SPH News May 15, 2006
SPH News
May 15, 2006
Contents
From the Dean
Faculty news
Student news
Staff News
School news
Calendar of events
SPH News is a School-wide electronic newsletter distributed every other Monday during the school year. Over the summer, starting June 5, SPH News will be distributed the first Monday of the month. The bi-weekly schedule will resume the first week in September.
Please send news items to SPHNews@umn.edu. Whenever possible, please use SPH News in place of School-wide e-mails. The submission deadline for the June 5 issue is noon on Friday, June 2.
From the Dean
The close of another academic year is upon us, and the beginning of another just around the corner. As spring flowers bloom and the trees leaf out, we graduate more than 100 of our students and send them to the next season of their lives, wherever that may be in the world of public health. It is fitting that the Surgeon General of the United States, Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, will be with us this evening to help spread the seeds of these new careers from this school. We wish our graduates all the best and extend our heartfelt thanks to their families, friends, spouses and partners who supported them. We also remind our graduates that the season of your education never passes. We remain your steadfast partner in your life-long learning.
As new alums of the SPH, you keep your e-mail, access to the University of Minnesota portal, your on-line portfolio and many of the on-line resources of the Library, including the Biomedical Library. These are indispensable tools of learning and communication that will keep you close to the SPH and the network of colleagues and friends that you have cultivated during your labors in the groves of academe. You, graduates, are among our greatest hopes for why we are here in the first place: that you will grow and improve the public health of this state, the nation and the world. You leave here as the next generation of public health professionals and scientists.
Our best wishes for a fruitful and impact-filled career go with you. Stay in touch. Stay committed to public health. Consider how you may nurture future generations of colleagues as you yourselves have been nurtured.
-- John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
Faculty news
This year two faculty members received the School’s highest teaching honor, the Leonard M. Schuman Award for Excellence in Teaching, in recognition of their extraordinary impact on students. Lynn Blewett (associate professor in HSRP) was nominated for her exceptional teaching on U.S. and international health systems and her outstanding availability and accessibility to students. She has been one of the most requested thesis advisors in her area and utilizes her community service work to assist students in “synthesizing information about politics, culture, economics, history, political structures and human nature to better understand public health.” Charles Oberg (associate professor in EpiCH) was described in one nomination letter as “a very warm and caring person with a deep concern and interest in his students’ success.” Students recognized his passion for his work and his ability to increase their understanding of child health issues.
Former faculty member and emerita Dr. Mila Ann Aroskar, R.N., Ed.D, received a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa from Creighton University, honoring her service to nursing on a national level and to the discipline of bioethics. Aroskar taught ethics in public health and health care administration at the U of M. She has authored more than 50 journal articles and book chapters on bioethics and co-published Ethical Dilemmas and Nursing Practice, one of the first textbooks addressing ethics in nursing.
Lynn Blewett, Jon Christianson, Michael Davern, Bill Riley and Bryan Dowd will be presenting at the Academy Health Annual Research Meeting (ARM) to be held June 25-27 in Seattle. This is an opportunity for health services researchers and decision makers to hear the latest research, debate policy issues, develop new research skills, and meet colleagues. For more information on the conference or to register, visit www.academyhealth.org/arm.
Student news
Amy Becker, MPH student in public health administration and policy, has received honorable mention in the 2006 ASPH/HRSA/Council on Linkages: Student Award for Excellence in Public Health Practice. Thirty-three students representing 24 school of public health participated in this competitive process. View Amy’s abstract at
www.asph.org.
Suzanne Sobotka, epidemiology MPH student and current SPH Student Senate president, was named recipient of the 2006 President’s Student Leadership and Service Award. These awards are given annually to approximately one half of one percent of the student body for exceptional leadership and service to the U of M and its surrounding community.
Mary Hearst, a current epidemiology PhD student, won a competitive Dissertation Fellowship to continue her work on health disparities and infant mortality.
Jess Haines, a spring epidemiology graduate, won a competitive Best Dissertation Award in the Biological and Medical Sciences in 2006.
