June 2008
A quarterly newsletter for alumni and friends of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
In this issue of SPH Alumni News you’ll find:
• From the Dean
• A note from the SPH Alumni Board President, Judy Beniak (M.P.H., ’81)
• Meet the Board (featuring Gita Uppal, M.P.H., ’99)
• Alumni Connections: Dick Culbertson (M.H.A. ’73); Stephen Goldstone (M.H.A. ’73)
• Call for volunteers
• Upcoming alumni reunion
• Announcements
• Quick Poll
From the Dean
 Greetings SPH Alumni,
It gives me great pleasure to share this news: as a direct result of the recent SPH Scholarship Gala, the SPH Alumni Scholarship Endowment has been increased by $45,000! As an added bonus, the University’s President Scholarship Match program will double the awards of this scholarship each year.
I remind you that the Scholarship Gala was the school’s first-ever fundraising event benefiting student scholarships. It is thanks to the leadership and commitment of the alumni board that I am able to share this wonderful news. The event was their brainchild, and students for years to come will be impacted by their dedication this past year. Thank you to the alumni board, and thanks to all of you who braved an early April snowstorm to join us for a very memorable event.
As you read this issue of SPH Alumni News, I invite you to engage with the school and its alumni-related activities. Whether giving your time and talent as a volunteer and/or making a donation to the SPH alumni scholarship fund, your commitment is appreciated!
Yours in health,
John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
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From the SPH Alumni Board Chair
 Dear Alumni Colleagues:
The past two months were exciting times for the School of Public Health Alumni Society. We held our inaugural annual meeting, which kicked off the Alumni and Friends Scholarship Gala, on April 10 at the beautiful Nicollet Island Inn.
Although the weather greeted us with a spring snowstorm it did not dampen our spirit of giving. We heard updates about the re-birth of our society and an interesting discussion led by Brigid Riley (President Elect) and Dr. Michael Trujillo on the Intersection of Science and Ideology.
More than 200 people attended the reception and gala and witnessed Ulric Gibson, Ph.D., PE, CPG, receive the outstanding achievement award.
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Carmona, was delayed by weather but we had great talent including Drs. John Finnegan, Frank Cerra, Michael Osterholm, Bill Toscano, Michael Trujillo, and Mr. Andy Nelson step in to create a lively panel discussion on key public health issues. Once Dr. Carmona arrived he offered insights about his time as the surgeon general and its importance for public health. He was hooded by Dr. Cerra with an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Minnesota.
Special thanks goes to Mayo Clinic and the Medtronic Foundation, and to many other generous alumni and donors, who helped us raise $45,000 with matching funds for the alumni scholarship fund. This provides us an excellent foundation upon which to build as we support the next generation of public health professionals.
During the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2008 I had the privilege of sending good wishes to these graduates on behalf of our society. We also gave a small gift to each graduate. Master of Healthcare Administration student Juliet Nguyen spoke and her comments demonstrated a passion for her work in public health. Seeing the excitement of these new graduates assures that the work of public health will continue well in our state and nationally. Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health, was the keynote speaker.
Lastly, on May 29, Dr. Doris Taylor, Medtronic-Bakken Chair and Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Repair offered an inspirational presentation at the UMAA Annual Meeting on new technology being used to prevent and treat diseases in the cardiovascular area.
Considering this is our first year of work, I think we are on a healthy and vibrant road of achievement. Hope you have a safe and fun summer!
Best regards,
Judy Beniak RN, M.P.H.
President
SPH Alumni Society
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Meet the Board
 Alumni Board member Gita Uppal is brimming with ideas on reaching out to School of Public Health graduates.
Uppal, who is chair of the board’s Alumni Engagement Committee says ¿This is such an exciting time for alumni to get involved with the School.¿
¿With the re-emergence of the Alumni Board, Dean Finnegan as our charismatic leader, and outstanding staff and faculty, there is a lot of infectious energy. This is an ideal time for alumni to re-engage with the school.¿
The committee’s primary focus is to develop ideas that will engage alumni. The committee will also look for ways to develop professional networking opportunities and promote events that will benefit SPH alumni.
And the time is right for such an endeavor, Uppal says.
¿There are a lot of alumni who have expressed interest in helping students and getting involved with the school.¿
Still, to help make the committee’s efforts successful, Uppal is seeking more alumni to join her as she lays the foundation.
