Public Health News
A Life-Changing Decision That Will Change Lives
Syracuse University junior Tim Bryant had been working as a massage therapist for ten years until he decided to make a huge life change – he enrolled in the bachelor’s of public health program in the Falk College.
“It seemed like a natural progression to study public health as I’m generally concerned with the quality of life of people,” said Bryant.
There are many universities in the Central New York region, where Bryant has been a resident of for the past seven years. However, Bryant chose to study at SU because “it has the only part time HEOP program in the state, which allows him to continue working full time as I work towards my degree.”
Bryant has had many highlights so far during his time at SU.
“I’ve met and befriended some of the most dedicated faculty members and students,” said Bryant, “but none of this would be remotely possible for me without the help and guidance of Dr. Sandy Lane.”
In Spring 2011, Bryant was inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda, the honor society for non-traditional students. This summer, Bryant studied comparative health policy abroad in Amsterdam, Geneva, and Morocco with Dr. Lane, who he calls “one of his favorite persons.” While in Syracuse, Bryant has also had opportunities to take what he learns in the classroom and apply it to the real world.
Through his health literacy class taught by Luvenia Cowart, professor of practice, public health, he was able to work at Onondaga County Department of Corrections. There, he assists one of the teachers in a family education class for the inmates. In the near future, he will be working with Dessa Bergen-Cico, assistant professor, public health, on her research related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and work to reach out to certain communities within the Syracuse area to get them involved in a study.
“I’m able to utilize many of the skills and put to practical use much of the knowledge I’ve gained in the classroom. It’s an amazing experience to be able to see through the lens of a public health professional and get a greater appreciation for the positive impact one person can truly make,” said Bryant.
Bryant has always been extremely passionate about public health in general, and he says that the program at SU has helped him figure out what specific direction he wants to take that passion in.
To someone considering a path in public health, Bryant says, “remain open and have faith that your own niche will become evident as you discover, as you inevitably will, not just more about this fascinating field, but ultimately more about you.”
Article by Masha Snitkovsky, ‘13
Cowart Receives 2011 Robert F. Allen Symbol of H.O.P.E. Award
In recognition of her outstanding contributions and significant achievements addressing the health promotion needs of underserved populations, Luvenia Cowart, E.D., R.N., has been named the 2011 Robert F. Allen Symbol of H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Through Empowerment) Award.
A professor of practice in the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, Cowart is a passionate advocate for the health needs of underserved populations. She is executive director and co-founder of the Genesis Health Project Network. This initiative reduces health disparities in minority populations by collaborating with community organizations to identify and address health needs in greater Syracuse and Central New York. 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.
Under Cowart’s leadership, the Genesis Project has accomplished numerous milestones in addressing health disparities in African Americans in collaboration with the Syracuse community, including health seminars, fitness programs, educational programs at barber shops, 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.
The Robert F. Allen Symbol of H.O.P.E. Award recognizes those who have devoted their careers to serving underserved populations and promoting cross-cultural harmony; to share innovative and effective strategies and; to increase the attention directed toward these efforts within the health promotion community. This annual award presented by the American Journal of Health Promotion. is made in recognition of Dr. Robert F. Allen’s work in helping people live harmoniously and achieve their greatest potential by learning how to create cultural norms that support these goals.
2011 Transatlantic Training Initiative: Effective Governance of Coherent Drug Policies
Budapest, Hungary, September 18-24, 2011
Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ Addiction Studies program and SU Europe are partnering with the Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group to create a new transatlantic executive education program focused on implementing effective drug policy and governance.
As the global scope of drug trafficking grows at an alarming rate, collaboration among U.S. and European drug policy experts is essential to develop consistency in relative policies.
The program seeks to link policy, research and science with transatlantic dimensions in developing more coherent drug policies. By sharing insights on emerging trends and research about drug use, drug policies, and treatment programs occurring in the U.S. and Europe, participants will share and learn the latest policies geared toward preventing, treating, and reducing the use of addictive substances.
The summit will take place September 18-24 in Budapest, Hungary for public health and drug policy professionals, researchers, addictions treatment providers and practitioners. Graduate students interested in health policy and cutting-edge addiction prevention and treatment can also register and receive academic credit toward their studies.
Participants are eligible for 40 contact hours of continuing education (CEUs) under the addictions and prevention specialist categories to be awarded by Syracuse University. CECHs will be offered for Certified Health Education Specialists. For an additional fee, participants may also choose to register for three graduate course credits through Syracuse University.
