Public Health News
Gump to continue leading Undergraduate Program for Trauma Research with Veterans with newly awarded NSF grant
Collaboration between SU’s Falk College, Upstate Medical University and SUNY Oswego focuses on meaningful research experiences, mentoring for students
Falk Family Professor of Public Health, Brooks Gump, Ph.D., MPH, will continue leading a program this summer for undergraduate veterans and non-veterans (five openings for each) interested in becoming trauma researchers. Gump was one of six faculty from three upstate New York universities (Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate, and SUNY Oswego) who ran this Research Education for Undergraduates (REU) program in 2012 and 2013. As one of several on-going interdisciplinary collaborations in the Falk College, the REU program includes faculty members Keith A. Alford, Ph.D., ACSW, associate professor of social work and Dessa Bergen-Cico, Ph.D., CHES, CAS, assistant professor, public health.
The $285,679 grant recently awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support the REU program for two more years, which is now recruiting undergraduate veterans and non-veterans to participate. Students can earn $3,000 for participating in an intensive four-week summer program from June 2-27, 2014 at Syracuse University.
“During our first year, we admitted non-veterans to fill openings in the program. A serendipitous finding emerged in that we discovered a mix of veterans and non-veterans was a clear strength of our program. Veterans were able to develop a sense of belonging to a ‘traditional’ college group and were appreciated for their unique expertise on a research topic for which they had first-hand knowledge. Non-veteran undergraduates developed a sense of appreciation for the need to develop applied research in collaboration with those that were ‘on the ground.’ Consequently, in our program’s second year, we targeted enrollment to include half veterans and half non-veterans, resulting in increased recruitment for the program,” notes Gump.
The program involves coursework, mentored student-faculty interaction, and development of a research project. Following the program’s summer component, the second phase continues the next semester with research under the continued mentorship of REU faculty. Research findings are submitted for presentation at a national or international conference.
For undergraduates interested in graduate school, it can sometimes be challenging to find meaningful research experiences that offer hands-on opportunities coupled with close work and mentoring with skilled faculty researchers. The REU program is an ideal way to gain valuable research experience while increasing marketability for admission to competitive graduate programs. In addition, the program provides (at no charge to participants) the Princeton Review GRE-Prep course.
“The data from our evaluation suggest this program might serve as a model for re-integration of returning veterans, particularly for those returning to higher education. It offers a unique and valuable research lesson for all participants,” adds Gump.
Study Public Health Abroad During Summer 2014 programs
Openings are still available for the following Falk College study abroad programs this summer:
HTW 400/600—Comparative Health Policy
May 24-June 14, 2014
This six-credit undergraduate and graduate course will use a variety of modalities for students to learn about comparative health policies. Students will visit Geneva, Amsterdam, and Morocco to fully immerse themselves in settings that take different policy approaches to health problems. Taught by Dr. Lutchmie Narine, students will have the opportunity to visit important health care institutions (e.g., the World Health Organization in Geneva) and participate in discussions with health care leaders in each country which will provide first hand insight into health policy making process. Against this stimulating background, assignments and class-wide discussions will be undertaken for course topics that focus directly on different approaches to the delivery of health care and extending beyond to the social and demographic factors that shape the making and implementation of health policies across nations.
HTW 412/HTW 612—Drug Policy in Global Perspective
May 13 –May 27, 2014
For the fourth consecutive year, Drug Policy in Global Perspective (HTW 412/HTW 612) is being offered through Public Health and Addiction Studies. This is an unprecedented time of debate and change in US and international drug policy. Operating from Amsterdam, as the primary study location, this course exposes participants to effective harm reduction and pragmatic public health strategies that address alcohol, other drugs, and addictive behavior from a human rights perspective. Students will examine decriminalized drug policies of the Netherlands and learn about drug policies from around the world while attending the 2014 International Society for the Study of Drug Policy Conference in Rome, Italy. Taught by Dr. Dessa Bergen-Cico, the course is three credits and runs for two weeks.
Global Public Health Policy: Spring Break 2014 in Cambridge, England
Students interested in the short-term Global Public Health Policy Course being held at Anglia Ruskin Univ. in Cambridge, England over Spring Break 2014 should visit the SU Abroad website for complete information, including dates, costs, and lecture topics. If you are interested in participating in the course, please also submit your application per instructions on the SU Abroad website as soon as possible. During spring semester registration in November, you must also register for this course HTW 300, SEC M001 on MySlice, along with your other spring classes.
Larsen focuses research on Malaria elimination in Zambia
In the Amazon port city of Belem, Brazil, David Larsen came to understand the luxury of a few pennies.
Larsen, an assistant professor of public health in the Falk College, worked among the people living in extreme poverty in the favelas, while a missionary from 2002-04. “We’d be knocking on doors and saw very close up the devastating effects of the lack of health care, clean water and sanitation,” he says. “They literally had nothing.”
And the simplest of measures—such as an ordinary antibiotic worth a few cents—could have a profound impact.
