Public Health News
Four Falk College faculty promoted, tenured
Falk College is pleased to announce four faculty members from its Departments of Child and Family Studies and Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition were recently promoted and tenured, including: Dr. Dessa Bergen Cico, Associate Professor, Public Health; Dr. Eunjoo Jung, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies; Dr. Kamala Ramadoss, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies, and; Dr. Rachel Razza, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies.
Remembering Sabrina Marsha-Gaye Cammock ’15
It was the third week of the Spring 2012 semester when a student approached public health professor Jim Byrne, JD, CASAC, asking to enroll in one of his more demanding courses that met once weekly. He explained the challenging amount of work required to catch up after missing the first two weeks of class. For many students it would seem daunting. But for Sabrina Marsha-Gaye Cammock, she welcomed the challenge. Her commitment to immediately do three weeks of readings and submit a series of high-quality written assignments to catch up was admirable and unstoppable. And successful. Her work product far exceeded that of many of her peers who had been in the class from day one.
The school’s record-holder for the 4 x 100-meter relay and one of the most successful sprinters in Syracuse University history as a member of the Women’s Track and Field Team for four years, Cammock is warmly remembered as a vibrant, hard-working young woman who was fully engaged with faculty, coaches and her peers with the desire to improve healthcare for others because it was the right thing to do. Cammock, a Dean’s List student scheduled to graduate from Falk College with a major in public health and addiction studies minor in May 2015, died unexpectedly in March. Her degree will be awarded posthumously on May 9.
“Sabrina was always a serious student who attended to her studies and classes without asking for any special treatment while bringing tremendous energy to the classroom. She was routinely well-prepared for classes and was willing to effectively share her insights integrating the readings with her life experiences and topics from our class discussions,” notes Byrne, who taught her in several public health courses and was her academic advisor.
In one course that required community-oriented engagement, she tutored local high school students who were at risk to drop out of school. Once her class requirements were completed, her commitment to helping others led her to continue volunteer work with the students. She combined that experience with working as a teacher’s assistant and camp counselor at Montessori’s Progressive summer camp during which she further sharpened her ability to build relationships with diverse individuals and helped others where and when they needed it.
During the summer of 2013, she successfully completed a Primary Care/Health Administration Internship with Harlem United. This competitive opportunity allowed her to be immersed in a clinic providing healthcare services in New York City. The following summer, she continued her relationship with Harlem United while balancing caretaking of her grandmother who had been ill. To fulfill her Senior Capstone requirement, Sabrina interned at SUNY Upstate Medical University during the Fall 2014 semester, a requirement she completed ahead of schedule. “Sabrina performed well enough in her courses to be selected by SUNY Upstate for her Capstone project,” notes Byrne.
Last spring, she took two 400-level courses that required group work and high-level synthesis of concepts. She was consistently a leader in both processes earning an “A” in these difficult classes. In class, she was described as eloquent in presenting ideas in discussions and equally adept at expressing complex ideas in writing; she did this in a direct, succinct and relaxed manner engaging others.
She was evaluating opportunities for what she would do after graduation, including internship at Emory Clinic. She was excited about the possibility of being named an SU Engagement Fellow. “Sabrina was an enthusiastic, friendly, outgoing and responsible young woman with an ability to engage others. I had the privilege to see her show her potential as a change-agent and to see her plan her undergraduate education to enhance those skills,” concludes Byrne.
As Sabrina was passionate about women’s issues, and in honor of her memory, the family has requested donations be made to the Sabrina Cammock Fund at the Allen Women’s Resource Center to serve battered and abused women in the Queens, NY area. For more information, contact: Allen Women’s Resource Center, Darlene B. McCune, P.O. Box 340316, Jamaica, NY, 11434, dmmccune@allenwomens.org, (718) 739-6200.
Congratulations Class of 2015!
Falk College will celebrate the Class of 2015 and its accomplishments on Saturday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m., Manley Field House. Falk College’s Class of 2015 includes 312 undergraduates, 142 master’s candidates and 27 students earning Certificates of Advanced Study. Four Ph.D. students will receive their hoods symbolizing the highest level of degree achievement. A baccalaureate degree in public health will be awarded posthumously to Sabrina Cammock.
