SPH News Nov. 27, 2006Jump to:
SPH News is a school-wide electronic newsletter distributed every other Monday. Please send news items to SPHNews@umn.edu. The submission deadline for the Dec. 11 issue is noon on Wednesday, Dec. 6. From the DeanSPH Compact 2007-08 Planning Over the next couple of months, we will be moving into the Compact Process for 2007-08. This is important because it is all about the SPH's request for investment in new and continuing SPH programs and projects. I have asked the division heads to work with their faculty to develop proposals that the SPH Executive Team will consider for inclusion in the 2007-08 Compact. Proposals should address "big picture" issues in research, education, and outreach. They will be more likely to be included if they help to build the school's strength in broad areas rather than, for example, propose specific empirical studies for funding (there are other sources of funding for that). We want to pursue investments that will build our "infrastructure" for collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts across the school and with other colleges and schools. Proposals emphasizing global or digital/informatics projects are very welcome, too. Proposals should align with SPH strategic areas of investment and the aspirations of the AHC and the University. Each proposal vetted through your division head should be no more than 2-3 pages in length and organized as follows:
Proposals can include requests for faculty or staff hires. If multi-year (no more than three years), they should indicate activities (phase of development) in each year aligned with the investment requested. To help guide your thinking and discussions, you may wish to consult a number of background documents.
It will be important that you work with your faculty colleagues and division heads. Proposals need to be developed with your colleagues and discussed as a group with your division head, who will bring them to the SPH Executive Team. If you have questions about an idea for a proposal, contact your division head. You can also direct general questions to me at SPHDean@umn.edu. Thanks in advance for your participation in this important annual effort! This is a time to bring together our best minds to build our future as a school together. --John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D. Research news
Faculty newsJohn Adgate has been named a 2006-2007 Fulbright Scholar. He is spending the year conducting air-quality research in Santiago, Chile. Kristin Anderson talks about the risks factors associated with pancreatic cancer on this week's Public Health Moment. Public Health Moment is a weekly 90-second podcast produced by the school. Listen to it and other SPH podcasts by going to www.sph.umn.edu/podcast. Lynn Blewett co-hosted the Midwest States Health Reform Summit on Nov. 14. The event was held in conjunction with the National Institute for Health Policy. Approximately 200 attendees heard from a range of speakers including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services. The summit examined traditional roles of the state and national governments, as well as the public and private sectors discussed innovative options for health systems reform. Kathleen Thiede Call and other SHADAC researchers presented new findings at the recent annual meeting of the Association for Public Policy and Management (APPAM) in Madison, Wisc. on Nov. 3. Call presented "How Accurate are Known Medicaid Enrollees in Reporting Health Insurance Coverage?" Michael Davern presented preliminary findings on "Why Are Survey Counts of Medicaid Enrollees Lower than Administrative Enrollment Counts?" Call was also a presenter at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) in Boston, Mass. Nov. 4-8. Shel presented to the Study Group on Access of the Committee on Health Services Research Medical Care Study Section. Her discussion topic was "Activities of the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) around State Health Reforms." Susan Bartlett Foote was elected to the National Academy of Social Insurance, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Ian Greaves was featured on a University of Minnesota Moment about Children and Asthma. Russell Luepker was invited to give the 20 Year Celebration Seminar at Umeå University in Sweden on Nov. 1. His presentation was entitled "Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: 21st Century Challenges." Dianne Neumark-Sztainer was featured on a University of Minnesota Moment about Teen Dieting. Please hold 9:15-10:45 a.m. of Friday, Dec. 8, for this year's tenured faculty meeting for voting on documentation for promotion and tenure. The meeting will be held in 1250 Mayo. Documentation will be available for faculty review for approximately one week prior to the meeting. SPH Fall Faculty Meeting Friday December 15. Refreshments will be served from 8:45 to 9 a.m. The meeting will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in room A110 of the Mayo Building. Student newsHitakshi Sehgal presented the poster "Feasibility of Physical Activity Assessment in Asian Indian Populations at High risk of Type 2 Diabetes." at the APHA conference in Boston earlier this month. Sehgal is a student in Public Health Administration and Policy. Join Senior Vice President Frank Cerra for special discussion and presention. The "Pursuing the Future with Vision and Drive" presentation, designed specifically for AHC students, will be from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4, in 1-450 Moos Tower. Dean John Finnegan will meet with students from 10 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 5 in the Student SPHere. This is a very informal opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions, and chat with the dean. Refreshments provided. CLARION will host SPH professor Gordon Mosser, who will speak on interprofessionalism and quality improvement in health care. The event will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 in 2-650 Moos Tower. For more information, contact Allison Prusak (prus0022@umn.edu). School newsDiana Harvey Promoted to Assistant Dean. SPH Dean John Finnegan has announced the appointment of Diana Harvey as Assistant Dean for External Relations. In her new role, she will continue to direct the school's Advancement Team consisting of communications, alumni affairs, development, and event planning. "Promotion to this position recognizes Diana Harvey's growing important leadership in positioning the school with our external stakeholders," Dean Finnegan said. "She is exceptionally knowledgeable of the school and has been creating a higher profile role for its local, national, and international presence." In her new role, Harvey adds public affairs to her portfolio and will assist the Dean and the SPH Executive Team in coordinating and building stakeholder relations on the state, national, and global scenes. Celebrate at the 2006 SPH Winter Reception! SPH faculty, staff, and students are invited to the school's annual Winter Reception on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2:30 p.m., at the Weisman Gallery. Join colleagues for an afternoon of refreshments, live music, and fun activities. Join Smoke Free Minnesota Day at the Capitol. Register now for the first-ever Smoke Free Minnesota Day at the Capitol. Show your support for comprehensive smoke free workplaces on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During the event, you will have the opportunity to represent the broad support for comprehensive smoke free workplaces in front of state’s legislators. You will receive training from experienced advocates who will lead you through your meetings with legislators and debrief you on ways to sustain support for smoke free legislation. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) is seeking new members. CCPH promotes health (broadly defined) through partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions. The group is a growing network of over 1,200 members from communities and campuses across North America, and increasingly the world, that are collaborating to promote health through service-learning, community-based participatory research, and other partnership strategies. CCPH members are affiliated with colleges and universities, community-based organizations, health care delivery systems, K-12 schools, foundations and governmental agencies. National Influenza Vaccination Week. The week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3 is National Influenza Vaccination Week sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This event is designed to urge people to get flu shots and to encourage providers to make a greater effort to increase the availability of the vaccine. Free posters, flyers, educational handouts, and other materials are available for easy printing at http://www.cdc.gov/flu. Event listingsFrank Cerra will present "Pursuing the Future with Vision and Drive," 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 in room 1-450 Moos Tower. Cerra will be sharing the vision for the next five years for the Academic Health Center’s role in driving the University to a top status among public research universities. During his visit to the SPH, he’ll be seeking input, advice, and counsel for the path to achieving those goals. (Refreshments will be served from 2:45 to 3 p.m.) SPH faculty and staff are invited. A Race and Pedagogy Workshop will be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Institute for Advanced Study, 140 Nolte Center. The aim of the event is to engage researchers who work and/or teach on issues related to race. The workshop is organized to facilitate conversation across the university on the complexities of teaching about race. The SPH Roundtable, "International HIV/AIDS and Human Rights," will take place in recognition of World AIDS Day on Friday, Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Featured speakers are SPH professor Alan Lifson and Steven Miles, Medical School. SPH deans John Finnegan and Debra Olson will provide opening remarks. The roundtable is free but registration is encouraged. Videoconference: Improving the Oral Health of Children and Youth. Oral health is a critical public health concern for children and youth. Join this important video conference on effective strategies to improve oral health in these populations. Presenters: Amos Deinard, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota; Gayle Kelly, director, Minnesota Head Start Association; Sharon Oswald, Greater Twin Cities United Way; Patricia Glasrud, Minnesota Dental Association. The videoconference will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec.1, in room 14 of WBOB. The Emerging Leaders' Network will be graduating its fourth cohort of emerging leaders. A reception and graduation ceremony will take place on Dec. 1, 5-6:30 p.m. at the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul. SPH dean John Finnegan will provide the 2006 ELN Leadership Address. Please register by Nov. 22 by contacting Lee Kingsbury at 651-201-3877 or lee.kingsbury@health.state.mn.us. The Emerging Leaders Network--a leadership development program for rising stars in public health--is a collaborative program of the SPH, Minnesota Public Health Association, Local Public Health Association, and Minnesota Department of Health. World AIDS Day benefit concert. The Infectious Disease Interest Group (IDIG) and the Aliveness Project would like to invite you to the World AIDS Day benefit concert held Dec. 1 at the 311 Club in Minneapolis. For ticket information, reservation and purchase, please email Margherita Ghiselli at ghise001@umn.edu. "The First Face Transplant: Clinical, Ethical, and Media Perspectives." A special lecture and discussion with Jean-Michel Dubernard from Lyon, France, will be held from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Coffman Union. The free event will feature U of M professors Jeffrey Kahn and Gary Schwitzer. A reception will follow. For more information or to register call 5-5609, e-mail papas001@umn.edu or visit the Web site. Ground-breaking Stem Cell Conference. A full-day conference sponsored by the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences Joint Degree Program in Law, Health & the Life Sciences Stem Cell Institute will be held on Feb. 26, 2007. The University of Minnesota, as a public university with a prominent Stem Cell Institute, will lead a national audience in exploring the implications of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also known as research cloning. This conference will convene top researchers and experts to explore the issues raised by SCNT, the options open to universities, and how policy should progress. To register for the conference, "Creating Stem Cells by Research Cloning: Scientific, Ethical, Legal & Policy Challenges," visit the Web site or e-mail lawvalue@umn.edu. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health Seminars take place Fridays, 10-11 a.m. in WBOB, room 364.Learn more at the Epi Web site. Upcoming seminars: • Nov 30: Alvaro Alonso, "Diet and the Risk of Hypertension: Insights from a Mediterranean Cohort" • Dec. 1: Kim Robien, SPH • Jan. 19: Beth Virnig, SPH • Jan. 26 Deborah Hennrikus, SPH • Feb. 2 Alex Scott-Samuel, director, IMPACT – International Health Impact Assessment Consortium Upcoming CPHEO Courses • Dec. 6: Emergency Readiness Rounds session 4: Personal and Family Emergency Preparedness • Dec. 7: Hazardous Materials 8-Hour Emergency Response Refresher • Dec. 12: Evacuation Coordination: Train the Trainer To see a more detailed listing of courses, go to http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu. Register for courses. To sign up to receive SPH News, send your name and e-mail address to SPHNews@umn.edu. • Read past issues of SPH News. 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. |