“Seeing the things that I had taken for granted as far as health care—we’re talking Tylenol, vaccines and other similar remedies—and the huge role that health played in their lives was very forming to me,” Larsen says. “It also made me think about the way disease is transmitted.”
Larsen now pursues research in infectious diseases and is currently a co-investigator on a malaria elimination study in Zambia. He cannot contain his frustration when he speaks in terms of the children.
“About 10 million children under the age of five die every year around the world and most of those deaths occur in the first 30 days of life from infections, sepsis and tetanus, which is vaccine preventable,” Larsen says. “After 30 days of life, the leading causes are diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections and malaria—all completely treatable. Something as simple as sugar water with a little bit of salt can prevent someone from dying from diarrhea; it can rehydrate a child.”
After his work in Brazil, Larsen earned a B.A. degree in psychology, with concentrations in child and adolescent development, from Brigham Young University. He then pursued an MPH and a Ph.D. from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine—inspired by his overseas work and a National Geographic article about the impact of malaria, called “Bedlam in the Blood.”
“Malaria is such a fascinating disease because it’s completely preventable and completely treatable, and it’s been that way for many years, but it’s still one of the leading killers of people around the world,” Larsen says.
Malaria, which is marked by high fever, headache and vomiting, also causes anemia, which can be especially devastating for children.
There is no vaccine for malaria, so the remedy is to stop or kill mosquitos or keep them from biting. “Then also it’s about clearing infections quickly with a standard treatment, but one of the problems is that not all infections are linked to symptoms,” Larsen explains.
If an infected asymptomatic individual does not seek treatment, a mosquito may then bite that individual and reinfect another individual. “You can carry the parasite with you without being sick but still be a source of infection for others,” he says.
Larsen’s current three-year study involves asymptomatic infections. “I had an idea that if we could quantify the amount of transmission that would occur in a household, then we could tailor interventions to adults,” Larsen says. “When we talk about malaria control we target interventions toward children but we’re ignoring the asymptomatic infections that are more prevalent among adults. We wanted to look at if we target the source of the infection could we reduce the amount of transmission that way.”
Larsen, who has traveled to African many times, submitted the proposal to the Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), a program of the nonprofit health organization PATH and whose funding comes primarily from the Gates Foundation, in Zambia to do a small study.
“They came back and said let’s make this bigger,” he says. “They were less interested in basic science but were more interested in applications that could be scaled and really effect the malaria burden.”
It turned into a multi-year study where they progressively scaled the group to include 100,000 individuals in 40,000 households in southern Zambia, along the shores of Lake Kariba. Individuals were screened for the infection and treated; this was done three times during the dry season.
Larsen’s Ph.D. dissertation revolved around the study’s preliminary data. “We found that one round of screening and treatment didn’t affect the parasitic prevalence, but three rounds did,” he says.
His current research includes looking at other vector control measures that could complement bed nets. He is also doing research in the areas of Dengue fever and diarrheal diseases, evaluating a sanitation campaign for nonprofit group Akros and UNICEF.
Larsen, who teaches Implementation and Evaluation this semester and will teach Epidemiology in the spring, says his students would probably say he talks way too much about malaria, but he hopes to bring them even greater meaning beyond the facts and numbers.
“On one level I want to make people aware that we live in the relative lap of luxury in the United States where we don’t think twice about these illnesses,” Larsen says. “On another level I think we can learn a lot from the ingenuity and perseverance of people in these situations.”
Brooks Gump named Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health
Brooks B. Gump, Ph.D., MPH, has been named the Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health in the Falk College at Syracuse University. Gump joined the Falk College faculty in 2010 and is currently a professor in the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, where he also serves as the graduate program director for public health.
“In consultation with the Falk family, I am pleased to name Dr. Brooks Gump as the Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health. He is a nationally recognized leader in his field and an exemplary scholar and researcher in the area of public health. The Falk College is fortunate to have him leading our graduate program in public health. He works each day collaborating with other scholars to make a difference in critical research areas within the field. The Falk College and the Falk family are privileged to support his efforts,” notes Diane Lyden Murphy, dean, Falk College.
In 2011, Syracuse University alumni David B. and Rhonda S. Falk committed $15 million to SU—one of the largest-ever single gifts to the University. As part of their visionary and purposeful commitment to academics as a path to success, which created the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, the Falks also established a series of endowed professorships. These professorships allow the Falk College to support internationally recognized faculty to enhance the research, academic and experiential components of its programs to advance its mission rich in teaching, research, scholarship, practice and service.
“I’m very appreciative of the support I’ve received from Dean Murphy and the Research Center since joining Falk College—these sorts of large research endeavors are, by necessity, team efforts from inception to completion. I also thank the Falk family for their generosity and support by the creation of these endowed positions,” says Dr. Gump.
Recognized internationally for his research on cardiovascular disease risk in children, Gump was awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences earlier this year for the project, “Environmental Toxicants, Race and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children.” The study investigates the relationship between race, socioeconomic status, blood lead levels, cardiovascular responses to acute stress and cardiovascular disease risk. To better pinpoint the early antecedents of racial disparities, the study is focused on a sample of 300 African American and European American children ages 9 to 11 in the city of Syracuse, NY area over four years.
