The Weekly SPHere March 31, 2008
The Weekly SPHere is a weekly electronic publication for students in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. To submit items for the Weekly SPHere, please send an e-mail to sphnews@umn.edu.
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SPHere Spotlight
Network with public health leaders at the first-ever School of Public Health Alumni and Friends Gala. SPH students are invited to the event, which includes a social hour, dinner, and keynote address from Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006). This is a great opportunity for you to make connections with public health leaders who may prove to me invaluable in your career. The gala will take place Thursday, April 10 at 6 p.m. at the Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis.
• Tickets/Directions/Parking
Come to SPH Research Day, Friday, April 11 in the Mayo Memorial Auditorium. See poster displays from your fellow students from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students will answer questions from noon to 1 p.m. A free buffet lunch will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Learn more online
Check out more National Public Health Week Events, including the SPH film festival, below in School News.
Dean John Finnegan writes about National Public Health Week events for his From the Dean column.
• Read it online
Student News
The Institute on the Environment and the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment is currently seeking a grants coordinator. The grants coordinator will play a critical role in managing internal granting/funding opportunities for the Institute on the Environment (IonE) and the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) at the university.
• Learn more online
The Office for Equity and Diversity is proud to announce the fourth annual "Celebration of Achievement" for graduating multicultural students on Saturday, April 26, 1 pm at Ted Mann Concert Hall. The ceremony will include a processional and presentation of a stole to each graduate. If you have any questions about the celebration, please contact Andrew Williams at 6-9671.
• Learn more online
Calling students to volunteer for the fourth annual SPH film festival and April 10 NPHW Events.
--The Film Festival organizing committee needs volunteers for a variety of tasks such as passing out information at tables in Coffman Union and Moos Tower during the day, or popping popcorn and passing out snacks during the evening at screenings. The film festival will be held April 7 through April 11.
-- Volunteer to call alumni about the April 10 NPHW events and help raise funds for student scholarships. Callers are needed for Monday (3/31), Tuesday (4/1), and Wednesday (4/2) for any length of time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
For more information on dates, times, and places to volunteer contact Nichole Marthaler at 6-9303 or mart1047@umn.edu.
The Division of Health Policy and Management is seeking a research assistant who will assist in a systematic review of the literature examining the treatment of hip fractures. Interested students should have a strong background in epidemiology and clinical research, excellent skills in reading medical literature, be detailed focused and able to work with Access, Word, Excel, and Endnote. For more information, contact Robert Kane at 4-1185 or kanex001@umn.edu.
The Minnesota Department of Health is recruiting reviewers for its upcoming HIV prevention grant proposals. This is an opportunitiy for students interested in HIV prevention work to have input into the future of Minnesota's HIV prevention services.
• Learn more online
The SPH Student Senate has three grants available for students. Visit the student senate website for grant applications and instructions. Send electronic grant applications to morri543@umn.edu or put hard copies in the student senate mailbox located in the student services office (Mayo D-305). Grant applications must be received by Friday, April 4.
• Grant applications/instructions
Interested in health communication or journalism" Come find out about the revised Health Journalism M.A. program. The revised program may be the perfect addition to your public health studies. Attend one of these upcoming information sessions to learn about the expanded curriculum: Monday, April 7 at 3 p.m. in A301 Mayo or Wednesday, April 16 at 11 a.m. in A301 Mayo. More at http://www.healthjournalism.umn.edu/
SPH students are invited to a lunch with AHC VP Frank Cerra. On Tuesday, April 1 Academic Health Center Senior Vice President Frank Cerra will host a lunch meeting and discussion with AHC students. AHC leadership would like to hear from students as the University moves forward in its strategic planning efforts. Discussion to take place from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. in 2-690 Moos. Lunch provided. Contact Jenny at 6-7072 or meslo001@umn.edu for more information.
School News
Attend the fourth annual SPH film festival the week of April 7-11. Hosted in celebration of National Public Health Week this year's selection of films promises to be educational, intriguing, and thought-provoking. The films that will be shown are
- A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, a documentary that examines how our civilization's addition to oil puts it on a collision course with geology,
- ¡Salud!, which examines how the cash-strapped country of Cuba has become "one of the world's best health systems."
- Unnatural Causes, a new PBS documentary that examines America's socio-economic and racial inequities in health
- Sex Ed and the State: a documentary that examines Minnesota's state legislature and the fate of a comprehensive sexuality education bill. The film was produced by SPH graduate Jim Winkle.
Winners of the school's second annual "It's Global" Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest will be screened the first night of the festival. The evenings begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Mayo Memorial Auditorium. The film festival is free and open to the public. For more information about the festival, including film dates and times, visit www.sph.umn.edu/filmfestevents
Students are invited to three National Public Health Week (NPHW) events on April 10.
