Faculty/Staff News
Debra Olson, MPH, RN, COHN-S, FAAOHN and the Associate Dean for Public Health Practice Education at the School of Public Health, was awarded the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree on December 14, 2007 in the inaugural class of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Her doctoral project was titled "Evaluation of a Model Curriculum in Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness using Gaming Technology.
Research by Pat McGovern appeared in WebMD.com and MedPageToday.com articles. The research found that many first-time mothers suffer from fatigue and other mental and physical symptoms related to giving birth nearly three months after their first child is born.
Dr. Julie Jacko has received an appointment in EnHS as part of a joint offer with the School of Nursing. Dr. Jacko comes to us from Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research activities focus on human-computer interaction, universal access to electronic information technologies, and technological aspects of health care delivery.
Congratulations Professor Jacko. The Environmental Health Sciences Division welcomes you! |
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Professor Elizabeth Wattenberg Featured in KARE 11 News Story: Professor Wattenberg speaks about health vs. convenience in consumer choice in the November 8, 2007 KARE 11 piece "Test suggests living in a chemical age is making Minnesotans toxic." (11/07)
American Public Health Association
2007 Annual Meeting: Several EnHS faculty members and students joined approximately 14,000 other health professionals from around the world to discuss public health concerns at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2007 Annual Meeting, November 3-7, 2007, in Washington D.C.
A sampling of presentations given at the meeting by EnHS Professor Susan Gerberich's Occupational Injury Prevention Research Training Program (OIPRTP) group include: “Hours of Sleep as a Risk Factor for Injury among Adolescents in Rural Minnesota,” “Etiology and Consequences of Injuries to Veterinary Technicians, and “Children’s Behaviors and High-Risk Agricultural Work Exposures: An Opportunity for Intervention?”. (11/07)
APHA Website
OIPRTP Website
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Photo: Nancy M. Nachreiner, PhD presents ”Successful Return to Work for Cancer Survivors” at the APHA 2007 Annual Meeting. |
Professor Deb Swackhamer has received the Harvey G. Rogers Environmental Health Leadership Award from the Minnesota Public Health Association. She was recognized for her outstanding contributions to preserving the environment of Minnesota and protecting the health of its people. (06/07)
Faculty member
Patricia M. McGovern, Ph.D., (right) was promoted to the rank of full professor effective June 11, 2007. (06/07)
On May 16 the School of Public Health recognized civil service and bargaining unit staff in their dedicated service to the school by presenting Years of Service Awards. EnHS recipients were: Carol Hanson-10 years; Allison Iwan-10 years; Nancy Pengra-10 years; Susanne Peterson-5 years; and Catherine Zimmer-10 years. (06/07)
Professor Emeritus Donald Vesley was elected an Honorary Diplomate of the American Academy of Sanitarians. He is only the second individual to be awarded this honor, which was based on his career and concern for environmental health education. The award will be presented at the NEHA Annual Educational Conference. (06/07)
Nancy Nachreiner,
Ph.D., Assistant Professor, was presented the EnHS Faculty Excellence Award. This award is made annually by the graduating class for excellence of graduate instruction and progress in the professional development of the graduate students in the past academic year. (05/07)
The following faculty, students and alumni were inducted into the Delta Omega Society in Public Health, an honorary society based on scholarship, teaching and research and community service. Students: Deanna Brown, Sue Ellen Mollner, Megan Ogdahl. Alumni: Kelly Coleman and Carlota Medus. Faculty: Paul Allwood and Randall Singer. (05/07)
EnHS was pleased to sponsor a team for the third time to participate in the 3rd Annual Colon Cancer Coalition's “Get Your Rear in Gear” 5K walk/run at Lake Harriet on March 31. Funds raised are directed to the Minnesota Colon and Rectal Foundation as well as the national endowment fund to help start races in other cities and states. Click photo to see larger image. Team EnHS "Polyp Patrol" had 40 members Saturday, March 31. The rain held off as teams completed the 5k walk/run. Movie 1: Quicktime movie 1. Quicktime movie 2. (04/07)
Asssociate Professor Lisa Brosseau was named the 2007 American Council of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Meritorious Achievement Award recipient. This award is presented annually to members who have made an outstanding, long-term contribution to the field of occupational health and industrial hygiene. The award will be presented in June at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition in Philadelphia. (3/07)
Dean John Finnegan has named Susan Goodwin Gerberich as Mayo Professor of Public Health, the school’s highest recognition of its faculty members. The professorship recognizes the achievements of senior SPH faculty members who demonstrate excellence in research, teaching and outreach. Gerberich is best known for helping to found and being a major contributor to the field of injury prevention research. (2/07)
Bill Toscano, Division Head, was named a fellow of the 2006 American Association for the Advancement of Science. The AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world. The honor is bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. (12/06)
Professor Gurumurthy Ramachandran has been appointed to the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) Board of Scientific Counselors. The Board advises on the directions that NIOSH scientific research takes. (12/06)
After 26 years in the School of Public Health, Sarah Waldemar (front right), the division's administrator and fiscal officer, has accepted the position of assistant director of the University's Office of Oversight, Analysis and Reporting. Debb Grove (left) has accepted the position of fiscal officer/administrator for the division. Debb previously worked for the University at Sponsored Financial Reporting, Sponsored Projects Administration, and most recently, the Department of Psychology. A farewell and welcome party was held October 12. See Quicktime movie slideshow of the party. (10/06)
EnHS Professor Deborah Swackhamer has been appointed interim director of the new Institute on the Environment. The Institute on the Environment will coordinate the University’s environmental resources to make it easier for researchers to share knowledge with each other and the public. Expected to open in 2007, the institute is a key component of the University’s goal to become one of the top three public research universities in the world. Swackhamer will be featured Wednesday, Oct. 4, on University of Minnesota Moment, the daily radio feature highlighting University of Minnesota experts. Listen to Swackhamer on U of M Moment. (09-06)
Student News
Tim Boyer, PhD student in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences with Dr. Randy Singer, has won Best Oral Presentation in the Epidemiology Section of the 2007 Conference for Research Workers in Animal Diseases on December 4. His talk,
entitled "GIS as a tool for regionalization of orbivirus infection risk: a case study in Illinois and Indiana", was co-authored by Dr. Michael Ward from Texas A&M and Dr. Randy Singer.
