of Sages: Inspiration, Innovation, and Transformation will be held Nov. 4-6 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This summit focuses on transformative health care delivery, and six Sages or nurses who are at the forefront of a new way of providing health care.
• Read more and register for this conference
• Learn about 2009’s six sages
Health Care Reform 101 will occur on Nov. 12, 6-8 p.m., in the Mayo Auditorium with speakers, Susan Foote, SPH professor emerita; Carol Backstrom, assistant to the commissioner on health reform, Minnesota Department of Health; and Dr. Kent Bottles, president of Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Contact Ashley Grey at grey0028@umn.edu to learn more about the event.
• Additional Information
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SPH Events
Understanding and addressing health disparities among Alaska Natives living in rural, remote communities undergoing rapid Westernization will be presented by Andrea Bersamin on Monday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m., in WBOB 364.
• Additional Information
An Environmental Health Toxicology Seminar on Health Investigation into Minnesota’s Taconite Industry will be presented by Jeffrey Mandel on Monday, Nov. 2, 3:35-4:25 p.m., in Mayo 1155.
• Additional Information
Determination of the Minimum Number of Lymph Nodes to Examine to Maximize Survival in Esophagectomy Specimens from Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma: Data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Database will presented by Shawn Groth on Friday, Nov. 6, 2-2:30 p.m., in PWB 11-157.
• Additional Information
The next Media Production for Public Health series seminar will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 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. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome.
• Read more and RSVP online
Unhealthy Influences: The Impact of Advertising on the Health of Children will occur on Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30-9 a.m., in WBOB 142. SPH Dean John Finnegan will moderate as forum panelists discuss children’s exposure to messages designed to influence their health and buying preferences.
• Seating is limited, register online
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Other Events
A Taste of Tropical Medicine: A Global Health Volunteerism Short Prep Course will take place Nov. 6, 6:30-9:30 p.m. and Nov. 7, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Contact Dawn Bauer at bauer.dawn@mayo.edu or 507-284-4584 for more information or to register.
The Midwest Worksite Health Promotion Conference will occur on Monday, Nov. 9, 7:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m., at St. Paul RiverCentre.
• Read more online
SPEAK OUT to End Breast Cancer will occur on Saturday, Nov. 14., noon-3:30 p.m., at the Hotel Sofitel Minneapolis.
•Read more and register online
The Minnesota Cancer Alliance presents the sixth annual Cancer Summit 2009: Partners in Progress on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Hotel Sofitel, Bloomington.
• Read more and register online
Save-the-date: 2010 Legislative Briefing and Reception will occur on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the McNamara Alumni Center. President Bruininks will preview the U’s 2010 legislative request and talk about the challenges higher education faces in these trying economic times.
•Read more online
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 Sunday Jun 07, 2009