SPH News May 12, 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.
NOTE: After today, SPH News will be published on the first Monday of each month during the summer. It will resume bi-weekly publication on Monday, Sept. 2.
From the Dean
Next Monday marks SPH Commencement, one of my favorite days of the year. It’s when we gather together to recognize the excellent work of our graduates and send them off to begin what I’m sure will be long, fruitful, and fulfilling careers.
As we assemble on the stage of Northrop Auditorium, I’ll be thinking about how each one of our 2008 graduates—all 246 of you—will go on to change the world. As you well know by now, public health is a wide and far-reaching field, and its impact runs deep. That impact begins with graduates like you, people who have the commitment, skills, and knowledge to make a substantial change in people’s lives.
I hope the school has served you well in our mission to educate, but also in our endeavor to connect you to leaders in the field and to start you on a path that fits your unique interests and talents. While you are physically leaving the halls of the SPH, I urge you to maintain a presence in our school. Stay in touch with professors and colleagues. Make lifelong learning a goal. Consider how you can nurture future generations as you yourself have been nurtured. We pledge to be your lifelong partner in learning.
Your contributions here leave us a better school, and I know that you will make for a better world with the work you are about to begin.
--John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
Media News
April 2008 media coverage featured the following SPH faculty and staff:
Deheia Barr-Anderson
John Finnegan
Keith Horvath
Julie Jacko
Rhonda Jones-Webb
Robert Kane
Rosalie Kane
Pinar Karaca-Mandic
Russell Luepker
Jeff Mandel
Toben Nelson
Diane Neumark-Sztainer
Michael Osterholm
Mark Pereira
François Sainfort
Mary Story
Traci Toomi
Coverage was featured in local media as well as in the New York Times, Washington Post, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Canadian Press, Canada’s National Post, Roanoke Times and Reuters. Visit www.sph.umn.edu/news/ to read more about SPH faculty in the news. Subscribe to Public Health Scene to get regular e-mail updates on SPH in the news.
Faculty News
Russell Luepker has been named Science Advocate of the Year by the American Heart Association. He was recognized for 30 years as an active association volunteer and leading advocate for increased federal funding for heart disease and stroke research and prevention. He’s also served on numerous committees and is a member of the association’s You’re the Cure nationwide network.The Science Advocate of the Year award is given to a leading professional who is actively engaged in communicating with lawmakers on behalf of the association’s heart and stroke issues.
The annual SPH Faculty and Assembly Meeting will be held Friday, May 16. All SPH faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held in Mayo Auditorium beginning with refreshments at 8:45 a.m. The meeting goes from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m.
Fulfill the Requirement for Responsible Conduct of Research Training on Monday, May 19, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., in Moos 2-620. The Division of Biostatistics is sponsoring a presentation on the SMART Trial on HIV/AIDS treatment. The trial was terminated early because there was strong evidence of better outcomes in one of the two treatment groups. Study statisticians Jacqueline Neuhaus and Birgund Grund will discuss the circumstances leading up to the decision point. This will be followed by a general discussion of the ethical, scientific, and medical issues related to design and early termination of a large clinical trial. This presentation and discussion are intended to satisfy the requirements for recurring training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), required of University personnel who may be principal investigators or co-principal investigators of sponsored projects involving research in humans. Faculty from all SPH divisions are invited to attend.
Another RCR Training Opportunity will be held on Friday, June 13. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and registration followed by a seminar and discussion from 9 to 11 a.m. The session will be held in the Johnson Great room at McNamara Alumni Center. The Health Disparities Working Group is sponsoring the seminar by community leaders entitled “Cultural Knowledge as a Resource for Examining Ethical Treatment When Engaging Local Cultural Communities in Research.” There are few systematic opportunities to learn directly from community members about desired ethical treatment, despite attention to the history of community mistrust particularly among communities of color. This event has been designated by the Office of the Vice President for Research to satisfy the Awareness/Discussion component of the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) continuing education requirement. For more information, contact Ruby Nguyen at nguyen@umn.edu.
School News
The SPH Delta Omega Pi Chapter has inducted the individuals below into the Delta Omega Honorary Society for Public Health. The induction reception will be held on May 16. Launched in 1924, Delta Omega is the honorary society for graduate studies in public health. The University of Minnesota’s Pi Chapter was founded in 1985 and now has more than 600 members.
Alumni
Vaughn Barry
Todd Monson
Faculty
Mira Grice, also an alumna
Deb Hennrikus
William Lohman
Marshall McBean
Peter Raynor
Baolin Wu
Honorary
Frank Cerra, Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences, Academic Health Center
Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health
Students
Claire Bender
Kari Bomash
David Dobmeyer
Abiola Fashanu
Tracy Glenz
Amy Hemstad
Xiang Li
Zhenyu Pan
Elisaveta Petkova
John Schousboe
Charlotte Sortedahl
Beginning June 16, the EpiCH Shuttle Route and Schedule will change. See details of changes below. The regular schedule will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 2
Leave from EpiCH: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Leave from Mayo: 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.
• Download Summer schedule
Mayo Building Pick-up/Drop-off Point Change for EpiCH Shuttle: Starting with the summer schedule change, the pick-up/drop-off point on the East Bank will be changing. Instead of stopping in the cul-de-sac in front of the Mayo Building, the pick-up/drop-off point will be on the west-side (back) of the Mayo building, just off of Church Street. This route change is permanent.