Concerned about campus awareness of mental health issues? Join students interested in starting a campus chapter of Active Minds. Open to all students, the organization’s mission is to provide information about available resources and serve as a liaison between students and the mental health community. Help the U of M chapter get started by contacting Cynthia Fuller at 624-0325 or
full0060@umn.edu or
http://www.activemindsoncampus.org.
Staff News
This spring the SPH P&A Excellence Award was conferred on a member of the academic professional and administrative (P&A) staff in recognition of distinguished contributions to the School and the University. Andrew Ryan, research fellow in EnHS, received this award in acknowledgement of his outstanding work in managing complex databases and mentoring of students in data analysis.
School news
2006 Summer Public Health Institute: May 22 – June 9. Professionals have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a chosen field of study – for a single course or the entire three weeks of the Institute. For more information on courses, faculty, special programs and events, and registration, please visit www.sph.umn.edu/publichealthplanet/events/institute/home.html or call 626-4515.
SPH will host a lecture by Dr. Lester Breslow entitled “The Third Era in Health: The Pursuit of Health” May 19. Dr. Breslow has been considered ahead of his time in forging new connections and understanding in public health. He is a remarkable alumnus of SPH, with more than 65 years of accomplishments in the field. The lecture will be from 9:30 – 11 a.m. in the ABC Room of the Campus Club, Coffman Memorial Union. Contact Roxana Hedberg for more information: 624-5406 or r.hedberg@mmf.umn.edu.
Good seats are still available for the 2006 UMAA Annual Celebration featuring former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor May 23. O'Connor has been increasingly vocal since stepping down from the high court in January. Find links to some of her commentaries and ticket information by clicking here: http://www.alumni.umn.edu/oconnor.
The SPH Alumni Network is available online. By providing contact information to the network, alumni can become a valuable resource for current and prospective students who are curious about public health careers. And, of course, they can also use the network to forge connections with other alumni. Check it out at http://www.sph.umn.edu/alumni/network/home.html.
Do you have tips for finding housing for visiting faculty? We will be hosting faculty from developing areas of the world to teach and take our summer global health course. Limited funding is available for housing. If you know of any opportunities, please contact Bill Stauffer (stauf005@umn.edu) or Holly Heisner (heis009@umn.edu).
Sara Hurley and Thersa Tichich in the Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO) were named 2006 Cyber Scrub grand-prize winners. Their scrubbing efforts paid off with $300 in professional development funds. For more on this project, visit http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/cyberscrub/.
The 5th Annual Health Information Technology Institute presents Evolutionary and Revolutionary Progress in Healthcare. This daylong session Wednesday, May 17 will engage participants to identify ways to improve patient safety, quality of care and access to care. Keynote speakers: Dick Pettingill, president and CEO of Allina Hospitals and Clinics; and William Braithwaite, MD, PhD, senior vice president and CMO of eHealth Initiative and Foundation. For more information and to register, visit http://www.himss-mn.org.
The MCH Center for Leadership Education presents a one-day seminar, "Creating Effective Public Health Messages Using Strategic Frame Analysis" on May 19 from 8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the St. Paul campus. The cost is $25; scholarships are available. For a program brochure and more information, go to http://www.epi.umn.edu/mch/.
Learn how HIV/AIDS is affecting the Asian and Pacific Islander community by attending an event Saturday, May 20 from 1-4 p.m. A free lunch and cultural performances will be held at the Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Penn Ave. N. For more information, call 612-627- 6826.
The Science Museum of Minnesota seeks volunteers to be guest presenters in the Body Worlds exhibition. Guest presenters will be asked to volunteer for two (or more if they chose) four hour shifts on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday (9a-1p or 1p-5p) or Sunday (11a-3p or 3p-7p) between June 1 and September 4. Guest presenters will work inside the exhibition and will be asked to provide interpretation of specimens that fit that presenters’ particular area of expertise. All guest presenters must be able to attend a mandatory training on Monday, May 22 from 6 – 8 p. m. at The Science Museum. For more information or to volunteer, contact Joe Imholte at jimholte@smm.org.