“We know many African American children have higher levels of lead in their blood than white children,” notes Gump. “Preliminary data suggest their hearts are already showing signs of change because lead is causing vascular constriction, triggering a rise in blood pressure. We also hope to link the well-known detrimental effects of lead on cognitive functioning to this vascular constriction because reduced blood flow may have negative impact on brain function.”
In addition to his ongoing NIH-supported research with children, Gump is currently principal investigator for a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Education for Undergraduate (REU) program, entitled, “Training Veterans to Conduct Trauma Research with Fellow Veterans.” Through this grant, Gump and a team from SUNY Oswego and SUNY Upstate Medical train undergraduates who are military veterans to conduct research with other veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The recipient of numerous research awards for his work, Gump was honored most recently with the Falk College’s Faculty of the Year in Research for 2012-2013.
Previously, Gump served as an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York at Oswego. His work there was also supported by numerous NIH grants, including an R01, R21, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Award Supplement. With an array of research and publications, his specialties include psychosocial factors and their overall effect on health, and more recently, the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage, race, and environmental toxicants (e.g.,lead and mercury) on children and adolescents’ health. His teaching areas include introduction to epidemiology, introduction to psychology, health psychology, research methods/experimental psychology, health promotion, introductory and advanced statistics, behavioral medicine and psychophysiology.
He serves on the editorial board of two prominent journals in his field, Psychosomatic Medicine, and Health Psychology, and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous other journals, including the American Journal of Epidemiology, Pediatrics, Stroke, and American Journal of Psychiatry. He is currently serving a four-year term as a member of the National Institute of Child Health and Development’s (NICHD’s) Health, Behavior, and Context Subcommittee.
Gump earned a Ph.D. at the University of California, San Diego, and MPH degree in epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a master in general psychology from Radford University and a bachelor of arts in philosophy from Swarthmore College.
Gump Leads NIH Study Aimed to Improve Children’s Cardiovascular Health; Currently Seeking Participants for Syracuse Lead Study
The Falk College’s Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition at Syracuse University is seeking participants for a new research study aimed to improve children’s cardiovascular health. The Syracuse Lead Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will examine environmental toxins that collect in the human body, such as lead, to understand their impact on stress response and cardiovascular health. By identifying cardiovascular risk factors, this research study will offer valuable information to improve child and adult health in communities throughout the country.
The Syracuse Lead Study is a four-year project focused on children ages 9, 10 or 11, who live in the 13203, 13204, 13205, 13207 or 13208 zip code areas and identify their race as black or white. Participants and their parents/guardians will be compensated for their time with a stipend of up to $120. The study consists of two appointments at Syracuse University. The first appointment involves a venous blood draw to measure lead levels and questionnaires regarding stressors and support systems. The second appointment requires two echocardiograms and the completion of several computer games in a laboratory setting. Time commitment is approximately five-hours on campus.
“This is an important research study that will help us examine the impact toxins have on our health and well-being, allowing us to take part in improving the health of our nation, increasing the quality of life for individuals and families and potentially reducing the high cost of health care,” notes Dr. Brooks Gump, principal investigator for the Syracuse Lead Study and professor at Syracuse University.
Research-focused internship offers life-changing experience for Estefany Frias ‘13
Public health senior Estefany Frias spent the summer of 2012 working on a research project to advance scientific knowledge about interventions and solutions to health disparities throughout the state of New Mexico. “I wanted to do something different, so I ran a Google search and the opportunity with the New Mexico Center for Advancement of Research, Engagement and Science (CARES) on Health Disparities popped up,” says Frias. The CARES internship was located on the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center campus and as an intern, Frias assisted in compiling research data on two studies: post-partum depression and cervical cancer screenings.
Through her internship, Frias gained first-hand experience in all of the steps of the research process, ranging from recruitment to dissemination. She perfected important professional skills, such as how to create a survey, proofread large scientific documents and translate screening questions into Spanish. “Participating in the research process was life changing for me. It is very easy to take things for granted when one reads a research article because it seems like it was a simple study to conduct. I learned how difficult and frustrating conducting public health research can be, as well as how rewarding it feels when you help people better their health status,” says Frias.
“I also learned the importance of establishing trust with whatever population one wants to work with. It was not uncommon to see research scientists struggling to provide care to their target population in New Mexico but it was very moving to see the amount of years and dedication these health professionals put into establishing a relationship with Native Americans and Latinos. Interning at the Family and Community Medicine at UNM helped me envision the kind of opportunities I have with my public health education,” explains Frias.
The internship at UNM was the first time Frias participated in the research aspect of public health. She’s also interned with Caring Hospice at a nursing home where her responsibility was to provide comfort and care to patients suffering from Alzheimer and dementia. This semester, she is an intern at Upstate Medical University in the maternal and child health field working with Dr. Martha Wojtowycz and a task force group led by Dr. Richard Aubry.