As a 1999 graduate of the Public Health Administration program, she was involved in numerous activities as a student, including serving as president of the SPH Student Senate. Since then, she has remained active with the SPH. Her desire to join the SPH Alumni Board was driven by her own positive experiences as a student, says Uppal.
¿I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed my time as a student in the SPH. I am thrilled to be on the board and to have the opportunity to give back to the school¿ she says.
Uppal, who works as a senior health policy analyst within the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, says she believes there is a growing interest and desire among current students, recent graduates, and alumni to get involved in the School of Public Health.
That’s one of the reasons she says the Alumni Board drew so much interest and has had a great response from supporters
¿Aside from the fact that the Alumni Board is comprised of people who are very successful in their fields, we are really a great team who collaborate closely,¿ she says. ¿We are committed to making the School of Public Health even better than it already is,¿ Uppal says.
For information about ways to join the Alumni Engagement committee or offer ideas, please contact Michelle Lian-Anderson, director of alumni relations and special events at liana001@umn.edu or 612-626-5536.
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 Alumni Connections:
Dick Culbertson and Stephen Goldstone
School of Public Health graduates Dick Culbertson (left in photo) and Stephen Goldstone were pleased to reconnect last year through their involvement in the American Hospital Association (AHA). Both are members of the Committee on Governance for the association.
“I came on the committee a year before Steve and when the chair announced the new members I had to raise my hand and point out that we have too many Minnesota graduates on the committee,” says Culbertson, adding that there are four members with Minnesota ties.
Both men graduated from the Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) program in 1973. After graduation, they went their separate ways. Culbertson moved to Rhode Island to do a residency program at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence and Goldstone stayed in the Twin Cities.
Since then, they have both had health careers that have taken them around the country, and they’ve both worked with other School of Public Health alumni, but their paths never crossed until a year ago.
“I attended my first meeting in 2007, and lo and behold, there was Dick,” says Goldstone, who is currently an independent consultant in Colorado Springs and was instrumental in starting an HMO, now called HealthPartners, in 1981.
Goldstone says the first day the two saw each other again, “We reminisced a little bit, not much, but it was a good day.”
Culbertson says he recalls that the two men, along with others in the program, spent many Friday nights at local restaurant favorites the Big 10 and Stub and Herb’s. He was pleased to know that both establishments are still campus hangouts.
“We had many, many shared experiences and that particular program was one that fostered a group identity,” says Culbertson, referring to the M.H.A. program.
Culbertson is currently an associate professor of public health and family medicine in the Medical School at Tulane University in New Orleans. He has worn professional hats in both academia and medicine. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California-San Francisco in 1993.
The two remain in contact via e-mail and phone, and will see each other about three times a year, thanks to their work on the AHA committee. Goldstone predicts that the classmates will remain in contact once their terms on the committee end. And he looks forward to it.
“I think the alumni of the M.H.A. program represent a valuable resource,” he says. “When you meet someone and find out there’s a common connection, there’s a bond¿you feel a kinship.”
Culbertson agrees.
“We have a common interest in hospital trusteeship,” he says. “The fact that you can talk to someone in another part of the country is beneficial. “As we say in New Orleans it’s ¿lagniappe’ that means there’s something extra,” Culbertson says.
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Call for Volunteers
Alumni Engagement Committee
What can the SPH do to support you? Please join the conversation to share your opinions and ideas about how SPH alumni can connect with each other and engage with the school and its students. Contact Michelle Lian-Anderson, director of alumni relations and special events, for more information at liana001@umn.edu or 612-626-5536.
Lunch on July 11
Each year the Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) allows the School of Public Health to host a luncheon for those program participants who may be interested in hearing more about public health and the career options available to them. Once again, we are hosting up to 40 individuals on July 11, 2008 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Mayo Room A110.
In the past we have promoted the academic options exclusively, however, this year we hope to highlight the career options in public health more prominently. We are seeking alumni volunteers to lunch and dialogue with our student guests who may not know of all the rich opportunities waiting for them in the field of public health. You will be asked to introduce yourself, describe your work, and share a brief story about your path to public health. Please contact the event organizer, Melvin Monette, the SPH director of student recruitment, at monet008@umn.edu or 612-624-0601 by June 23.