Falk College Marshals
Sam Rodgers, Nutrition
Aziza Mustefa, Public Health
Undergraduate Department Marshals
Francheska Bravo, Child & Family Studies
Mary Briggman, Nutrition
Will Fancher, Nutrition Science
Lisa Cianciotta, Public Health
Leah Elsbeck, Social Work
Scott Kevy, Sport Management
Graduate Department Marshals
Rachel Linsner, Child & Family Studies
Codina Haselmayer, Marriage & Family Therapy
Anna Riverso, Nutrition Science
Nicole Schwartz, Public Health
Ethan Lewis, Social Work
Justin Brown, Sport Management
Falk College Settles into New Home
Within hours of the opening of a student lounge—one of several community spaces—in the new Falk Complex earlier this semester, students were making it their own.
“The students went in there and they started moving around the furniture, making areas for collaboration,” recalls Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “Every time you go down there the furniture is placed in different ways as they need them.”
They’ve been making it their home.
Students, along with faculty and staff, are settling in to the new site of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in the Falk Complex at MacNaughton and White halls, which formerly housed the College of Law.
Public health and nutrition major Aziza Mustefa ’15 appreciates how the new complex is bringing together students from the various disciplines.
“I love the Falk Complex! It brings unity among all the majors in the college, and creates a community,” she says. “The student lounges allow students to congregate and build meaningful relationships throughout our college career. It’s convenient and easily accessible to our classes, professors and Falk Student Services.”
All together for the first time
This is the first time all the college’s disciplines will be in one location—“so it is the big coming home,” Dean Murphy says. The central administration offices had previously been housed at 119 Euclid Ave., so that had been the centralized location for many gatherings, while the various departments had sites across campus.
The transition to move the various departments and administrative offices began over Winter Break and continues into the fall as the renovations wrap up.
The new centralized location allows faculty members to have more impromptu “watercooler conversations,” visits in the hallways and additional opportunities for inspired collaboration.
“Faculty members have come together over the years to do interdisciplinary work, especially through the work of the College Research Center, but this does make it more convenient and maybe more spontaneous,” Dean Murphy says. “I’ve heard the faculty saying—and I feel the same way—it’s just nice to run into colleagues in the halls, and not have to go outside or drive.”
The new community spaces in the Falk Complex have expanded those opportunities for faculty in the various disciplines to be engaged with each other.
Three years of planning
It’s those types of ideas that went into more than three years of planning for the convergence of Falk College’s five academic departments and its administrative offices.
Surveys were done with students, faculty and staff to help understand what the needs were and what could be included within the budget. Plans were developed through the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, project architect Ashley McGraw and design partner Gilbert Displays.
“We studied the building and then we figured out the spaces with the various department chairs,” Dean Murphy says.
Each academic unit has an office with the department chair, graduate and undergraduate studies directors, and administrative assistants. Faculty members are assigned nearby offices.
In January, the move included the Office of the Dean, admissions, advancement, the college’s information technology office, the Department of Child and Family Studies, Public Health and the School of Social Work. In March, the Office of Student Services was set up.
The first move in January involved transferring the spaces for 94 people, with 5,169 boxes transferred in a day and a half by the movers, according to Dianne Seeley, Falk College’s senior administrator of operations, space and facilities, who has been part of the renovation process and has overseen the moving. Four hundred computers were also set up by informational technology staff members in five days.
Making the move
This month, the Department of Sport Management and the College Research Center will be moved into their new spaces. Throughout the summer and into the fall, the food studies and nutrition programs, will make the move, which includes reconstruction of the fifth floor for the commercial and experiential kitchens.
The Nutrition Science and Dietetics Program will also have a new nutrition assessment lab, where they will examine the nutrients in food. The lab will be finished this summer.
Additionally, the commercial kitchens and teaching kitchens, along with a multipurpose teaching café/classroom, will be moving in and built up through late August and finished in early fall. The kitchens will offer a state-of-the-art learning facility with technology and kitchen equipment. The kitchen and café/classroom will support the academic programs of nutrition and food studies.
For the Department of Sport Management, a new lab will teach the technology of sports and events operations. There will also be a ticketing classroom with associated technology to learn about ticketing for large sports facilities. This will also include a business arrangement with the Carrier Dome to allow students to be hired and assist in ticketing.
Along with the various departments, the Falk Complex has three computer labs and a Mac lab, which is new for the college. Other renovations have included technology upgrades to many classrooms, along with new carpeting, paint and signage.
“We now have a showpiece, an extraordinary learning environment serving all our academic degrees. Everybody feels lifted coming in the front door,” Murphy says.
A grand opening of the new Falk Complex is planned for September.
“I am excited for future students to come and enjoy the Falk Complex. Dr. Murphy has exciting plans for the college, like the cafe on the second floor. She wants the best for Falk students,” Mustefa says. “Although I am graduating, I am excited that Falk continues to grow every year.”