Falk College classes that made an impact on her included Culturally Competent Healthcare (HTW 307) and Health Disparities and Vulnerable Populations (HTW 309). “I really enjoyed HTW 307 and 309 because they exposed me to a different side of public health. It was through those classes that I began to understand how gaps in the American health system came about. Not only did they help me open my eyes to the truth, but they also provided me with learning tools on how to solve these issues,” says Frias.
Her ultimate career goal is to become a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with a specialty in cleft palates. “I want to work abroad to implement healthcare programs that would help residents in Third World countries. To accomplish these goals, I will enter medical school so that I can graduate with a dual medical degree and Master of Public Health,” notes Frias.
A resident of Brooklyn, NY, Frias is an active member of Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity and secretary of the Falk College Leadership Society. A member of the student organization Shadows of Health that links students with local health professionals, Frias volunteers weekly at Upstate Medical University Hospital.
Five to Be Honored With Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence
Five Syracuse University faculty and staff members will receive the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence at a campus ceremony and reception in their honor on Monday, April 1.
The 2013 Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence honorees are:
- Luvenia Cowart, professor of practice in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics;
- Edward L. Galvin, director of Archives and Records Management and Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster archivist;
- James T. Spencer, Meredith Professor of Chemistry and associate dean for science, mathematics and research in The College of Arts and Sciences;
- Raja Velu, professor of managerial statistics and JPMorgan Chase Faculty Fellow in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; and
- Marion Wilson, associate professor of art, design and transmedia in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and director of community initiatives in the visual arts in the School of Education.
The Chancellor’s Citation awards were first presented in 1979 in recognition of outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship and creative work. Over time, the focus of the awards has changed to reflect new priorities and institutional directions. The emphasis on excellence and outstanding achievement remains unchanged. Each year, members of the University community are invited to nominate a colleague or co-worker for recognition. A selection committee composed of faculty and staff from across campus reviews the nominations, and award winners are honored each spring.
All five honorees will receive a special art object, along with a citation statement recognizing his or her accomplishments.
The honorees are:
As a professor of practice in the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, Cowart co-founded the Genesis Health Project in 2004. It is a partnership between minority churches, community and government sponsors and the University to reduce health disparities in minority populations. Focused on black families in low-income areas of Syracuse, this community-designed, culturally sensitive initiative promotes healthy lifestyles across the lifespan among African Americans, who have the highest rates of obesity in the U.S., by empowering them to improve their diets, food preparation techniques and exercise habits. In 2012, membership and project scope increased to include 10 inner-city minority churches and an expanded programmatic reach encompassing diabetes prevention and management as well as stroke.
Under Cowart’s leadership, the Genesis Project has accomplished numerous milestones, including health seminars, fitness programs, educational programs at barbershops and healthy lifestyle activities with churches and universities. Her work and the Genesis Health Project were recognized with the prestigious National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Director’s Award in 2008 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health. She received the 2011 Robert F. Allen Symbol of H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People through Empowerment) Award from the American Journal of Health Promotion for her efforts related to addressing health disparities and received the 2012 Post-Standard Achievement Award for her pioneering work with the Genesis Health Project in the Syracuse community. The Genesis Health Project has also been recognized several times with the SU Chancellor’s Award for Public and Community Service.
The Barbershop Education Program is one of the health promotion and outreach activities sponsored through the Genesis Project. The program has gained national attention and funding with its efforts to reduce the prostate cancer death rate among African American males, which is double the rate of white males. Instead of doctor’s offices—which many men avoid—Cowart reaches out through barbershops. Educators emphasize the importance of testing and diet and exercise and offer referrals for testing. Barbershops also hand out educational materials and continue the conversation.
“The Genesis Health Project is truly a best practices model of excellence that communities across the country are replicating to promote healthy lifestyles. The value of Dr. Cowart’s leadership by example for our students—the healthcare leaders of the future—is monumental. Working closely with her, they are gaining valuable, life-changing, how-to experience, to address health disparities and other major public health concerns that plague poor and underserved populations,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, dean of the Falk College. “Her leadership of the Genesis Health Project represents the essence of the Falk College’s mission of service to others. I am very proud and incredibly grateful for her tireless work advocating for the health needs of others.”
“Dr. Luvenia Cowart is a passionate advocate for the health needs of underserved populations. The Genesis Health Project is an example of her creativeness and ingenuity, as well as her professional and personal commitment to community health and social change,” notes Mary Ann Middlemiss, associate professor of public health in the Falk College. “She has made significant contributions to the health of minority populations, empowered lay community members to take charge of their own health, organized collective community action and created sustainable health care ministries. Dr. Cowart’s knowledge, skill and ability to establish authentic and sustainable partnerships have created environments that continue to transform individuals, communities and institutions locally and nationally.”
Students enrolled in Cowart’s “Culturally Competent Healthcare” class complete an experiential learning practicum in support of the project that often ties into Genesis Health Project initiatives. “The experiential learning component provided an opportunity for students to engage individuals and families from various cultures and utilize new culturally competent strategies in promoting health in a non-traditional setting,” says Bruce Kingma, associate provost for entrepreneurship and innovation, who nominated Cowart for the award.
