SPH News Feb. 18, 2008
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.
From the Dean
The Minnesota Legislature is back in session. Even though this is the "off-year" of the biennium, there are several key issues that affect the University of Minnesota and the School of Public Health. Now is the time for all good people to make known their opinions to their legislators on these issues:
- The University is seeking the Legislature's agreement to permit it to sell $300 million in bonds to build four additional research buildings with laboratories over the next five years -- backed by the "full faith and credit" of the state. The buildings will support research in heart disease, cancer, infectious diseases, and neurosciences. There will be a hearing on the matter next week at the Capitol, around 2:15 p.m., Thursday, February 21. Watch the University's State and Federal Government Relation s Web site for details: www1.umn.edu/urelate/govrel/
- Light Rail Transit is being planned for the "Central Corridor" that will run through the University of Minnesota campus on Washington Avenue. The issues now are cost and congestion. The Metropolitan Council essentially has ruled out a tunnel on Washington Avenue for cost reasons, but running LRT on Washington with its current auto traffic would likely be a nightmare. Re-routing traffic north of campus might be one solution. Let your legislator or Metropolitan Council members know your opinion.
- The Legislature will be considering funding for an SPH-led study exploring the genesis and impact of mesothelioma on the Iron Range among taconite workers. The study is likely to cost about $4.9 million and involves the Medical School and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
--John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
Faculty News
The daylong “Write Winnings Grants” seminar will take place Tuesday, March 25. The seminar targets AHC faculty and staff involved in clinical and translational research. Practical and conceptual aspects important to the proposal-writing process are discussed in detail. Space is limited to 100 participants.
• Register online
The Center for Writing's Teaching with Writing program offers faculty, instructional staff, and teaching assistants the “Responding to Student Writing” workshop, “Grading Student Writing” panel, and “Responding to Non-Native Graduate Writers.”
• Register online or call 6-7579.
School News
Abstracts for the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) are due on Monday March 3. The abstracts will be presented at NOIRS in October. Abstracts of 300 words or less are invited across all industry sectors.
• Learn more online
SPH faculty and staff members contributed to the exhibition Disease Detectives, which opened recently at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Experts from the University's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy served on the scientific advisory committee for the project, which has been several years in the making.
• Learn more about the exhibit
SPH lecturer Kirk Allison developed a public lecture and film series and spring semester course "From Eugenics to Deadly Medicine" with Stephen Feinstein from the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The project was created in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota in conjunction with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibition Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race. The exhibit runs Feb. 27 through May 4
• Learn more oniline
SPH associate dean Debra Olson and SPH staff members Mary Hoeppner and Amy Scheller have received the MERLOT Award for Exemplary Online Learning Resources for "Outbreak at Watersedge," an online learning tool. They will be presented with the award at the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) International Conference in August.
James Hugo is the new director of administration, academic, and research information technology for SPH. Hugo will provide leadership in the area of information technology for the school, manage IT operations, develop a plan to mitigate IT risk for the school, coordinate SPH IT operations with the University, and propose technology solutions that enhance research, administrative, and academic work.
The deadline to purchase SPH apparel items is Monday, March 17. Samples are in the display case across from the student services center. Order forms can be dropped off in the student services center in an envelope with a check made out to University of Minnesota. Cash is also acceptable, but checks are preferred. Order forms can also be mailed to: SPH Student Senate, School of Public Health, Mayo Mail Code 819, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0381. Orders can be sent to students outside of the metro area. Please include your mailing information and an additional $5 fee to cover costs. Items will not be shipped internationally. Questions? Contact Stacy Dickinson at dick0254@umn.edu.
• Download the order form
• Download the shipping form
Save the date. Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank Cerra will engage in a dialogue with each of the AHC schools and colleges this spring. All SPH faculty and staff are invited to join in the conversation from 8:30 to 10:30 on Friday, April 18, in the Mayo Auditorium. For questions call Jen at 5-4110.
SPH Events & Courses
The relationship between quality and costs in hospitals is important, yet not well understood. Learn why this matters and more on Thursday, Feb. 21. Dana Goldman, RAND Chair in Economics and Director of Health Economics, RAND, will present a seminar from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, in 2-137 Jackson Hall. The title of his talk will be "The Cost of Quality Improvement."
Make plans to attend the pre-release film screening of "Unnatural Causes: Is inequity making us sick?" Two segments of the seven-part documentary will be shown from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave., in Minneapolis. There will be a discussion following the film. The event is free, but seating is limited. RSVP to attend by contacting Becky Seel at 6-2273 or at seelx004@umn.edu.
The 12th Annual Minnesota Health Services Research Conference will take place Thursday, March 6, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information contact Jane Raasch at 5-0955 or raasc001@umn.edu.
• Download registration materials
CPHEO Announcements
Upcoming CPHEO Courses
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS): A Primer for Volunteers—Online Module can be accessed online.
Incident Management Systems Awareness will be held on Thursday, Feb. 21.
• Learn more/register online
Homeland Security will be discussed on March 5-6.
• Learn more/register online
“Minnesota Disaster Response: Lessons Learned in 2007” (Emergency Readiness Rounds) will be held on Wednesday, March 5.
• Learn more/register
8-Hour Emergency Response Refresher will be held on Thursday, March 13.
• Learn more/register online
The workshop "Designing and Conducting Focus Group Interviews" will be held on March 17-18 and 19-20.
• Learn more/register
"Breathe Easier: Advances in Indoor Air Quality and Mold Recognition, Identification and Remediation" will be held March 18-20.
• Register online
Other Events
Minnesota's Commissioner of Health, Dr. Sanne Magnan will present her vision and priorities for the Minnesota Department of Health and the state from 5:45 to 7 p.m., March 4
• Directions to location