Aziza Mustefa College Marshal Reflection
Good afternoon and congratulations to the Falk College Class of 2015. I want you all to know how honored I am to be standing here. Thank you to my family, my classmates, my friends, and the esteemed faculty and administration for joining us on this joyous day.
I can’t begin my speech without remembering our classmate Sabrina Cammock. Sabrina was one of my dearest friends, a stellar track runner, a brilliant student, and a woman who used her gifts for the greater good. Even though she is not with us today, she is in our hearts and I hope we can keep Sabrina’s memory alive.
Today we celebrate the triumph of completing our college education. Graduating from the David B Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics means that we will be using our education to give back to our communities. In a couple of days, we all are returning to our communities or joining new ones. As Falk graduates, I encourage you all to act on the vision of David and Rhonda Falk. To quote Mr. Falk,
“Global concerns for critical societal issues like childhood obesity, substance abuse, elder care, and malnutrition are at an all-time high. We need dedicated professionals who are committed and willing to give of their time and of themselves. The Falk College’s unique combination that pairs social responsibility and service with experiential learning means students will be well trained to address society’s most pressing issues, finding themselves both where the jobs are—and where they are most needed.”
Now we are the dedicated professionals moving into society to make a difference because, throughout our college careers, social responsibility and community service have been instilled in us. And, we have the tools and knowledge to make a difference. We all embody Scholarship in Action because we know that one person can change lives, neighborhoods and the world.
As we close this chapter in our lives, a new one begins. Before you leave here today, I want you all to recall your fondest memories and experiences at SU. Remember those who were there for you, remember the support from Falk College, and remember how special you are. We all have this bond that unites us.
I encourage you all to dare to dream big, and most importantly don’t shy away from using your gifts. You and I have the power to create positive change in the world and we will.
Syracuse University’s Project ETHICS filmed for upcoming documentary
In 2013, Falk College associate professor of public health, Dr. Katherine McDonald, received a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to address the pressing need for scientific knowledge to improve the health of persons with intellectual disability.
During the study, an expert panel created a survey administered to 500 people across the U.S. to learn about their views on doing research with adults with an intellectual disability. One of the panel members was Micah Fialka-Feldman, a Syracuse University student, teaching assistant, and staff member. Feldman, who will graduate in May 2015 with a certificate in Disability Studies, helped design the Project ETHICS survey and assisted with recruitment and sharing findings. During the project, McDonald was contacted by documentary filmmaker, Dan Habib, an Emmy-nominated creator of the award-winning documentary films Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Restraint and Seclusion: Hear Our Stories, and many others on disability-related topics.
Habib is the filmmaker at the Institute on Disability (UCEDD) at the University of New Hampshire, and was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) in 2014. Fialka-Feldman also serves on the PCPID, and for the past year, he has been filmed periodically by Habib for an upcoming film with the working title, Intelligent Lives.
As a young boy, the public school system placed Micah in a special education classroom. In first grade, he told his parents, “I want to go in the same door as all my other friends.” After his parents battled extensively with the school district, Micah was included in general education classes through high school. He developed a close circle of friends, had access to supportive technology, and his educators held high expectations for his academic success.
Intelligent Lives explores how segregation of people with intellectual disability became the norm, why this segregation is slowly being dismantled, and how some people with intellectual disability are blazing a bold new path, including Feldman, the film’s central character. Currently in production, Intelligent Lives will be completed by the fall of 2017. Of the film, Fialka-Feldman notes, “Dan’s film will help show people how those with disabilities can do great things.”
“Project ETHICS is community-engaged research. The film is about expanding ideas of intelligence – community-engaged research draws from similar ideas. Rather than trained scientists controlling research, we work hand-in-hand with community members who have lived experience and draw from their expertise to create research questions, methods, dissemination, and action to follow. This way of working legitimizes the value of lived experience, and emphasizes that a broad array of stakeholders can (and should) contribute to research,” explains McDonald, principal investigator for the Project ETHICS study and a faculty fellow at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI).
On a recent trip to Syracuse, Habib filmed Fialka-Feldman participating in Project ETHICS work. During multiple site visits to campus to film, Habib and his team spent time with Feldman, his friends and colleagues to capture Micah’s vibrant academic, work and social life. The visits include filming Micah at home, working at the SU School of Education, attending his public health class taught by professor of practice, Jim Byrne, and working as part of a discussion group about research findings in Project ETHICS. Habib also filmed Micah’s Circle of Support meeting, which he runs monthly. He invites those he finds provide him with positive support to talk about what is going on in his life, and what is coming. Micah directs the meeting, discussion, and decisions but is open to input from others.