The project not only benefits the communities served, but gives students—future healthcare leaders, policymakers and practitioners—practical experience in addressing major public health issues that affect poor and underserved populations.
“These learning activities help prepare and equip students to enter health professions specific to working with vulnerable populations and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities,” says Kingma. “Furthermore, such learning activities enhanced student awareness of potential business opportunities in Syracuse and in the healthcare profession.”
Cowart has been a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nursing Fellow. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in nursing education, a master’s degree in rehabilitation and vocational counseling and a doctorate in adult education and administration, all from SU.
Edward L. Galvin
When Galvin joined Syracuse University as the director of Archives and Records Management in 1995, the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives collection had already been established. It already included Syracuse University materials on the 1988 tragedy and memorabilia and some personal effects relating to the 35 SU students who perished aboard the doomed flight.
But the collection became a labor of love for Galvin. He expanded its scope to include all 270 victims, not just those associated with SU. His efforts have resulted in many of the victims’ families “adopting” SU as their partner. With an extensive catalog of materials, including trial transcripts and government reports, the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives has become a primary source for research about terrorism.
Even though Galvin has now hired an assistant archivist for the Pan Am 103 collection, he still retains the title of Pan Am 103 Archivist because of how strongly he feels about the collection and the families. He has become respected within the profession for his knowledge of collections of this type—after the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy a few years ago, Galvin provided advice and support to the institution on how to preserve both the memories of those lost and critical incident information.
In large part because of Galvin’s work and the relationships he has built with the Pan Am 103 families, the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 (VPAF 103) families’ advocacy group holds its annual meeting on the SU campus. Galvin was a 2008 recipient of the group’s “Keeping the Spirit Alive” award, and has recently been elected to the VPAF 103 advisory board.
“As the parents of one of the students killed on Pan Am 103, we feel very grateful to Ed Galvin for his tireless effort and dedication to have undertaken the huge task of archiving the thousands of items given to him by family members of all Pan Am 103 victims,” say Suse and Peter Lowenstein, parents of Alexander Lowenstein. “Because of this work, the memory of our loved ones will live on.”
That is one of the many reasons that Galvin has been chosen to receive a Chancellor’s Citation this year.
In addition, Galvin is teacher who reaches out across campus to explain the importance of preserving SU’s institutional history. He gives talks to student classes and to alumni groups. As a result, a growing number of departments and campus organizations contribute materials to the archives regularly, and students understand and increasingly access the resources available to them. Galvin has been a member of the University’s Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee, and works closely with the Remembrance Scholars, preparing them for their roles as campus and community ambassadors.
“Perhaps one of the greatest examples of Ed as a teacher is his interaction with the Remembrance Scholars each year, says Kelly Rodoski, communications manager in the Office of News Services and chair of SU’s Pan Am 103 25th Anniversary Commemoration Committee, who nominated Galvin for the award. “Ed’s wisdom, compassion and knowledge help our current students to research and get to personally know the student victims they represent. The scholars, in turn, educate the campus and greater community about the tragedy and how we can make the world a better place. This is another example of how Ed’s work has an extremely broad—even global—reach.”
Anna Kahkoska, a senior biochemistry major in The College of Arts and Sciences and 2012-13 Remembrance Scholar, contacted Galvin to help with a time capsule idea the Remembrance Scholars wanted to do as part of the “Look Back, Act Forward: theme they selected for the year. “I was referred to Ed to understand what exactly was in the archives and how archives could help us. Besides being incredibly knowledgeable about the logistics of constructing a time capsule, Ed helped me to brainstorm some really moving ideas for the contents of the time capsule. He also sent me a thorough research that he had done on time capsules previously. Overall, I found Ed to be very friendly, enthusiastic and a true expert in what he does.”
Beyond the time capsule project, Galvin also made the broader impact of Pan Am 103 tragedy a reality for Kahkoska, who hadn’t been born when the tragedy happened in 1988. “His enthusiasm for the project reminded me of how people all across this campus have been deeply affected and shaped by the Pan Am 103 bombing. In our discussion, it became apparent very quickly that Ed is deeply connected to the students and the tragedy- his knowledge on the subject and the archives themselves is vast and inspiring to me. He referred me to specific collections in the archives that I did not know existed and offered some insightful ways that we could connect our generation of scholars to different scholars’ projects in the past; he essentially offered me a physical way to embed myself in the campus as a Remembrance Scholar, interacting with the sense of tradition and connectedness through the act of remembering. He listened to my goals as a scholar, opened the archives to me and helped me figure out a way to make our vision a reality.”
Galvin is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists. In 2009, he was named a fellow of the Society of American Archivists in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the archives profession. He received an M.A. from Northeastern University in 1980 in historical agencies and administration, where he was the first graduate in the program.