Lunch on Aug. 21
For many incoming students, the two years it takes to receive a Master’s degree will go by in a flash. Many will also realize that the time to begin networking in public health with SPH alumni can’t begin soon enough.
Thirty five alumni volunteers are needed to welcome new students at SPH Orientation on Thursday, Aug. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the McNamara Alumni Center in Memorial Hall. You are invited to join incoming SPH students for lunch as an alumni “Table Host.” The role is very informal. It will offer a chance for new students to ask alumni questions about the realities of graduate school, life as a public health professional, and more. You provide the advice; we’ll provide the lunch. To be a part of this special event, please contact Michelle Lian-Anderson, director of alumni relations and special events, at liana001@umn.edu or 612-626-5536.
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Erica Fishman (MPH '91) talks with Nicole Steege, a public health administration and policy student, at the 2007 Mentor Kickoff event. |
Mentors for Fall
Each year more than 150 SPH students sign up to receive mentors. They may be seeking encouragement and support as they embark on graduate studies, guidance on networking and developing contacts, or feedback on their resumes or interviewing skills. Are you able to offer 1-2 hours per month, from October to April, to reap the benefits of a rewarding mentor relationship? If so, send an e-mail to phmentor@umn.edu and we’ll send you a link to the brief mentor application which seeks to match students with professionals in their field of study.
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Alumni Reunion
SPH Reunion in Chicago
The SPH will be hosting an alumni reunion in conjunction with the 41st Annual Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) meeting in Chicago.
Thursday, June 26, 7 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk
Wright Room
151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago
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Announcements
Tell Us Your News
Do you have a new job? Have you earned an award? Or do you have news to share with fellow SPH alumni? If so, please send info to SPHNews@umn.edu. Items will be included in the upcoming issue of Advances magazine. If you don’t receive Advances, but would like to please send you name and address to SPHNews@umn.edu.
Stay Connected by Subscribing to Public Health Scene
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Delta Omega Student Poster Award Winners
SPH Delta Omega Pi Chapter announced two student premier poster award winners during the SPH National Public Health Week in April.
Mary Forte, Ph.D. student in HSRPA, Health, Policy and Management for her abstract “Geographic Variation in the Use of Intramedullary Nails for Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures” and Amenah Babar, M.P.H. student in Epidemiology & Community Health for her “A Gender Comparison of Tobacco Use and Pyschosocial Risk Factors among Urban Youth in India” abstract.
Both posters were submitted for inclusion at the 2008 Delta Omega poster session during the next APHA annual meeting, on Oct. 25-29 in San Diego. Mary Forte’s poster was accepted for display at the poster session. The 2008 poster session will showcase the excellent scholarship and research of students in accredited schools and programs of public health.
MCH institute
Attend the 10th Annual MCH Summer Institute on Health Disparities:
“Promoting Health Equity: Family centered program development and advocacy”
June 12, 2008
8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus
Register Online: Under "courses and training" on the left hand side, select "registration"
UMAA membership
Membership matters! When you become a member of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA), a portion of your membership dollars directly benefits SPH alumni programming.
As a member, you can take advantage of a variety of discounts and benefits, including Minnesota, the award-winning alumni magazine. You may join the Alumni Association online at our School of Public Health Alumni Society Web page, or by calling 1-800-862-5867. Your membership will help make the School of Public Health and the University stronger.
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Quick Poll
“Reply” to this e-mail message with your answers to the questions below and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of six SPH relaxation gift sets!
1. Would you be willing to attend an annual SPH fundraising dinner benefiting student scholarships?
___ yes ___no
1a. If you answered “yes”, please skip to question #2.
1b. If you answered “no”, please tell us why:
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!
2. What factor(s) would be the greatest draw for you to attend a SPH fundraising dinner benefiting student scholarships?
_____ Desire to stay connected with SPH
_____ Desire to give back to the SPH
_____ Desire to support current SPH students
_____ Opportunity to network with SPH alumni
_____ Opportunity to reconnect with SPH faculty
_____ Keynote speaker of interest
_____ No scheduling conflicts with your calendar
_____ Other, please list ______________________
3. How much would you be willing to spend to attend a SPH fundraising dinner benefiting student scholarships?
_____ $50 - $74
_____ $75 ¿ $99
_____ $100 - $124
_____ $125+
_____ Other, please note $______________
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!
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