“Project ETHICS is an important element of Micah’s experience at Syracuse,” Habib says. “Like Project ETHICS, this film will help the general public understand the dramatic shifts underway in our understanding intellectual disability. The reality is that if Micah was born in the first half of the 20th century, his IQ score of 40 would have most likely necessitated a life of institutionalization. Fortunately, Micah was born in 1984, and Intelligent Lives will show that we can transform education, employment and human service systems to examine the capabilities of each and every person regardless of appearance, ability to speak and move, or test scores.”
“This film is a key component to challenging dominant cultural narratives about people labeled with intellectual disability. We need films that reflect disability rights, and showcase people with disability leading meaningful lives as caring, capable citizens” says McDonald.
To watch some of Habib’s previous films, go to www.iod.unh.edu/inclusivecommunities
Research training program for veterans now accepting applications
To improve access to undergraduate research experiences in the area of trauma for groups typically underrepresented in this research, including veterans, a collaborative venture between Syracuse University’s Falk College, SUNY Oswego, and SUNY Upstate Medical University is now recruiting students for its 2015 program June 1-26 on the Syracuse campus.
The Undergraduate Trauma Research Training program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Education for Undergraduates (REU) opportunity directed by Brooks B. Gump, Ph.D., MPH, Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health, and co-directed by Karen Wolford, Ph.D., Professor Department of Psychology and Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Trauma Studies at SUNY Oswego and includes other faculty from these institutions as well as SUNY Upstate Medical University. This program brings together veterans and non-veterans in a safe environment to pursue trauma research activities.
This month-long immersion program involves coursework, mentored student-faculty interactions, and the development of a research project. Participating students receive a $3,000 stipend for attending the summer session. Room and board are provided free of charge, as needed, with some travel cost assistance available for out-of-state participants.
The program, now in its fourth year, draws on personal experiences of veterans who understand the nature and context of traumatic events. By gaining a scientific understanding of trauma, students who complete the program gain essential tools they can use to improve the quality of life for themselves and others, including veterans. Read more about one REU participant’s experience.
The program is purposefully structured to span one full year. Following the summer program, students continue their research under the mentorship of REU faculty during the Fall semester. Finally, students are expected to present their research at a national or international conference in Spring, 2016. The travel and registration expense for the conference is provided to the student through this program. For more information about the program, and to download an application for it, click here to go to the Syracuse University REU web site or contact Ivan Castro at iecastro@syr.edu. Application deadline is April 15, 2015.
Brooks Gump Presents “Low-Level Environmental Toxins and Children’s Health” at Grand Rounds Feb. 19
The Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine’s next Grand Rounds is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on February 19, in Room 2231 Weiskotten Hall on the Upstate Medical University campus. Brooks Gump, Ph.D., MPH, Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health, will be the featured guest speaker. Low-Level Environmental Toxins and Children’s Health is the title of Dr. Gump’s talk.
Falk College Community Meet-and-Greet with Dean Murphy
Dear Falk Undergraduate and Grad. Students,
Please join Falk College Dean, Diane Lyden Murphy, and your classmates for a Falk Student Community Meet-and-Greet. A date will be scheduled after Spring Break. Dean Murphy is interested in hearing your ideas about student needs in our new building. What would you like to see in the student lounge? What makes your study space ideal? Hear about renovations in-the-works, including space for student services, food services, and collaborative learning.
Pizza, salad and soda will be served!
Share your suggestions via email.
Syracuse Lead Study continues recruitment
The Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition at Syracuse University’s Falk College continues to actively recruit for the Syracuse Lead Study. Eligible zip codes are 13202, 13203, 13204, 13205, 13206, 13207, 13208, 13210 and 13224. The study is examining environmental toxins (lead) that collect in our system and how that impacts stress response and cardiovascular health.
“Recruitment will continue until we reach our goal of 300 participants,” says Dr. Brooks Gump, Principal Investigator for the Syracuse Lead Study and Falk Family Endowed Professor at Syracuse University. In addition to residence in the outlined zip codes, participants need to be 9, 10 or 11 years of age and consider their race as black or white. Siblings are eligible for participation. Children and their parents/guardians will be compensated for their time with a stipend of up to $120.
The study consists of two appointments that involve a blood draw, collection of hair and urine samples, body measurements, two echocardiograms, questionnaires and computer games. Visit appointments will occur on and off-campus and will take approximately seven hours in total. For more information about the Syracuse Lead Study please call (315) 443-4907 or visit our website at syracuselead.syr.edu
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