“Health Disparities Among Native Americans” Presented by Michael Bird
Bird is a Santo Domingo-San Juan Pueblo Indian from New Mexico with more than 25 years of public health experience. The first—and only—individual of Native American descent who served as president of the American Public Health Association, his expertise spans medical social work, substance abuse prevention, health promotion and disease prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, behavioral health and health care administration.
Bird’s lecture is part of a multi-faceted visit focused on Native American public health. In addition to meeting with faculty and students in the David B. Falk College, which has academic programs in public health, child and family global health, social work, and addiction studies, Bird will meet with representatives from the University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs as well as faculty from the Anthropology Department. He will also be a featured speaker in one of the University’s Native American Studies courses, Haudenosaunee Language and Culture. During his visit, Bird will also meet with students at the Onondaga Nation Health Center.
Bird currently serves as a public health consultant for the Kewa Pueblo Health Board and the Kewa Pueblo tribal officials and is working to develop a tribally owned and directed health center. He also provides private consulting services to public health, social work, government and educational institutions in specialty areas that include health disparities, program development, and health policy for American Indian communities. He earned his MSW from the University of Utah and his MPH from the University of California, Berkeley.
This event has been made possible through generous support from the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, as well as Syracuse University’s Office of the Chancellor, Office of Multicultural Affairs’ Native Student Program, the Office of Admissions, Indigenous Law Students Association, the Department of Anthropology, the Meredith Professor Program and the Onondaga Nation Health Center. Paid parking will be available at the Marion Lot and Booth and University Avenue Garages. For more information about this lecture, contact 315-443-2048 or sdlane@syr.edu.
New traditions yield healthy eating habits at local churches
In ten Syracuse-area churches, fellowship event menus have deliberately gone from ‘traditional’ to ‘transformational,’ thanks to the Genesis Health Project Network—a community faith-based initiative that promotes healthier lifestyles among African American families in the local community. The Genesis Project recently hosted a Church Food Preparers’ Workshop at the Brotherly Love Church of God in Christ, one of the ten coalition churches working collaboratively with The Genesis Project at Syracuse University, its Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, and Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County. The Genesis Project’s primary goal is to educate African Americans on adopting healthier eating habits (i.e., healthier food choices, increasing whole grains, adjusting ethnic recipes, reviewing the food pyramid, increasing fruits and vegetables, controlling portion sizes and reading food labels).
For decades as long as most congregants can remember, summer picnics and year-round fellowship programs typically offered such items as fried chicken, potato salad, white bread, pastries, Kool-Aid and soda. Now these church kitchens are serving baked chicken, tossed salad, whole wheat bread, fruit, 1% milk, water, juice, coffee, and tea, with congregants are adopting new cooking behaviors for themselves and their families. This workshop was part of a multi-year demonstration project focused on reducing obesity and its related-health risks, and diabetes prevention and management among African Americans. Workshop participants were food preparers from the Genesis-participating churches within the inner-city of Syracuse. Students from the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics also participated in the workshop under the supervision of professor Luvenia W. Cowart and Betty Brown, a retired RN, as part of an on-going Genesis Health initiative to help prepare students for public health careers and work with vulnerable populations.
Kathy Dischner, registered dietitian, facilitated the four-hour interactive workshop. The workshop topics included: cooking without salt, grilled fruits and vegetables, reducing sugar content, and the value of herb use in cooking seasonings. The workshop consisted of several segments. These included: interactive discussions about church food challenges and successes, problem- solving strategies, and interactive cooking demonstrations.
This program was funded by a three-year grant from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield of Central New York.
M.S. in Global Health
Beginning in August 2011, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics began offering a master of science in Global Health, a 36-credit hour graduate program that is a key component of the educational programs making up the College’s signature in public health.
The M.S. program offers students an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the health and well-being of children and families in the context of the global community. The program will examine a broad spectrum of factors, including infectious and chronic diseases, genetics and disabilities that require families to interface with medical care providers, service agencies, and policy decision makers in their communities.
Many threats to children’s health exist today—from biomedical challenges, such as infectious diseases, chronic illnesses and disabilities—to psychosocial challenges, such as child abuse and neglect. Ecological and cultural factors shape the meanings that health practitioners and families attribute to children’s health and illness, and how these connotations influence choices made regarding care practices, children’s exposure to potential dangers, requests for assistance, and responses to interventions.
The M.S. in Global Health is a unique interdisciplinary academic program in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics that builds on expertise in areas including public health, child and family development, social work, nutrition, inclusive education and law. The faculty come from diverse backgrounds with extensive experience in the U.S., Caribbean, Canada, East Asia and the Middle East that will offer students valuable exposure to issues and lifestyles of these cultures. The varieties of faculty disciplines offer students more than the traditional perspective that will add in-depth knowledge from multiple perspectives.
