HBHE Chair
Dear HBHE Alumni, Students and Staff,
Another school year has come to an end, and I would like to congratulate the Graduating Class of 2008. We wish them well as they turn the page for the next chapter of their lives.
This past March, the Department celebrated the career of Ruth Simmons, in a symposium entitled: Strengthening Reproductive Health Policies and Programs Around the World. We invited speakers to help honor her many significant contributions to global health. The guest speakers were James F. Phillips, from Columbia University, Peter Fajans, MD, MPH, from the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization, and Jeremy Shiffman, PhD, Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, Syracuse University. It was a wonderful event filled with both joy and substance.
I would also like to congratulate Everett Roberts who received an Excellence in Staff Service Award from the UM School of Public Health. Everett is the Program Manager of Youth Empowerment Solutions for Peaceful Communities (YES), a violence prevention program that involves middle school students in creating positive community change. As a result of his efforts, and those of his team, YES also received an award from Keep Genesee County Beautiful, was featured in a nationally broadcast training for violence prevention practitioners, and has received extensive local media coverage.
I am especially pleased to report that 9 HBHE students were among the 30 SPH graduate students who spent Spring Break working with the China Centers for Disease Control in Tianjin, China, a city of 10 million just south of Beijing. The trip was organized through the UM SPH Office of Public Health Practice. You can read more about the PHAST trip and the student's experiences on the trip blog.
We are pleased to report that we will be offering two new courses next Fall. Mark Padilla will offer a course entitled: Gender, Sexuality, Health and Human Rights: Latin and Caribbean Perspectives. Derek Griffith will offer: Men's Health: A Social Ecological Perspective. We feel that both courses reflect the evolving needs in the workforce and society.
In other news, Gilbert Gee has left the department. He has joined the Department of Community Health at UCLA School of Public Health. We wish him all the best in his new position. I would also like to send special congratulations and best wishes to Scott Roberts and Alison Miller, on the arrival of their son, Wesley Richard, on January 23rd, 2008.
On a final note, I encourage you to explore the new tools available on the HBHE Alumni website. We are building a Ctools site where you will be able to access HBHE course syllabi and readings. We also have launched the HBHE Alumni Facebook group where you can stay in touch with each other, send updates, discuss careers and health issues, and post photos and videos. We will also be including Alumni News and Notes as a regular feature in The.Link, so please send us any news you would like to share.
We hope that you continue to stay in touch, and involved with the department. We welcome your feedback and hope to hear from you soon!