The Community-Campus Partnerships for Health’s (CCPH) ninth conference will explore where we are now and where we need to be with community-campus partnerships. The conference will be held from Wednesday, May 31 – Saturday, June 3. For more information, visit www.ccph.info.
The 2006 University Staff Day Committee invites SPH civil service and bargaining unit staff members to participate in the Eighth Annual University Staff Day Celebration. On Tuesday, June 6, 2006, there will be three events at two times on two campuses:
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Minneapolis Campus: Coffman Memorial Union
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. St. Paul Campus: St. Paul Student Center Terrace and Patio
6:30 to 8:00 p.m. - Minneapolis Campus: Coffman Memorial Union
The Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA) Annual Conference and Meeting will be held Tuesday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. The event titled Stand Up for Public Health: The Courage to be Inconvenienced is $30 for students, $60 for members and $85 for non-members. Honorable David Durenberger, former U.S. Senator, will give the keynote address. For details or to register, visit www.mpha.net.
The Geneva Forum – Towards Global Access to Health – will be held August 30 to September 1. This forum will provide a unique opportunity for all participants to present and explore innovative partnerships and programs facilitating access to health. Early bird registration ends June 5. For more information and to register, go to http://www.hcuge.ch/genevahealthforum/GeneralInformation.html.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders – June 14-15: The Hand in Hand Symposium brings together parents, care providers and professionals to address multidisciplinary challenges associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). For more information on courses, faculty, special programs and events, concentration areas and registration please visit www.sph.umn.edu/publichealthplanet/events/hand_in_hand.html or call 626-4515.
Dakota and Hennepin County Public Health Departments are seeking volunteers for public health emergency preparedness training exercises to be held Friday, June 16. Contact Joshua Carlyle for details at 612-673-2910 or joshua.carlyle@ci.minnepolis.mn.us.
Nominations are requested for the U of M Global Engagement Award for faculty and staff members, active or retired, for outstanding contributions to global education and international programs. Deadline is July 1. For more information, go to http://www.international.umn.edu/awards/global/global.html.
Mass dispensing online training modules are available to assist individuals who may be asked to work in mass dispensing sites during an emergency. To view the modules visit www.umncphp.umn.edu/massdisp. For more information, contact Jennifer Reilly at 624-7440 or e-mail massdisp@umn.edu.
Spring and Summer Epi Shuttle Schedule:
May 15 – June 9: summer schedule, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
June 12 – Sept. 4: no shuttle service
The University of Minnesota Center for Public Health Preparedness successfully hosted Public Health Preparedness Cross Borders Issues Roundtable: Lessons Learned: Models for Planning and Response. The day-long event was held in Bloomington, MN and over 110 participants from12 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces were in attendance. For more information on the Center for Public Health Preparedness visit http://www.sph.umn.edu/umncphp/home.html
Calendar of Events
- May 17, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Evolutionary and Revolutionary Progress in Healthcare, Carlson School of Management, www.himss-mn.org
- May 17, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Office Ergonomics: A Practical Approach, 2221 University Ave., www.publichealthplanet.org
- May 19, 9:30 -
11 a.m., Dr. Lester Breslow lecture ABC Room, Campus Club
- May 22-24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 24-Hour Safety & Health Training for Hazardous Waste Site Personnel, TBD, www.publichealthplanet.org
- May 22-26, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 40-Hour Safety & Health Training for Hazardous Waste Site Personnel, TBD, www.publichealthplanet.org
- June 6, varies, Eighth Annual University Staff Day Celebration Twin Cities and St. Paul campuses, www.sph.umn.edu/staffday
- June 8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 8-Hour Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Refresher, 2221 University Ave., www.publichealthplanet.org
- June 15, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Evacuation Coordination Train the Trainer, 2221 University Ave.,
www.publichealthplanet.org
Event listings are available at the SPH Web site at http://www.sph.umn.edu/news/events/home.html and the AHC site at http://www.ahc.umn.edu/calendar/.
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SPH News is sent by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455. www.sph.umn.edu.