• Download map of new pick-up/drop-off point
• Link to new pick-up/drop-off point via Google maps (photo included)
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Public Health Scene is a new SPH blog that keeps up with news related to SPH and its faculty and research. The blog is updated several times each week.
Go to Public Health Scene
Subscribe to e-mail feed from Public Health Scene
The SPH team “SPH Cares about Cures“ raised a total of $4,704.32, with roughly $236 coming from Penny Wars for Relay for Life. Congratulations to the Health Policy and Management division for winning the Penny Wars with the highest score.
Health Policy and Management: +3,061
Environmental Health: +2,027
Epidemiology and Community Health: +1,678
Biostatistics: -686
The U of M exceeded its goal of $130,000 and raised over $152,000 in the campus’ 2008 Relay for Life event.
A new “My Life” video profiles SPH student Katie Seitz, who works as an officer with the University of Minnesota Police Department while completing a public health certificate in core concepts.
• Watch Katie in My Life
Improving airborne infection isolation rooms in hospitals is the topic of the latest issue of SPH Research Brief, featuring SPH assistant professor Pete Raynor.
• Read the brief and watch the video
Mary Forte, a Ph.D. student in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration has been selected for participation in the Delta Omega poster session at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Forte is one of 19 student presenters from participating U.S. schools of public health. APHA’s 2008 meeting will be held in San Diego, CA from October 25-29.
Melissa Nelson, a Ph.D. student in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration, has been awarded a post-doctoral National Research Service Award in mental health services research. It is a two-year position at Rutgers’ Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. Nelson will graduate this spring and her fellowship will begin at the end of June.
Save the date for the “Challenges and Tensions in International Research Collaborations,” conference on Oct. 2–3at the U of M. The conference features a stellar group of speakers, with collaborative experience in over 60 countries. The University has made reduced-cost registration available for a limited number of U of M faculty and students. Register early to take advantage of this rate.
• Learn more online or call
4-5717 or write to mand@umn.edu
Pamela Jo Johnson, SHADAC research associate, conducted a workshop on the “Examination of American Indians and Alaska Natives in National Survey Data,“ last month. The workshop was hosted by the Urban Indian Health Institute in conjunction with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council’s Keeping Native Women and Families Healthy and Strong Conference in Milwaukee, Wis.
Save the date: The Minnesota Public Health Association’s reception and annual meeting will be June 5. The reception will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the annual meeting is from 6:45 to 8 p.m. The gathering will be held at the Humphrey Center. More information to come.
SPH Events
The annual SPH Years of Service Recognition Event will be held Thursday, May 15. This event honors and recognizes Civil Service and Bargaining Unit staff. All SPH faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. It will be held in the Humphrey Room at the Radisson Metrodome from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
“Spatiotemporal and Threshold Models for Relating UV Exposures and Skin Cancer in the Central United States,” will be the topic of Laura Hatfield’s Plan B presentation on Monday, May, 19. The presentation will be held at 1 p.m. in A110 Mayo. Refreshments will be served prior to the presentation.
CPHEO Announcements
Ethics in the Worst of Times: Rationing to Protect the Public's Health during a Severe Influenza Pandemic, Thursday June 5.
• More information
10th Annual MCH Summer Institute on Health Disparities Promoting Health Equity: Family-centered program development and advocacy
• Register online
Public Health Emergency Training (PHET) Series Special Populations Online Training and Skill Development Guide
• Read more and access the guide and module
Upcoming CPHEO Courses
8-Hour Emergency Response Refresher, Tuesday, May 20.
• Course description
Summer Public Health Institute, May 27-June 13.
• More information and registration
8-Hour Emergency Response Refresher, Thursday, June 5.
• Course description
Other Events
May 12, 3 p.m.
“Crafting a Health System that Protects Us All: Dynamic Principles and Democratic Powers” will be the topic of discussion on Tuesday, May 13, 3 p.m., and ends with a reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. It will be held in the theatre at Coffman Union. Please register by Monday, May 12, to Carol Uchal at cuchal@bhs.umn.edu.
May 15, 6 p.m.
“Savannas Forever Tanzania: Lion Conservation and Public Health in the African Savannas,” will be presented at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 15, in room 105, 717 Delaware St. Craig Packer, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and a Distinguished McKnight University Professor is the keynote speaker.
May 22, noon to 2 p.m.
Tyrone Terrill from Saint Paul Department of Human Rights and the African American Leadership Council will host an informal discussion on health disparities in the African American community and will be held at the Halle Q. Brown Community Center 270 Kent Street, Saint Paul on Thursday, May 22 from noon to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Register to phdr@umn.edu and indicate date of the event.
May 23, 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Pillsbury United Communities and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation will host a breakfast roundtable designed to bring together community leaders for specific action steps to eliminate health disparities and will include a screening and discussion of portions of Unnatural Causes, a recent documentary describing the role of social inequalities and their health consequences. This event will be held at the Pillsbury House Theatre. Breakfast will be provided. Register to phdr@umn.edu and indicate date of the event.
May 23, noon to 1 p.m.
“Overview of Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities in Health Status and Health Care”
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