Congratulations Tim!
Student Awards.EnHS faculty, students, and staff gathered on May 10 to recognize student achievement. Photo: Mira Grice and Dr. Toscano.(05/07)
Click here for more information
J. Girard Griggs, a Master's student (Advisor: Dr. G. Ramachandran) has won the 2007 3M Industrial Hygiene Scholarship Award. In June he will travel to Philadelphia, attend the AIHCE Conference, and join the five other recipients at a national award reception and recognition dinner. Girard has also been awarded the 2007-2008 TSI/Arthur J. Abrams Memorial Scholarship. Selection was made by the Board of Trustees of the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF). Girard and the other recipients will be featured in the Fall 2007 issue of Foundation Focus. (4/07)
Starr Kelly Sage, a doctoral candidate in EnHS (Advisor: Dr. Susan Gerberich), was awarded the Minnesota Environmental Health Association’s Mary Lauren Olson Memorial scholarship. Starr's primary research interest is in addressing the undue burden of injuries and hazardous exposures on persons of color and low income individuals. For her dissertation, Starr is evaluating the relationship between violent injury experienced by Minnesota teachers and school resource allocations. She was recognized at the MEHA Winter conference on January 18, 2007. Photo l-r: Steve Roy, Starr Sage, Carlota Medus, and Kris Lee (scholarship trustees). (1/07)
Maggie Stedman-Smith, a PhD student in the OEHN program was just awarded a fellowship for her dissertation research which involves conducting a needs assessment of pesticide exposures among women and children in the Red River Valley. Her advisor is Pat McGovern and co-advisor, Bruce Alexander. Her research is part of a larger project under the direction of Kathryn Draeger, Statewide Director, UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and is funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of MN. The fellowship was awarded by the Society for Public Health Education, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and information on the sponsors is detailed below .
SOPHE is an independent, international professional association made up of a diverse membership of health education professionals and students. The Society promotes healthy behaviors, healthy communities, and healthy environments through its membership, its network of local chapters, and its numerous partnerships with other organizations. With its primary focus on public health education, SOPHE provides leadership through a code of ethics, standard for professional preparation, research, and practice; professional development; and public outreach. The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) mission is to provide leadership to the profession of health education and health promotion to contribute to the health of all people through advances in health education theory and research, excellence in health education practice, and the promotion of public policies conducive to health.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances. ATSDR is directed by congressional mandate to perform specific functions concerning the effect on public health of hazardous substances in the environment. These functions include public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, response to emergency releases of hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information development and dissemination, and education and training concerning hazardous substances. (1/07)
Kathleen Ferguson Carlson, MS, PhD, received the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section (ICEHS) Student Paper Competition Award on November 7 at the Harvard Club in Boston. Reviews for this competition are conducted by at least three national peer-reviewers in the injury field. Kathleen's paper was: Regional Rural Injury Study - II: Children's Behavioral Traits and Risk of Agricultural Injury Kathleen Ferguson Carlson, Susan G. Gerberich, Bruce H. Alexander, Ann S. Masten, Timothy R. Church, Andrew D. Ryan, Colleen M. Renier. Pictured are (l-r) Susan G. Gerberich, (dissertation advisor), Kathleen Ferguson Carlson, and Dr. Gordon Smith, Senior Research Scientist, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts. (11/06)
Denise Feda has been elected to serve as the University of Minnesota campus liason to the Student Assembly of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Campus liaisons advance the mission of the Student Assembly of APHA to enhance students' education and professional development. Feda is a PhD candidate in EnHS, studying injury epidemiology. (11/06)
Rolando Gonzalez, a Ph.D. student in the Industrial Hygiene program, received an award from the APIC Research Foundation’s Student Grant Program for his research project titled, “Evaluating Factors Affecting the Performance of Airborne Infectious Isolation Rooms.” Peter Raynor, PhD, and Andrew J. Streifel, MPH, will serve as academic advisors. The investigators will develop a methodology to evaluate airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) containment of contaminated air using carbon dioxide as a tracer gas. They will examine several parameters that could affect performance, including pressure differentials, room sealing, frequency of entry and duration of time in the anteroom. (11/06)
Mira Grice, PhD Candidate received a Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society Student Poster Award
for her poster titled "The Impact of Work-Family Conflict on Maternal Health Six Months After Childbirth." Mira was awarded $500 from the Dean's office (SPH) as well as $250 from Delta Omega. (11/06)
Events
EnHS held our Annual Picnic on Friday, September 21 at Boom Island Park. Even though the weather did not fully cooperate, everyone still had a chance to eat great grilled food and enjoy the company of their fellow EnHS colleagues, friends and family. (09/07)
View photos from the event
New Student Orientation Thursday, August 23: Orientation for new students will be held in Room A110 Mayo, 12:45 p.m. (08/07)
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