I’m a strong believer that public health is a profession of action and is best experienced through a hands on, in-the-field approach. In public health we certainly need to be trained in the classroom and laboratories of the brick and mortar school, but I daresay the real learning takes place with the application of that training out in communities. As Dean I spend a lot of time working at my desk and attending meetings, but I do need that hands-on public health experience to keep me focused. I had such an experience in June on a trip to Haiti where I worked side by side with 35 other American volunteers, including my wife and two daughters, in the community of Montrouis. Whether it was in the realm of educational programs, nutritional support, humanitarian outreach, or the delivery of medical care, each of us walked away with a new perspective on the world. Read more>>
People who experience problems using prescription painkillers, heroin and other opioids tend to have other substance use issues as well, a fact that has important implications for how America addresses its devastating epidemic of drug overdose deaths. A new report, published by the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Adovacy, in partnership with the UMD SPH, points to recent studies that widen the lens on the national addiction crisis. Read more >>
In a new study, Dr. Donna Howard (Behavioral and Community Health) and colleagues examine adolescent girls’ attitudes about social networking and dating. They “were interested in how messages from the broader culture shape girls’ conceptualizations of healthy and harmful dating relationships, the appropriateness of adolescent dating, and acceptable dating behaviors." Read More>>
In 1983, while most people were “aerobicizing" in neon leg warmers, Dr. Ben Hurley arrived at UMD’s Department of Kinesiology with an interest in strength training. “We lose muscle mass as we age, and if we can reduce that loss, we can lower disease risks,” Dr. Hurley said. “Resistance training reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.”Read more>>
The new Maryland Integrated HIV Plan 2017-2021, developed with input from stakeholders from across the state, was led Professor Brad Boekeloo, director of the UMD Prevention Research Center. One notable finding was that no community-based organizations in Maryland are receiving awards from the major Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) direct-to-community funding announcements. Read more >>
Applied Environmental Health Assistant Professor Devon Payne-Sturges will spend October in Bochum, Germany as a Fulbright Senior Specialist. Her research has focused on topics of environmental justice and cumulative exposures to multiple chemicals in the United States. “Now I will be engaging with researchers on these issues in an international context,” she said. Read more>>
Environmental health grad Rebecca Rehr (MPH ’12) lobbied in support for two pieces of legislation this month: one that would require a full ingredient list on menstrual hygiene products and one that would direct the National Institutes of Health to research the health risks that chemicals used in these products pose. She asks, "shouldn't we have full disclosure about what we're putting in our vaginas in the same way we have full disclosure about what we're putting in our mouths?" Read more>>
Susan Buckenmaier went to Hawaii for two weeks, but she barely had enough time to spend one day at the beach. Buckenmaier, a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves and an MPH student, was busy setting up and running a free medical clinic for Kauai island residents. The exercise is part of an annual two-week service mission which brings reserve troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force. Read more>>
The latest edition of the American Public Health Association Student Assembly newsletter includes a story by Francine Baker about a recent multidisciplinary panel event on the opioid epidemic organized by students in public health, criminal justice and pharmacy programs at USG. Baker, who is vice president of the Students Engaged in Public Health organization at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), says “Even though we are small in number, USG is doing great things in the world of public health.” Read the article>>
This summer, the School of Public Health’s student-run Public Health Without Borders group returned to Sierra Leone to serve vulnerable communities and educate local schoolchildren about safe hygiene practices. The group of students and faculty led educational workshops related to hygiene and sanitation, targeting critical public health needs of the community. View the Flickr photo album>>
Dr. Adam Biessel led a group of students on a trip to London and Dublin for a Department of Kinesiology course on Sport, Commerce and Culture in the Global Marketplace. View the Flickr photo album>>
