SPH News March 31, 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
On the evening of Thursday, April 10, the SPH will be holding an event that I believe signals a new era for the school and I would like faculty and staff members to make every effort to attend. The 2008 Alumni & Friends Scholarship Gala is a seminal event for three reasons:
- It signals a renewed commitment to connecting with our alumni. We are coming up on the one-year anniversary of our newly formed Alumni Society Board and on behalf of their alumni counterparts, the Board strongly believes this event will be an excellent way to re-engage SPH Alumni.
- It represents our shift to a "culture of asking" alumni and others to support our school and our students in tangible ways. With continued cuts in state funding, we will need to rely increasingly on private support. We must get serious about asking for it.
- It demonstrates our dedication to our students and to cultivating the next generation of public health leaders. I am supporting the event out of the Dean’s Office budget, which means that nearly all proceeds from the ticket price (and 100 percent raised above that) will go toward a new SPH Alumni Scholarship that will be announced at the event.
The event will feature a keynote address from former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona (who will also receive an honorary doctorate at the event), presentation of the University of Minnesota Outstanding Alumni Award (the highest alumni award bestowed by the University) to environmental health graduate Ulric Gibson, and the chance to greet former students, colleagues, and friends.
The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St. Minneapolis. The cost is $55 ($30 for students). Register online at www.mmf.umn.edu/sph/nphw. Also check your campus mailbox for an invitation with all the details. They will be delivered in the next day or so.
Just prior to the gala, beginning at 5 p.m., there will be major-specific reunion events for alumni. While alumni attending these events will enjoy reconnecting with former classmates, I have no doubt that they are really hoping to be able to touch base with their favorite professor. So faculty members, please look for a note from me telling you where alumni from each major will be gathering for a social hour just prior to the Alumni & Friends Gala. The social hour is free of charge.
Thank you for all you do. I hope to see you on April 10.
--John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
• More about National Public Health Week activities at SPH
Faculty News
James Begun has been awarded the Filerman Prize from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). The prize is awarded to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of health administration education, exhibited leadership in the field, and has enriched their students, their institutions, and health care management through their work. The Filerman Prize is named after University of Minnesota MHA alumnus Gary Filerman, who led AUPHA for a number of years.
Ruby Nguyen is a 2008 President’s Faculty Multicultural Research Award recipient. The awards, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President and Vice Provost for Equity and Diversity, are designed to encourage and support research on issues related to people of color in North America.
Learn more online
Kristen Ehresmann was appointed to a four-year term on the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). She is only the second nurse to be appointed to the committee. The ACIP consists of 15 experts in fields associated with immunization who have been selected by the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Minnesota Medical Foundation has committed $50,000 to the Faculty Research Grant Program in the SPH for 2008. The school’s research committee will award individual grants of up to $25,000 each. The application deadline is April 14.
Download the complete instructions and application form (PDF)
The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research is seeking applications for a professional collaboration: the Institute for Interprofessional Prevention Education. Up to 20 teams composed of three faculty members from different health professions within the same academic health center will be selected to attend the institute. Applicants must describe the type of educational and developmental project they plan to undertake as a post-institute project. The institute will be held Sept. 4-5. The application deadline is Monday, April 21.
• 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
Call for Nominations for SPH Faculty Awards – The SPH Recognition, Awards, and Honors (RAH) Committee now welcomes nominations for the following awards: the Leonard M. Shuman Award for Excellence in Teaching, The School of Public Health Community Services Award, and the Charles N. Hewitt Creative Teaching Award. Nominations and supporting documentation are due Friday, April 11 to: Recognition, Awards and Honors Committee, c/o Stefannie Anderson (stef@umn.edu), MMC 197, A302 Mayo.
• Complete information on the awards
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
Come to SPH Research Day, Friday, April 11 in the Mayo Memorial Auditorium. The event celebrates research endeavors of our public health students. See student poster displays 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
SPH faculty and staff 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. Tickets for the 6 p.m. event are $55. Events will be at the Nicollet Island Inn and Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis.
