I love the field of public health because it opens the door to the world of exciting partnerships. The past month has brought many opportunities to connect our School of Public Health with collaborators and partners from across the University of Maryland system, around Prince George’s County and throughout the state. I am a strong believer in the definition of public health as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals” (Winslow, 1920). Public health does not exist in a vacuum, and neither does our school.
The School of Public Health is proud to recognize the scholarship contributions of our female faculty during women's history month. Our “women making a difference” campaign, initiated by Dr. Elaine Anderson, the SPH's ADVANCE professor, will feature assistant and associate professors throughout the month of March. The ADVANCE program works to support the recruitment, retention, advancement and professional growth of women and under-represented minority faculty at the University of Maryland.Learn more >>
Department of Health Services Administration Assistant Professor Andrew Fenelon led a team of researchers in examining National Health Interview Survey data to examine differences in reported fair or poor health and psychological distress. The study found that housing assistance is associated with improved health and psychological well-being for individuals entering public housing and multifamily housing programs. Interestingly, research did not reveal any health benefits for housing choice voucher recipients. Read more >>
After decades of declining traffic deaths, more Americans are dying on roads and highways than in years, with 40,200 deaths from accidents in 2016 alone. The increase in motor vehicle related deaths over the past two years is the largest in more than a half a century. “Distracted driving is the new drunk driving,” suggests behavioral and community health Professor Ken Beck. Read more >>
The positive effects of exercise on cardiovascular health are widely known. Not many studies, however, have explored the molecular pathways related to aging in the heart. A study led by Dr. Stephen Roth, professor of kinesiology and School of Public Health Associate Dean, found that exercise training can protect cardiac tissue and slow the degeneration of the heart’s DNA structure. Read more >>
March marks the beginning of year two for the United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded CONSERVE Center of Excellence. CONSERVE's ongoing research, education, and extension efforts are developed with the goal of enabling the safe use of nontraditional irrigation water on food crops and effectively reducing the nation’s agricultural water challenges that are exacerbated by climate change. Learn more about their progress to date >>
Christina Memmot was among the first group of graduates from the College Park Public Health Science program. Since graduating in December 2016, she is working with Population Services International on projects related to HIV prevention, maternal health, family planning and gender violence in Latin America. Memmot, who also earned a minor in Spanish, was accepted into four MPH programs for the upcoming fall semester.Read more >>
Our fifth annual Public Health Research at Maryland day, held in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, will focus on action for health equity and feature a keynote lecture on Zika Virus in the Americas, 2015-2017by NIH's Dr. Anthony Fauci. Submit photos for the new public health photo contest and submit research postersby March 31. Photos and research posters will be judged and winners will be recognized on April 6. Register (free) now!
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN, March 2017
Alumna Profile: Christina Memmot (B.S., Public Health Science, '16)