This degree is designed to prepare graduates for health careers in a variety of local, national and international settings. The graduate training includes education in and outside the classroom. Students gain an in depth understanding of health related factors that limit performance in schools and access and use of legal and health systems, for all individuals including those with physical disabilities. Our students will be well trained professionals in health and social policies, program development and implementation and program evaluation, which will allow them to work in policy, research, and service settings.
Overall this program seeks to develop a new group of health care professionals who are trained to meet the needs of the local, national, and international community. The global perspective of the program will be invaluable for graduate students interested in meeting the needs of the increasingly diverse population of New York State and the United States.
The new program has many unique features, including its focus on prenatal and postnatal health disparities and their impact on life-long health; a focus on developmental and ecological transitions along the life course; the inclusion of intervention models from selected fields to address the needs of children and families with special health concerns, and a focus on the challenges of children and families with disabilities. This academic offering leverages established practicum sites at more than 200 agencies including the ‘Say Yes Project,’ in the Syracuse City School District, the College of Law’s Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic and Disability Rights Clinic.
McNair Scholar focuses research, career on child and maternal health
Improving the way of life for others has always been important to May 2011 public health graduate Shanique Campbell. And living in the health and wellness residential learning community her freshman year paved a career path to do just that.
All students in the learning community are required to take HTW 121, “Personal/Social Health.” Campbell, who entered SU as an undeclared student, fell in love with the subject area her first semester on campus. That spring, she declared a major in public health.
“I always knew I wanted a career focused on medicine and the well being of others. Learning how to protect and improve the health of the population makes you feel you can make a difference in the world,” she notes.
Named a McNair Scholar in 2010, Campbell identified maternal and child health as the focus of her research project. The McNair Scholars Program at Syracuse University, which includes a hands‐on research project, supports high‐achieving undergraduate students in preparation for graduate and doctoral studies.
After talking to her McNair mentor, professor of public health Sandra Lane, Campbell was interested in studying sweetened soda consumption in pregnant women. During the 2010 McNair Summer Academy, Campbell developed her project’s rationale. While an intern at the Center for Maternal and Child Health at SUNY Upstate, she created consent forms and study fliers eventually shared with the study subjects: pregnant women in their third trimester (See side bar for survey questions). Campbell shared information collected with obstetrical residents who will abstract data from the delivery charts, including pre‐pregnancy weight and height; weight gain; blood glucose measurements; infant gestational age and birth weight; maternal pre‐natal or perinatal illness or infection; type of delivery; and maternal age, race and ethnicity, among other variables.
Campbell notes her coursework in public health has been very useful for her research. “What I learned in my health literacy course helped me create a study flier on an appropriate grade reading level.” Another class that helped Campbell prepare for this experience was “Culturally Competent Healthcare.” “In interviewing women from many different cultural backgrounds, I had to be aware of, and respectful of, each culture I encountered,” she adds.
This fall, Campbell will enroll in Johns Hopkins University’s accelerated B.S.N. nursing program, with plans of matriculating into the M.S.N. program. Once she completes the M.S.N. nursing degree at Johns Hopkins, Campbell plans to practice as a certified nurse midwife and attain a Ph.D. in nursing to conduct more research to benefit the maternal and child health community.
Campbell’s professional development portfolio includes study aboard in London, Geneva and Amsterdam in the Comparative Health Policy Program. Service learning was a highlight of Campbell’s SU career and included work with the Syracuse VA Medical Center, the Genesis Health Project and Professor Luvenia Cowart, and the Refugee Assistance Program.
“Community engagement teaches you skills needed as a professional—skills that cannot be learned in the classroom,” concludes Campbell.
Public Health Student Accepted to CDC Summer Internship Program
Loretta Odro ’11, Public Health, was accepted to the IMHOTEP summer internship program. The program is highly selective, training minority public health students. It is a collaborative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Morehouse College. The eleven-week internship increases the knowledge and skill of juniors, seniors and recent college graduates in public health. Students begin the internship with two weeks of intense educational training, preparing for a nine-week public health research assignment. Interns conduct research with experts at various governmental agencies, including the CDC, the National Institute of Medical Research in Tanzania, East Africa, the National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion, and the National Center for Health Statistics. Odro is looking forward to the experience. She believes it will assist with making her a “more well-rounded public health professional with personal and community/public experiences related to public health” in addition, she believes that the “experience will make me able and well equipped to help educate various populations in a community and save precious lives.” After graduation, Odro plans to pursue a degree in geriatric medicine. She hopes to become a public health educator working with the World Health Organization or the United Nations in developing countries.
Page 24 of 24