SPH Alumni News Special Back-to-School Issue

A quarterly newsletter for alumni and friends of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Greetings SPH Alumni,

The School of Public Health will once again be welcoming a bright and diverse group of students to campus this fall. SPH plans to challenge and inspire the 385 students joining us from 17 different countries to tackle the many public health issues facing our state, our nation and the world.

As SPH alumni, you will contribute to the education of these students in so many ways: you are the mentors, preceptors, future supervisors and current scholarship donors. You are the leaders in your field, and the School embraces your partnership to help prepare this next generation of public health leaders.

Beginning Thursday, August 23, there will be several opportunities for you to connect with this incoming class of students. I want to personally extend an invitation to you to join us at one or more of the events detailed below. Whether you prefer to drop by for breakfast or lunch, and/or be a mentor, you are graciously welcome back on campus to help extend a warm welcome to our new students.

Yours, in health,

John R. Finnegan Jr., Ph.D.
Professor and Dean
Assistant Vice President for Public Health
School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

1. International and Multicultural Breakfast: Please come to celebrate the richness of backgrounds and life experiences that this group of new students brings to the SPH. For more information, please contact Thuy Doan at doanx034@umn.edu. Register online

2. We are seeking two or three alumni who received their Ph.D. from the School to attend a social/networking event for incoming and continuing Ph.D. students. The event is being held on Monday, August 27, at 3 p.m. in the Campus Club of Coffman Memorial Union.

Please RSVP to Michelle Lian-Anderson, Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events, at liana001@umn.edu or 612-626-5536.

3. As a culmination of SPH's new student welcoming activities, all faculty, staff, students and alumni are invited to an all-School party on Wednesday, August 29, from Noon ¿ 2:30 p.m. Help kick-off the new school year by making a connection with a SPH student. Consider sharing some of your fond memories from graduate school! Please contact Carol Kampa with any questions you may have at: kampa003@umn.edu.

4. The SPH Mentor Program is seeking mentors for the 2007-2008 academic year. The commitment is one to two hours per month from October to May. Students welcome your knowledge, advice, and expertise as they take their classroom skills and put them into practice. In fact, many of our students report that having a mentor is one of their most rewarding and helpful experiences as they develop their careers in public health.

If you are interested in being a mentor, please fill out the online mentor application.
It only takes a few minutes: www.sph.umn.edu/mentor

Save the date

The SPH Mentor Kick-off event will take place on Friday, October 12 from 8 ¿ 9:30 a.m.

We are also in the midst of recruiting more mentors, so please forward this message to individuals who you would recommend for the SPH Mentor Program.

E-mail any questions to: phmentor@umn.edu

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Alumni News is sent by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455. www.sph.umn.edu.