He has published several papers, including “Archives of Memory: Pan Am Flight 103” in the Spring 2011 issue of New York Archives Magazine. His presentations include “Darkness into Light: 20 Years of the Pan Am 103 Archives,” which was presented to the Society of American Archivists and the American Library Association in 2009.
James T. Spencer
If there were truly a modern manifestation of a Renaissance man on the Syracuse University campus, Dr. Jim Spencer should have his picture by the definition,” says a cross-disciplinary group of faculty members who nominated Spencer for the Chancellor’s Citation, citing his “outstanding scholarship, superlative teaching, extensive community engagement and commitment to the University community.”
Spencer is a professor of chemistry and a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence in The College of Arts and Sciences, where he is also associate dean of science, mathematics and research. His research interests involve the exploration and application of new compounds to a variety of technological problems, and the creation of materials that have unique capabilities. These materials are critical candidates for use in next-generation photocells and as solid state sensors and detectors of particular interest to forensic and national security applications. His work in cluster photochemistry has also helped scientists to understand the forces holding molecular cluster molecules together. He was awarded the “Distinguished Achievements in Boron Science” award in recognition of his seminal research work in main group chemistry. He is also a member of the New York Academy of Science and the American Academy of Forensic Science.
Colleagues describe Spencer as a “passionate, dedicated and gifted teacher,” and his classes are among the most popular at SU. He conceived and created the concept of Integrated Learning Programs in The College of Arts and Sciences, integrating traditional undergraduate majors with those focused in applied areas. He also created the SU Project Advance Forensics Program, which has become the single largest course that SUPA offers, with more than 2,200 students and nearly 200 teachers involved annually. He has also written the definitive textbook and lab manual in introductory forensic science (due out this fall).
In his vital outreach to younger students, he has lectured to more than 20,000 high school students in the past decade in more than 200 different high schools about the excitement of scientific creativity and discovery. Spencer has worked with the “Pulse of the Planet” radio program to help excite children about science. The program broadcasts nationally, including on NPR and other stations, to more than 1 million listeners weekly. Besides the Meredith Professorship, Spencer has also won the Excellence in Teaching Award from SU’s University College.
Spencer founded and developed the University’s Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute (FNSSI), joining the issues of forensic science with national security science. The institute, for which Spencer currently serves as executive director, now encompasses 15 core faculty members and faculty fellows, nearly 100 researchers, six corporate partners, four colleges on campus, numerous graduate students and more than two dozen course offerings. He has recently served as the principal investigator, with three other faculty members, on a $912,000 National Institutes of Justice grant in forensic science.
Spencer has served in numerous leadership roles at SU, including interim director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; director of the SU Soling Program; chair of the Faculty Council, Senate Research Committee and A&S Promotion and Tenure Committee. He also serves as liaison for the Goldwater Foundation and the Astronaut Foundation for the University. Since Spencer took over the organization of these scholarships, the University has doubled the rate of students receiving these prestigious and highly competitive awards. He also founded the first National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Award in Chemistry at SU and played an integral role in designing and implementing Mayfest: A Celebration of Study, Creativity and Discovery for its first five years.
Spencer’s contributions to the University also extend into the arts at SU. He is the founder and director of the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble, an ensemble within The College of Arts and Sciences, that is a group of 35 accomplished brass and percussion musicians comprised of SU faculty, staff and students; the State University of New York Upstate Medical University faculty and staff; and musicians from Upstate New York communities. The SU Brass performs annually at the SU Commencement, for the annual “Holidays at Hendricks” concert that is broadcast on WCNY, and has twice placed first nationally in the North American Brass Band Association’s Festival.
“Jim is a gifted and sought-out teacher, a nationally known researcher and an inspired leader who has wholeheartedly put forward the good of the University and the greater community,” his nominators say, “Dr. Spencer’s creativity, leadership, organizational skills, focus on innovation and excellence, coupled with the highest integrity, showcase not only the best in the Scholarship in Action ethos, but in the University community.”
A professor of managerial statistics in the Whitman School of Management since 1998, Velu’s research focuses on multivariate analysis and data mining, among others. He has published in numerous premier journals in statistics, and his work in data mining is driven by extensive contacts with leading high-tech Internet firms, including Yahoo!, Microsoft and IBM. His intellectual contributions have resulted in several patents and his articles in data mining are presented at the most prestigious global technology conferences.
With Microsoft, Velu worked with data scientists and engineers to develop Prodcast, a price prediction engine for high-end products sold on the Internet. At Yahoo!, he was the lead advertising marketplace architect for the Sponsored Search division and developed a signature click-bid landscape based on empirical analysis of search/impression/click bid data. “Raja’s intellectual contributions exemplify the ‘innovative curiosity and experimentation that contribute to new understandings of our world and creative responses to its problems,’” says Michel Benaroch, associate dean for research in the Whitman School of Management, who nominated Velu for the award.