3 p.m. SPH Alumni Society Reunion Kickoff
5 p.m. Major-Specific Social Hours
6 p.m. Alumni and Friends Scholarship Gala, featuring Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States.
The 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. events are free to attend. Students can attend the 6 p.m. event for a reduced price of $30. Events will be at the Nicollet Island Inn and Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis.
• Get details on
all NPHW events
Check out the latest issues of SPH Research Brief. SPH associate professor Mark Pereira writes about how eating breakfast helps to keep teens healthier. SPH assistant professor Xianghua Luo writes about statistical methods and their application to understanding falls among the elderly.
• Read Pereira's Brief
• Read Luo's Brief
SPH Events
"On Adaptive Extensions of Group Sequential Trials for Clinical Investigations" will be presented by Keaven Anderson of Merck on Friday, April 4 at 11 a.m. in Mayo D325. A social tea will be held at 10:30 a.m. in A434 Mayo.
• Learn more online or call 4-4655
Dongmei Liu will discuss, "A Variable Selection Approach to Gene Set Enrichment Analysis," during a biostatistics seminar held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 31. Liu is a research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The seminar will be held in D199 Mayo. A social tea will be held at 3 p.m. in A434 Mayo. All are welcome.
• Learn more online or call
4-4655
"Methods for Item Reduction in a Scale for Screening," will be the topic of Zhezhen Jin's discussion on Wednesday, April 2. The biostatistics seminar will be held at 3:30 p.m. in 5-125 MoosT. Jin is from the division of biostatistics at Columbia University. A social tea will be held at 3 p.m. in A434 Mayo. All are welcome.
• Learn more online or call 4-4655
The Career Services Center is hosting guest speakers from the Minnesota Department of Health and Fairview Clinics for students who are job hunting. The session will be at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 in A-301 Mayo. The speakers will discuss interview tips and basic hiring advice from recruitment perspectives. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn how to succeed in health-related interviews and job searches, as well as to gain insight on both health organizations. To register, write to babar002@umn.edu.
"The Impacts of the State Children's Health Insurance Program on Children Who Enroll: Findings from Ten States," will be the topic of discussion on Thursday, April 3 during a seminar presented by the Division of Health Policy and Management. The keynote speaker is Genevieve Kenney, principal research associate and health economist at the Urban Institute. The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in 3-100 Mayo.
• Learn more online or call 4-6151
Students are invited to attend an afternoon of special events designed to recognize National Public Health Week. On Thursday, April 10, the School of Public Health is sponsoring an Alumni Society Reunion Kickoff that begins at 3 p.m., an Alumni Reunion Major-Specific Networking gathering that begins at 5 p.m. and an Alumni & Friends Scholarship Gala that begins at 6 p.m. Each of the events will be held at the Nicollet Island Inn and the Nicollet Island Pavilion. Student tickets for the gala are $30, and the other events are free. Richard Carmona, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, is the gala's keynote speaker. Questions" Call Nichole at 6-9303.
• Register online by Wednesday, April 2
• Learn more online
This year's Taste Diversity Event, "Global Fusion" will take place Wednesday, April 23, 4:30-7:30 p.m. in The Whole (Basement of Coffman Memorial Union). Taste Diversity will feature food from all over the world, crafts, talents of faculty and students, fashion, gifts, prizes and an SPH Idol contest. The event is being hosted and planned by student volunteers, the SPH Student Senate and the Office of the Dean. Come with family and friends to enjoy an amazing time with fellow students, faculty, and staff. For more information about the event, contact Thuy Doan at doanx034@umn.edu. To sign up for the Taste Diversity talent show, contact Tran Huynh at huynh0098@umn.edu.
"Mobilizing Communities of Color to Promote Healthy Living and Eating," will be presented from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 in the Union Theater at Coffman Union. The keynote speaker is Antronette Yancey of the UCLA School of Public Health. This Health Disparities Work Group Forum is free and open to the public, but registration is requested. For questions call 6-4515.
• Register online/more information
"Challenges of Climate and Land Use and Land Cover Change Modeling at a Regional Scale," will be the topic of discussion at the Institute on the Environment's April environment roundtable discussion. The event will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 in room 105 of the Cargill Building on the St. Paul Campus. The roundtable is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
• Learn more online
Other Events
March 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Idealist.org nonprofit career fair will be at the Coffman Union
April 1 at 7 p.m.
Ross Szabo, diagnosed bipolar at age 16, has learned first hand about the intricacies of mental disorders. Attend his book signing, "Behind Happy Faces: Taking Charge of Your Mental Health - A Guide for Young Adults, " Great Hall at the Coffman Union.
April 4 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• Motherland Afghanistan film screening and reception with filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi.
April 5
• The University of Minnesota Medical School Pre-Med Day 2008
April 11
• Hire Big 10+ career fair