SPH News Nov. 12, 2007
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. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday the deadline for submission for the Nov. 26 issue is 9 a.m. on Nov. 16.
From the Dean
I am delighted to welcome the newest member of the school’s leadership team, Dr. François Sainfort, the new head of our Division of Health Policy and Management.
Dr. Sainfort comes to us from Georgia Tech, where he was the senior associate dean for interdisciplinary research in the College of Engineering, director of the Health Systems Institute, and the William W. George Professor of Health Systems at Georgia Tech and the Emory University School of Medicine.
Dr. Sainfort is highly regarded for his leadership skills and commitment to interdisciplinary research. His work in medical decision-making will add to the school’s scope of expertise. His vision for attracting endowments and large multi-investigator grants will bolster our reputation and create new opportunities for faculty and students.
Dr. Sainfort is joined by his wife, Dr. Julie Jacko, who has appointments at the School of Nursing and in our school’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Jacko will head the University’s new Institute for Health Informatics.
--John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
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October 2007 media coverage featured the following SPH faculty and staff:
Kristin Anderson
Lynn Blewett
Roger Feldman
Shira Feldman
Susan Bartlett Foote
Ian Greaves
Alan Hirsch
Rosalie Kane
Nicole Larson
Pat McGovern
Toben Nelson
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
Michael Osterholm
Mark Pereira
Kim Robien
Deborah Swackhamer
Traci Toomey
Robert Town
Beth Virnig
Coverage was featured in local media as well as in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, USA Today, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal, Chicago Tribune, Pak Tribune, Gold Coast News, Reuters UK, Boston Globe, and NBC Nightly News. Visit www.sph.umn.edu/news/ to read more about SPH faculty in the news and find links to the complete stories.
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Faculty News
Bernie Harlow recently spoke to the National Press Club in support of the NIH campaign to raise awareness of Vulvodynia.
• Read more about the campaign
Michael Osterholm was appointed to the Preparedness for Terrorism and Disasters Working Group. The group was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2007.
Deb Swackhamer spoke at an Oct. 29 media briefing on the state of Lake Superior. The briefing featured speakers from the Making a Great Lake Superior Conference. More than 300 residents, educators, resource managers, and researchers attended.
Changes in the University's Course Guide system include a fix for issues with the new "media upload" function. Instructors and departmental scheduling coordinators can now upload syllabi, an instructor photo and bio, and a short video clip to course descriptions. The Course Guide is available for graduate and undergraduate courses. The new streamlined system allows instructors and/or staff to enter course information.
• View a tutorial (Log-in required)
• Access training documentation
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School News
François Sainfort has been named head of the SPH’s Division of Health Policy and Management. In recognition of his scholarly achievements, he also has been named a Mayo Professor of Public Health. Prior to coming to Minnesota, Sainfort was the senior associate dean for interdisciplinary research in the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech. His research interests include medical decision making under risk and uncertainty. "Dr. Sainfort is highly regarded for his leadership skills and commitment to interdisciplinary research," says SPH Dean John Finnegan. "His work in medical decision-making will add to the school's scope of expertise. His vision for attracting endowments and large, multi-investigator grants will bolster our reputation and create new opportunities for faculty and students."
• Read
the complete announcement
Local Efforts to Reduce High Alcohol Content Beverages is the topic of the latest Research Brief, written by SPH associate professor Rhonda Jones-Webb. Research Brief is a monthly publication of the SPH.
• Read the brief
Seasonal flu, personal emergency-planning, and the largest ever U.S. children’s health study are the topics of the latest installments of Public Health Moment.
• Listen to Public Health Moment
The NIH is reminding health professionals engaged in biomedical and behavioral research to apply online for a loan repayment award before the upcoming annual deadline Saturday, Dec. 1. NIH will repay up to $35,000 annually of qualified educational debt for health professionals pursuing careers in one of the five Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs): Clinical, Pediatric, Health Disparities, Contraception and Infertility, and Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Background.
Learn more/access application Questions? Call 1-866-849-4047 or e-mail lrp@nih.gov.
The annual conference of the American Public Health Association (APHA) was a success for the SPH due to the many knowledgeable and enthusiastic students who participated. Prospective students appreciated hearing from current SPH students. Thanks to all who attended and talked with prospective students, as well as alumni and friends of the SPH. Student pride showed in the many pictures that were taken and friendships that were formed or renewed at the SPH booth. The SPH is fortunate to not only be one of the top-ranking schools of public health but also to have a genuine community within our school. The conference took place in Washington, D.C. this year. The 2008 APHA conference will take place in San Diego.
Congratulations to all who participated in the Twin Cities Marathon including SPH staff member Greg Silverman who completed the marathon with a time of 5:39.PHAP student, Jessica Beckwith, had a time of 4:45. MHA student, Julie Ann Schmitz, had a time of 4:06, and Mandy Stahre, a PhD candidate in epidemiology, had a time of 5:11.