Velu has led and worked on seven sponsored JPMorgan Chase research projects, bringing a total of $1.8 million to campus and producing results that are poised to appear in the most prestigious academic publications in finance and data mining. He was chosen in 2011 as an inaugural JPMorgan Chase Faculty Fellow, serving as a liaison and facilitator between JPMorgan Chase and SU and helping to foster deeper understanding between the two institutions and facilitating collaborative research. In this capacity, he helped JPMC managers develop awareness of Syracuse University’s faculty excellence in several areas of expertise and facilitated faculty connections with JPMC teams.
In a letter to SU, Daniel Nehren, head of Linear Quantitative Research (LQR) at JPMC, concludes, “But in some way the most valuable unexpected outcome for me was that Raja became almost one of the team, interacting with all members and sharing ideas, expertise and research. He acted as a sounding board and mentor to all and the whole team learned a lot from him and we are better because of the interaction. We can always count Professor Velu as an honorary member of LQR.”
“Professor Velu, with his expertise in highly technical statistical mathematics and finance, was a uniquely qualified and highly effective liaison,” says Gina Lee-Glauser, SU’s vice president for research. “He not only conducted applied research projects with practitioners, he was a true educator. … He truly embodied ‘Education for the World—In the World.’”
“Raja’s extensive work with industry leaders, and particularly his relationship with JPMorgan Chase, is an amazing example of how excellence in intellectual endeavors combines with excellence in service to Syracuse University and its strategic partners,” says Benaroch.
Velu has taught courses at all levels and spearheaded the development of statistics courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and has made tireless efforts to guide doctoral students through their programs. “Throughout his time at Syracuse University, Raja’s focus has been on bringing his real-life industry experience to the classroom and on enabling students to learn methodologies that help them make informed business decisions,” says Benaroch. “Raja is a professor who truly cares about student learning and keeps in touch with students long after they graduate.”
Velu has served as department chair in Whitman and on numerous college committees, including dean and associate deans’ evaluation committees. He is also a well-known leader in his professional communities and has held a visiting appointment in the statistics department at Stanford University since 2005.
Marion Wilson
As the director of community initiatives in the visual arts in the School of Education at Syracuse University, Wilson works in the Near West Side, where she promotes the coproduction of culture in collaboration with the city schools, the neighborhood and SU.
Wilson, who is also an associate professor of art, design and transmedia in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is the founder of 601 Tully, a center for engaged artistic practice that houses an international art gallery, incubates high school entrepreneurship and offers neighborhood barista certification classes in its Recess Cafe West. 601 Tully is a living sculpture where artists, community members and scholars engage in the coproduction of culture.
The building at 601 Tully was an abandoned residence that had become a neighborhood drug zone. Students in Wilson’s “Social Sculpture: 601 Tully Design/Build” class (students from the School of Architecture, College of Visual and Performing Arts, School of Education, Creative Writing Program, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Fowler High School) were responsible for re-zoning, designing, building and sustaining the program. 601 Tully opened to the public in June 2011.
“Marion’s work at 601 Tully has been a major catalyst for the arts-based community engagement in the neighborhood,” says Maarten Jacobs, director of the Near West Side Initiative. “Her commitment, and the commitment of her students, to the residents of the community has been unwavering. 601 Tully has been a shining example of how creative people can find creative ways to unite diverse groups of individuals together for the greater good of a community.”
601 Tully is also made possible by the support of the Syracuse University School of Education, The Kauffman Foundation, The Near West Side Initiative, Imagining America, Home HeadQuarters Inc., Say Yes to Education and National Grid.
Wilson devised her “Social Sculpture” interdisciplinary curriculum in 2007. She conceptualized and directed the construction of the Mobile Literacy Arts Bus (MLAB), a 1984 Winnebago that was converted into a mobile classroom by a team of art, architecture and design students. MLAB was born as a physical space for use as a mobile classroom, digital photo lab, gallery space, radio, publishing house and community center for students in the Syracuse City School District. The bus also offered creative art, photography and writing programming during afterschool programs for elementary students through Say Yes to Education, and a conversation and creativity space for young women in high school through an MLAB-developed program, Girl Talk.
“With a holistic approach, Marion follows the projects from conceptualization to completion to sustainable implementation,” says Sarah McCoubrey, professor of art, design and transmedia in the School of Art and Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “This includes building a web of partners, operating with a modest budget and employing former students to ensure continuity and integrity of the project as they are brought to full realization.”
Wilson also maintains an art studio and art practice in New York City. She has had exhibitions or completed public commissions for New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City; KK Art Projects, New Orleans; Dorsky Gallery, NYC; and Shroeder Romero Gallery, Exit Art, Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts and Sculpture Center, NYC; Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo; SPACES in Cleveland; and SCOPE Miami/Art Basel in Miami.
Wilson received a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, a master’s degree in pedagogical studies from Columbia University, and an M.F.A. from the University of Cincinnati.