• More NPHW information online
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
Public Health Moment in March featured information about cancer survivors returning to work, nutrition, the importance of breakfast, and alcohol prevention for "tweens." Public Health Moment is the SPH's weekly 90-second podcast that is also broadcast by several Minnesota radio stations.
• Go to Public Health Moment
Tune in to watch the compelling documentary, "Health Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Ancel Keys," on the Big 10 Network. Keys, who founded the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene at the University of Minnesota in 1940, was once dubbed "Mr. Cholesterol" for his work in defining the relationship between the fat composition of diet and serum cholesterol level. He died in 2004 at the age of 100. Keys was also known for developing K-rations, a food source used by the military in World War II and later. The documentary will air at 10 a.m. on April 2 and again at 4 p.m. on April 10. The Big 10 Network is available through Dish Network and DirecTV satellite television services.
CIDRAP News staff Maryn McKenna, Robert Roos, and Marty Heibert were among the 2007 winners named in health journalism awards sponsored by the Association of Health Care Journalists. The AHCJ annually recognizes the best health reporting in 10 categories covering print, broadcast, and online media. The trio won third place for their piece, "The Pandemic Vaccine Puzzle" online at
Calling all faculty and staff to volunteer for the fourth annual SPH film festival. The 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. For more information on dates, times, and places to volunteer contact Nichole Marthaler at 6-9303 or mart1047@umn.edu.
Attend an open house and see the new home of the AHC Office of Clinical Research in room 202, 717 Delaware St. S.E. Attendees will get to meet members of the Office of Clinical Research, hear about the services offered, tour the state-of-the-art facilities and enjoy complimentary continental breakfast or lunch. Open house dates and times: April 1, Noon to 1 p.m.; April 8, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.; April 22, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.; or May 6, Noon to 1 p.m.
• More about the Office of Clinical Research
The deadline for nominations for the 2008 SPH P&A Excellence Award is Friday, April 11. The award was established to recognize members of the Academic Professional and Administrative (P&A) staff who have made distinguished contributions to the missions of the University of Minnesota and the School of Public Health. For questions contact Stefannie Anderson at stef@umn.edu or 6-1428. Send nominations to: Recognition, Awards and Honors Committee c/o Stefannie Anderson SPH Dean's Office, MMC 197, A302 Mayo Bldg.
SPH Events & Courses
"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 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.
• Learn more online or call 4-4655
"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
Open Dialogue with Frank B. Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences. Faculty and staff from the SPH are invited to an open discussion with Cerra on April 18, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. in the Mayo Auditorium. Refreshments available. Cerra will give a brief presentation and will then open the floor to questions. Come have your questions answered and discuss plans for the future of the School of Public Health.
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
CPHEO Announcements
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS): A Primer for Volunteers
• Access online module
Public Health Emergency Training (PHET) Series Contact Investigation Online Training and Skill Development Guide
• Access online module
Upcoming CPHEO Courses
Care of Mothers and Neonates during Disasters in Low-Resource Settings: 2008 Skill Building Workshop April 2-3.
• Learn more online
Incident Management Systems Awareness will be held on Thursday, April 3.
• Learn more online
NIOSH-Approved Spirometry Training will be held April 7-11.
• Learn more online
8-Hour Site Worker Refresher will be held on Tuesday, April 8.
• Learn more online
2008 MERET Tribal Preparedness Conference will be held on Thursday, April 17. Contact Ruth Rasmussen 6-4515 for more information.
Confined Space Entry and Retrieval will be held on Friday, April 18.
• Learn more online
24/40 Hour Emergency Response Training will be held April 21-25.
• Learn more online
Health Disparities Work Group Forum -- Mobilizing Communities of Color to Promote Healthy Living and Eating will be held on Thursday, April 24.
• Learn more online
Other Events
April 1 at 7 p.m.
Author and speaker Ross Szabo, diagnosed bipolar at age 16, has learned first hand about the intricacies of mental disorders. Students are invited to attend his book signing. The event will be held in the Great Hall at the Coffman Union. April 4 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
April 4 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Motherland Afghanistan film screening and reception with filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi
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