SPH Match Game at the All-School Winter Reception. On Thursday, Dec. 13, the SPH will host the All-School Winter Reception at the Weisman Art Museum. During the festivities, the Match Game will be played (based on the popular 1970s game show). The panel will be made up of faculty, staff and students with the audience helping the contestants. Everyone's help is needed to have a fun and exciting SPH Match Game so please submit fill-in-the-blank questions that are either public health or SPH-related to www.sph.umn.edu/matchgame by Thursday, Dec. 6. Most questions will be used for the game. One lucky question-maker will receive a SPH gift package. For more information, go to www.sph.umn.edu/matchgame or contact Nichole Marthaler at 6-9303 or mart1047@umn.edu.
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SPH Events & Courses
"Appetite and Adiposity: Re-building a Psychological Theory of Obesity," will be the topic of discussion at a seminar on Monday, Nov. 12. Jane Wardle from University College London will be the keynote speaker for the event held from 4 to 5 p.m. in 3-125 Mayo. A reception will be held at 3:30 p.m.
• Learn more online
Andrew Steptoe from University College London will be the keynote speaker at a seminar on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Steptoe will discuss "Positive Well-Being, Biology, and Health" from 10 to 11 a.m. in 3-125 Mayo. A reception will be held from 9:30 to 10 a.m.
• Learn more online
"A Logistic Regression model for Quantitative Trait Locus linkage Analysis" will be the topic of discussion during a Plan B presentation by Milan Seth, a master's candidate in biostatistics. Seth's presentation will be at noon on Monday, Nov. 19 in A434 Mayo. Refreshments will be served prior to the presentation.
"Causes and Consequences on Change in Local Public Health Spending," will be the topic of the Division of Health Policy and Management Seminar Series on Thursday, Nov. 29. The seminar will be held from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m. in D-230 Mayo. Glen Mays, associate professor and chair pro tem, of the Department of Health Policy and Management for the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health is the speaker. For more information call 4-6151. The event is free and open to the public.
"Be Sweet to Yourself" and register online for the SPH All-School Winter Reception. The SPH All-School Winter Reception will add some color to your gray winter, fun to your finals week, and relaxation to your stressed body. The reception will be held on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 2:15-4:30 p.m., at the Weisman Art Museum. It's an afternoon that will fill you with delicious delights and memorable music, and once it's over you'll leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Register for this event at www.sph.umn.edu/reception/ by Thursday, Dec. 6. Questions? Contact Nichole Marthaler at mart1047@umn.edu or 6-9303.
CPHEO Announcements
Upcoming CPHEO Courses
The Upper Midwest Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (UMS-AIHA) Annual Professional Development Conference will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul. The topic is Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases and Their Impact on Occupational Health.
• Learn more/register
A public health emergency training on isolation and quarantine examines the concepts and history of isolation and quarantine, and explains when and how these restrictions are used in a public health context.
• Learn more online
• View a detailed course listing
• Register online
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Other Events
A malaria workshop will be held Tuesday, Nov. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in Mayo Memorial Building, Room 3-125. Sponsored by Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Hosted by the United Nations Foundation. The program will engage students in an interactive workshop to learn more about the epidemiology and prevention of malaria and develop the communications and advocacy skills to save lives in Africa. Speakers include Dr. Chandy John, director of the University of Minnesota Global Pediatrics Program, and third-year fellow Nadia Sam-Agudu. Food and beverages will be served. Registration will begin at 5 p.m. Please contact malariaworkshop@nothingbutnets.net to register for this workshop. More at www.NothingButNets.net/TwinCities.
"Researching Gay Men's Health at the University of Minnesota--an Update from the HIPS Program" will be the topic of discussion at the Pride@Work Lunch and Learn Series. SPH faculty member B.R. Simon Rosser is the speaker at the event, which will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 in room 303A/B at Coffman. Boxed lunches will be provided. Register at glbta@umn.edu or 5-0537.
"Overtreated: Why too much medicine is making us sicker and poorer" is the topic of the 2007 James L. Reinertsen Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 15. Shannon Brownlee, a Schwartz senior fellow from the New America Foundation, is the keynote speaker at the event, which will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Schulze Hall at the Minneapolis campus of the University of St. Thomas, 1000 LaSalle Ave. A reception will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and a post-lecture dessert reception will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. The lecture is free.
• Register online by Nov. 9
The National Center for Food Protection and Defense fall 2007 seminar will be held on Monday, Nov. 19 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. The seminar, “Best Practices for Defense Against Terrorism: What Consumers Expect and Food Companies Do,” will be held in in the Cargill Building Seminar Room (105), on the St. Paul Campus. The speakers are Jean Kinsey, Professor, Applied Economics Dept. and Director of The Food Industry Center and Dennis Degeneffe, a Research Fellow with the Food Industry Center. Refreshments will be served before the seminar.
• Learn more onlineor e-mail ncfpd@umn.edu
"Great Connections: Community Health Workers as Agents of Change"will be presented at the Minnesota Community Health Worker Conference Nov. 16. at Hotel Sofitel in Bloomington. Registration is $75 for community health workers and $90 for non-community health workers.
• Register online
Annual UMS-AIHA Professional Development Conference: "Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases and their Impact on Occupational Health" will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul.
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• Events on the AHC Web Site
• Events on the SPH Web Site
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Last modified on Monday Nov 12, 2007