Study Abroad with the Falk College Summer 2014
Openings are still available for several Falk College study abroad programs this summer. Offerings include:
HTW 400/600—Comparative Health Policy
May 24-June 14, 2014
This six-credit undergraduate and graduate course will use a variety of modalities for students to learn about comparative health policies. Students will visit Geneva, Amsterdam, and Morocco to fully immerse themselves in settings that take different policy approaches to health problems. Taught by Dr. Lutchmie Narine, students will have the opportunity to visit important health care institutions (e.g., the World Health Organization in Geneva) and participate in discussions with health care leaders in each country which will provide first hand insight into health policy making process. Against this stimulating background, assignments and class-wide discussions will be undertaken for course topics that focus directly on different approaches to the delivery of health care and extending beyond to the social and demographic factors that shape the making and implementation of health policies across nations.
HTW 412/HTW 612—Drug Policy in Global Perspective
May 13 –May 27, 2014
For the fourth consecutive year, Drug Policy in Global Perspective (HTW 412/HTW 612) is being offered through Public Health and Addiction Studies. This is an unprecedented time of debate and change in US and international drug policy. Operating from Amsterdam, as the primary study location, this course exposes participants to effective harm reduction and pragmatic public health strategies that address alcohol, other drugs, and addictive behavior from a human rights perspective. Students will examine decriminalized drug policies of the Netherlands and learn about drug policies from around the world while attending the 2014 International Society for the Study of Drug Policy Conference in Rome, Italy. Taught by Dr. Dessa Bergen-Cico, the course is three credits and runs for two weeks.
SPM 300—Australia: Sport, History and Culture
July 9-30, 2014
Syracuse University students are invited to go down under on an Australian Odyssey to explore the sport culture of Australia, including a wide range of spectator and participatory sports. SPM 300—Australia: Sport, History and Culture, which departs from Los Angeles, takes place July 9-30, 2014. The course is taught by Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management, Rick Burton.
Students will visit four major Australian areas including Melbourne, Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef and Surfers Paradise while being exposed to Australia’s rich and diverse sports culture first hand. This trip annually includes an Australian Rules football game (AFL) at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground (the famed MCG), a Rugby League game in Sydney at Stadium Australia (site of the 2000 Summer Olympics) as well as snorkeling/scuba excursions on the Great Barrier Reef, rainforest explorations, surfing and beach cricket.
Outside of coursework, students explore Australia’s wildlife, learn about Australia’s Aboriginal people who have been on Australia for an estimated 60,000 years, and take in a unique history and perspectives. Australia’s use of participatory sport has made it one of the healthiest countries in the world. Consequently, while students familiarize themselves with Australia’s sport, history, culture and way of life through site visits and class experiences, they will tie this knowledge into other Falk College’s courses they may have taken in sport management, health, wellness, nutrition and the family. Application deadline is February 20.
SPM 400–Olympic Odyssey
May 12-30, 2014
For students, their Olympic Odyssey begins in London, where they’ll examine the impact of the 2012 Summer Games. Next is Paris, the birthplace of the modern Olympic movement, and Lausanne, the present-day “Olympic Capital” that has been home to the International Olympic Committee since 1945. Students’ then visit the ancient city of Athens, host of the first modern Olympics and the 2004 Summer Games. Along the way students meet with Olympic development committees to understand international sports from a strategic sport management perspective. The course is taught by sport management faculty member, Patrick Ryan.
McDonald Receives NIH Grant to Study Intellectual Disability Research Ethics
Katherine McDonald, Ph.D., associate professor of public health in the Falk College and faculty fellow in the Burton Blatt Institute, received a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. The research project, “Stakeholder Views on Intellectual Disability Research Ethics,” is expected to have significant ethical and public health implications. Robert S. Olick, J.D., Ph.D., associate professor of bioethics and humanities at Upstate Medical University, will serve as co-investigator on the project.
Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) face significant physical and mental health disparities. Ethical challenges may discourage their inclusion in research and hinder scientific advancements to reduce these health disparities. Five core groups – adults with ID, individuals who provide informal support to adults with ID, individuals who provide services to adults with ID, ID researchers, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) members – have noteworthy stakes in the research participation of adults with ID. Little is known about these stakeholders’ opinions on how to ethically include adults with ID in research. Increasing this knowledge base, especially by inviting input from groups whose opinions are rarely examined, is critical to helping the scientific community devise and deploy sensitive and responsive practices and encourage research to reduce pressing disparities.
“Our long-term goal is to encourage science that is sensitive to the ethical and social dimensions of research with adults with intellectual disabilities and more inclusive of this population,” notes McDonald. “With this funding, our findings have the potential to encourage greater inclusion of people with ID in research that can lead to positive health outcomes. It will also shed light on paths forward in research, intervention development and testing, and policy.”
McDonald joined Syracuse University in 2011. Her dual appointment reflects a unique and unprecedented partnership between SU’s colleges and BBI towards infusing disability awareness across disciplines. Her current research examines the inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities in research, participation in online communities and its relationship to autistic adults’ social connectedness and well-being, health disparities experienced by autistic adults, and community participation among persons with disabilities. Earlier this year, she was named a fellow by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), an organization that honored her with the 2012 Early Career Award for her achievements and many contributions to the field of developmental disabilities.
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