EnHS: EnHS News 2004

Events:

Dr. Elizabeth Guillette, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, presented "Bhopal Twenty Years Later - A Continuing Disaster: Health Effects on the Second Generation" on December 3, 2004.

The annual EnHS picnic was held at Boom Island Park. The weather cooperated and we had a great turnout.

Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure.For the fourth consecutive year the Division sponsored a team to participate in the Koman Race for the Cure on Mother's Day, May 9, 2004, reminding people that the environment plays an important role in breast cancers. The team consisted of 30 EnHS faculty, students, alumni, and their friends. Nearly $1,400 was raised for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, which funds cancer research locally.

Team EnHS could not have asked for better weather this year. Mother's Day was sunny and warm, providing a beautiful 5K walk around Lake Cornelia from Southdale Center. The typical crowd of 50,000 Koman supporters were out in full force, most wearing their race t-shirts posted with names of loved ones affected by breast cancer. Many teams designed and walked in creative costumes - the EnHS team wore their Division t-shirts, and proudly carried their new EnHS Division banner. A fun time was had by all!

Special thanks to these local businesses who generously supported the EnHS team by donating items and services: Linden Hills Co-op; Chili's; Pizza Luce; The Refinery spa and salon in Dinkytown; and Sally's Saloon & Eatery, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, and Great Clips for Hair, all in Stadium Village. No state, University or division funds were expended for this event.

Faculty and Staff News:

INJURY CONTROL AND EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES SECTION of the AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION presented Dr. Susan Gerberich the Excellence in Science Award at the annual APHA meeting in November. This award recognizes an individual at mid-career for outstanding dedication and leadership in injury control and emergency health services with contributions and achievements that have a significant and long-term impact on the field. (November 2004)

Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Associate Professor, is the recipient of the 2004 Faculty Excellence Award, presented by PhD student Mira Grice. This award is made by the graduating class for excellence of graduate instruction and progress in the professional development of the graduate students in the past academic year.

Dr. Susan Gerberich, Professor, was named Honorary Scientist by the Rural Development Administration of the Republic of Korea. Dr. Gerberich was recognized for outstanding research in the field of injury prevention in rural communities. (March 2004)

Kathy Soupir, EnHS Student Coordinator, was named one of the Best Director of Graduate Studies Assistants 2004 by the Graduate School. Kathy received a $1,000 honorarium at the award ceremony on April 22. For more information check out website: http://www.grad.umn.edu/faculty-staff/recognition/recipients.html. Photos of the event are available at http://www.grad.umn.edu/faculty-staff/recognition/recipients.html

Deborah Swackhamer has been appointed to serve on the EPA Science Advisory Board for a three-year term. The board is charged with advising the EPA Administrator on broad scientific matters and reviewing the EPA’s research programs and the science and technology behind proposed regulations. (Jan 2004)

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Student News:

Lori S. Kurszewski, MA in the School of Kinesiology, an advisee of Dr. Susan Gerberich, was the co-winner of the BEST PAPER AWARD for her presentation, " Sports and Recreational Injuries - Regional Rural Injury Study-II: Impact on Agricultural Households and Operations" presented by the INJURY CONTROL AND EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES SECTION of the AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION. The award was presented at the APHA Meeting in November 2004. Pictured are Dr. Gerberich, Lori, and her mother.

Michael Bryns, EnHS doctoral student, received second prize for his presentation at the national American Chemical Society Meeting in Philadelphia. His presentation, "cis-2-Butene-1,4-dial, a reactive metabolite of furan, forms substituted N1,N6-etheno-2´-deoxyadenosine and N1,N2-etheno-2´-deoxyguanosine adducts", was coauthored by C. C. Vu and L. A. Peterson (advisor).

Deanna Scher won a Best Poster award at the International Society of Exposure Analysis Conference held in Philadelphia from October 17-21. The title of the poster was "Measuring Agreement of pesticide metabolite levels in first morning void samples versus 24-hour urine samples from applicators and children in the Farm Family Exposure Study". The poster compared two different urine sampling methods (collection of first morning voids vs. 24-hr composite samples) commonly used in biomonitoring studies.

Sabre Thomas Watkins is a 2004 American Public Health Association Environment Section Student Scholarship Recipient.In total, $7,500 have been awarded to 25 public health students involved in environmental health promotion. These awards go toward registration and travel costs to attend the 2004 APHA Annual meeting. The theme of this year's conference is the "Environment and Public Health." All award recipients will receive a check at the Environment Section Social on November 8th in Washington DC.

Congratulations to doctoral students, Kathleen Ferguson and Deborah Merchant Langner (Co-Primary Authors and advisees of Susan G. Gerberich) and Co-authors Bruce H. Alexander, James Gurney, Susan Goodwin Gerberich, Andrew D. Ryan, Colleen M. Renier, Steven J. Mongin for receipt of the Best Poster award at the 7th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Vienna, June 6-9 2004. Selected from over 2,000 posters submitted by all participants, this was first identified among the top 30 and, following intensive review at the conference, was awarded Best Poster for: THE HISTORY OF PARENT AGRICULTURAL INJURY AND RISK OF CHILD AGRICULTURAL INJURY; REGIONAL RURAL INJURY STUDY - II (RRIS-II) (Regional Injury Prevention Research Center, Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota). In addition to this honor, a master-crafted crystal paper-weight, "Dewdrops" by Swarovski and a waiver for registration at the next international conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2006, were presented.

Michael Byrnes is the recipient of a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the Graduate School. The purpose of the dissertation fellowship program is to give outstanding final-year Ph.D. candidates who are making timely progress toward the degree--typically those entering their fifth year of graduate study--an opportunity to complete the dissertation within the upcoming academic year by devoting full-time effort to the research and writing of the dissertation. Candidates must be nominated by their graduate program's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) to an all-University competition. Up to 50 Doctoral Dissertation recipients receive a stipend of $15,500 for the academic year, plus full tuition for thesis credits. Michael is the second EnHS student in two years to receive this competitive award. His faculty advisor is Dr. Lisa Peterson. (5/2004)

Tanya Maslak was awarded a ASPH/EPA summer fellowship. She will be taking up residence in Washington, DC for this interesting and important environmental health opportunity on the front lines. (5/2004)

Gretchen Strobel, an MPH student received an internship in Environmental Health Alaska Native Tribal Health Corsortium in Sitka, Alaska from the Indian Health Service for this summer (2004).

The annual EnHS Awards Luncheon was held May 12 to recognize recipients of scholarships and awards sponsored by the division as well as outstanding academic achievement.
Photos of the event
More information about awards and recipients

EnHS Students at the State Fair

EnHS students used "Glo-Germ" on their hands to mimic how germs are spread from shaking hands. Fairgoers who shook hands with the students then viewed the "germs" they had unknowingly received by placing their hands in a black light box. Students are Monika Vadali, JoAnne Brock, Renee Mijal, Deanna Scherr and Marissa Lightbourne as the tomato. September 2, 2004. More photos.