2005 Accolades

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Fall/Winter 2005

Betsy Foxman, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, has been named the 2005 winner of the Wade Hampton Frost Lectureship Award from the Epidemiology Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The award recognizes a person who has made "a significant contribution to addressing a public health issue of major importance by applying epidemiologic principles and methods." The award was presented at the APHA annual meeting in Philadelphia, where Professor Foxman delivered her lecture, which she titled 'Tales of Transmission.'

Barbara Israel (right), professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, has been awarded the 2005 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Distinguished Fellow Award. This is the highest honor given by SOPHE. The award was presented at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Jaymie Meliker, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Health Sciences, received first place in the student research competition at the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Analysis, held in Tucson, Oct.-Nov. 3. His research, entitled "Individual lifetime exposure to arsenic using a Space-Time Information System," describes a method for integrating sources of spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal variability in an assessment of lifetime exposure for use in environmental epidemiologic investigations.

The recently published Handbook of Urban Health, co-edited by new UM SPH Associate Professor of Epidemiology Sandro Galea, was reviewed in the October 26, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Said reviewer Russ Lopez, "The chapter on the health of homeless people provides an important foundation for anyone concerned about meeting the health challenges of this population. Similarly, the chapter on neighborhood-level studies contains some of the most understandable explanations in the literature of the relatively new field of multilevel modeling. . . . It is hoped that this book will not sit closed on reference shelves but lie open on desks as it is used to improve the health of all people in our urban world."

Curi Kim, M.D., M.P.H., who is currently enrolled in the University of Michigan School of Public Health Preventive Medicine Residency Program, is among three preventive medicine residents nationwide to be selected for the highly competitive Pfizer Practicum Rotation in Health Policy and Preventive Medicine at the American College of Preventive Medicine's office in Washington, D.C.

The University of Michigan School of Public Health Executive Committee has approved Mike Boehnke to be the school's fourth Collegiate Professor. The appointment, which is a reflection of contributions in teaching, research, and service, will be made following Regental approval. Boehnke currently holds the title of Pharmacia and Upjohn Foundation Research Professor of Biostatistics. He joined the UM SPH faculty in 1984. His research focuses on problems of study design and statistical analysis of human genetic data, with a particular emphasis on development and application of statistical methods for human gene mapping.

A UM SPH Health Management & Policy student team has won first prize in the 2005 National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) Everett V. Fox Student Case Analysis Competition, now in its 10th year. Members of the team are Adam Carson, Kyle Buchanan, and April Budd they each will receive a scholarship stipend. For the annual competition, students across the country are given a business case to analyze. They then propose a strategic plan using skills that they acquired during their MHSA studies, including assessing of financial reports, population health, marketing, organizational behavior, and organizational readiness. In addition to the case analysis, they must present their findings and recommendations in an executive-quality presentation for the competition.

Jean Shope of HBHE has been named the recipient of this year's University of Michigan Research Faculty Achievement Award. Shope, who is a senior research scientist and lecturer in the SPH department of Health Behavior & Health Education and also at the UM Transportation Research Institute, focuses on adolescent and young adult risk behavior. Her research on graduated driver's licensing in Michigan led to its implementation in other states and has reduced teen traffic crashes.

Summer 2005

The SPH Executive Committee has endorsed the recommendation of a committee of distinguished faculty to name Maryfran Sowers as the new John G. Searle Professor of Public Health. The chair became available upon the retirement of David Schottenfeld, its previous holder. The appointment will become official upon approval from the Regents of the University of Michigan.

UM SPH alum Amir Dan Rubin, MHSA '96, has accepted the position of chief operating officer at UCLA Medical Center and Hospital System after an extensive national search. Rubin most recently served as chief operating officer for the Stony Brook University Hospital in New York.

Rod Little, the Richard D. Remington Collegiate Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan, in August received the 2005 Wilks Medal from the American Statistical Association, "for significant and pioneering contributions to the development of statistical methodology." He also presented the President's Invited Address at the 2005 Joint Statistical Meetings, with some 2,000 people in the audience. The talk, entitled "Calibrated Bayes: A Bayes/Frequentist Roadmap", is available for perusal from Professor Little's personal website.

Sioban Harlow, UM SPH professor of epidemiology, has been appointed as a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board (SAB) Arsenic Review Panel. This panel will provide independent expert advice to EPA through the chartered SAB on scientific issues related to the agency's assessment of the carcinogenic effects of inorganic and organic arsenic compounds.

John Paul Vader UM SPH alum John-Paul Vader, MPH '88, is president-elect of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), a federation of 40 national associations of public health with 10,000 members. His term as president begins with the hosting of the annual meeting of EUPHA in Montreux, Switzerland, November 16-18, 2006. Vader has been working with the Healthcare Evaluation Unit of the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) since 1991 and is an asssociate professor at the university's medical school. He researches the quality and appropriateness of health care.

The UM Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (URC) was a finalist for the 2005 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration (otherwise known as the Michigan Campus Compact Carter Partnership Award). The award honors exemplary collaborations, undertaken by a college or university in partnership with a community group, which address critical areas of public need (photo caption and more info). URC is a collaborative partnership involving the University of Michigan schools of Public Health, Nursing, and Social Work, the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, nine community-based organizations (Community Health and Social Services Center CHASS, Communities In Schools, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Friends of Parkside, Latino Family Services, Neighborhood Service Organization, Southwest Counseling and Development Services, and Warren/Conner Development Coalition), and Henry Ford Health System.

Spring 2005

Participants in UM SPH's team in the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce's "Curb Your Car Month" Commuter Challenge logged 5,284 miles of non-automotive commuting in May 2005 (mainly walking, cycling, and public buses). Organizers say that effort was good for 180 hours of exercise for the team members, as well as 5,080 pounds avoided in emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas created by combustion of fossil fuels. UM SPH's 46-member team logged more non-automotive miles than all but three other of the more than 50 Ann Arbor teams. Members included Dean Ken Warner, faculty, staff, and students. Collectively, participating commuters in Ann Arbor logged a total of 81,298 alternative transportation miles (including mass transit like buses) during May 2005--equivalent to the distance of three trips around the earth.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents, at their May 19 meeting, approved the appointment of Ken Warner as dean of the School of Public Health, effective July 1, 2005. The regents also approved recommendations for promotion and/or tenure of the following SPH faculty members:
From associate professor to professor: Linda M. Chatters, HBHE; Michael Chernew, HMP; Marcia Inhorn, HBHE; Nancy K. Janz, HBHE; James Lepkowski, Biostatistics; Lewis Morgenstern, Epidemiology.
From assistant professor to associate professor: Goncalo Abecasis, Biostatistics; Debashis Ghosh, Biostatistics; David Mendez, HMP; Kerby Shedden, Biostatistics.
Clinical faculty and primary research scientists: Monsumi Banerjee, research associate professor, Biostatistics.
More information.

At the Michigan Dietetic Association conference in May, Amy (Amelia) McCoy, a MS student in Human Nutrition at UM SPH, was named one of three winners in the Michigan Dietetic Education Practice Group for her research on 'Weight Trends and Baclofen Treatment in Children with Cerebral Palsy.'

The School of Public Health honored the contributions of all staff members at an annual reception on May 4. Milestone anniversaries (10, 20, 30 years of service as of December 31, 2004) were acknowledged for 19 employees who had been honored with 2004 University Service Awards. Special awards recognizing "Excellence in Staff Service" were presented to four UM SPH employees: Sherry Teboe, Brenda Bernhardsson, Faye Ogasawara, and Susan Morrel-Samuels. More information.

The University of Michigan Industrial Hygiene Student Association (UMIHSA) has been selected as the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Student Local Section of the Year. UMIHSA, which is based in the Environmental Health Sciences department at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, will be recognized with a ceremonial presentation of a cash award at the annual AIHA Conference and Exposition in Anaheim, California, on May 24. The award selection committee stated that it was impressed with UMIHSA's "programs and accomplishments during the recent academic year." The group's activities include a mentoring program linking current students with alumni in the field, social and charity events, training programs, and more.

Rodney Hayward, professor of internal medicine and of health management and policy, is the recipient of the Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Service 2005 Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research. The award recognizes a researcher whose work has led to major improvements in the quality of veterans' health care; has made key contributions to the future of HSR&D through excellence in training and mentorship; and has enhanced the visibility and reputation of VA research through national leadership.

Winter 2005

Jerome Nriagu, professor of Environmental Health Sciences, gave a presention on his research at the recent University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) Congressional Breakfast at the U.S. Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. His research on "Arsenic in Drinking Water and Bladder Cancer in Southeastern Michigan" was chosen as one of six presentations, according to the UCGIS, "in a national competition based on the scientific merits and policy relevance of his research."

The Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine has announced that its 2005 F. Marian Bishop Outstanding Educator of the Year award will go to Matthew Boulton of UM SPH. Boulton is the school's associate dean for practice, an associate professor of Epidemiology, and director of the Preventive Medicine Residency; he is also director of the University of Michigan Bioterrorism Preparedness Initiative. This award is given for outstanding contributions to teaching and education in preventive medicine and public health.

The University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching's Winter 2005 Faculty Showcase highlights the innovative Rich Media Modules created by David Mendez, assistant professor of Health Management & Policy. The modules consist of instructional materials, such as PowerPoint presentations with audio or video taken from live faculty lectures, which are indexed in a web-searchable database. The modules support graduate classes, especially the Executive Master's Program in Health Management & Policy (partly delivered in a distance learning format).

UM SPH alum Dr. Barbara K. Rimer, MPH '73, will be the new dean of the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, effective June 1. Rimer, a behavioral scientist, is a professor in UNC's department of health behavior and health education and the deputy director for population sciences at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. She previously served as the director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of the National Institutes of Health.