Internships Helps Falk Students Explore a More Sustainable Campus – and World
Public Health News
Public Health Week 2022
The Department of Public Health invites the community to celebrate National Public Health Week (NPHW). This year’s theme is “Public Health is Where You Are.” Celebrates what we know is true: The places where we are, physically, mentally and societally, affect our health and our lives. As we celebrate the 27th NPHW, April 4-10, we want everyone to know they can make their communities healthier and safer for all. And as we move slowly back toward gathering in person, we’re focusing not just on what we can do as individuals, but what we can do as communities to protect and prioritize public health.
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Weeklong Word Find
Public Health Game Board and Word Find is available in Public Health Suite White/Falk 444 or pick up at one of our tabling events see below for date, time, and location. Enter drawing for free prizes by dropping off your completed Game Board and/or Word Find at Public Health Suite White/Falk 444. Daily drawing winners will be notified by email.
Monday – Word Find start
Tuesday – Answer the Question: What does Public Health mean to you? In one word
Wednesday – Name five community health organizations
Thursday – Health is a Human Right because . . . .in one sentence.
Friday – Cross Word Puzzle
April 4, 12pm-4pm
Promoting Blood Drive
Outside Falk Café
Students from PHP 221 will have a table in the second floor hallway outside the Falk Café. Stop by to learn more about the importance of blood drives.
April 5th
Virtual Event: Public Health Book Talk
Join the authors of “The SAGE Handbook of Social Studies in Health and Medicine” on April 5th, 2022 as they discuss the interdisciplinary and collaborative process of writing an academic book focused on health, health policy, and the sociology of health.
Promoting YWCA “Stand Against Racism”
2-5pm, outside Falk Café
Students from PHP 221 will have a table in the second floor hallway outside the Falk Café. Stop by to learn more about combating racism.
April 6th, 9am-4pm
SOPHE and MPM GSO Student Joint Service Project – Donation Drive
Outside of Falk Café
In a joint service project, students of SOPHE and the Public Health Graduate Student Organization will be collecting donations for the south campus food pantry. Donations may come in the form of physical goods or purchased directly from a virtual wish list. Stop by to participate in fun activities and giveaways.
April 7th
Promoting Blood Drive
Promoting Blood Drive
9am-12pm, outside Falk Café
Students from PHP 221 will have a table in the second floor hallway outside the Falk Café. Stop by to learn more about the importance of blood drives.
Global Medical Brigades
3:30-Evening, 2nd Floor Falk, outside of Café
Stop by our table for fun activities and to learn more about Global Medical Brigades. Global Medical Brigades is an international movement of students and medical professionals working alongside local communities and staff to implement sustainable health systems. They work in remote, rural, and under resourced communities in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua and Ghana.
April 8th, 4-9pm
Public Health Game Night
Wildhack Lounge
Join the public health department for a fun, relaxing game night with games like “The Cure”, “Pandemic” and more. Complete with refreshments and prizes.
NSF Grant Enables Research to Combat Addiction, Ease Recovery
Researchers at Syracuse University’s Falk College and College of Engineering and Computer Science are teaming up to provide hope and help to those in need. It comes in the form of scientific study and expert knowledge with the goal of ending addiction.
Opioid use disorder is one of the leading public health problems in the United States. Dessa Bergen-Cico has spent her career working to combat addiction and find solutions that work.
“Trauma, stress and addiction are all related. To have sustainable recovery from addiction, we have to help people understand what they are feeling, what contributes to their stress and learn healthy ways of regulating emotions,” she says.
Bergen-Cico is a professor in the department of public health at Falk College. There, she coordinates the addiction studies program. She is also a faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program.
The rate and cost of relapse for people in recovery is high, with a large risk of fatal overdose. Opioids create physical dependency and change people’s brains in terms of how they process reward and motivation, self-regulation and how people react to stress. Even years after discontinuing drug use, stress and anxiety can trigger the urge to use opioids and other drugs.
Research has found that mindfulness-based strategies can prevent relapse and foster sustainable recovery. “We are trying to demonstrate how and why it works. Our preliminary research, which was funded by two CUSE (Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence) grants, measured changes in neural correlates associated with stress addiction and trauma,” says Bergen-Cico. “We found significant changes with a relatively short period of practice for key areas of the brain related to attention, working memory and emotional regulation.” Neural correlates are brain activity that corresponds with specific regions of the brain and are associated with similar brain functions.
“The findings from both CUSE grants helped pinpoint how and why mindfulness can help change the stress reactions that can lead to the development of an addiction as well as increased risk of relapse. We used fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy) sensors to measure areas of the brain that regulate the ‘stop’ and ‘go’ signals that contribute to addiction. Using data from the fNIRS sensors, we were able to identify patterns of change in regions of the brain associated with the stress response. The data from the fNIRS sensors enabled us to measure significant changes in the mindfulness intervention study participants that were present before changes in self report measures,” says Bergen-Cico.
Bergen-Cico is working with Asif Salekin, assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computer science and a larger team at Syracuse University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to validate whether they can reliably predict the stress response in a larger group of participants. “By comparing results across three cohorts and interventions, we’re hoping to determine if making participants aware of the physiological stress response can cue them to interrupt the stress cycle using mindfulness and other cognitive behavioral techniques,” says Bergen-Cico. “The National Science Foundation award will fund this stage of the research.” The grant itself was awarded to Prof. Salekin, who serves as the principal investigator.
“In partnership with Professor Asif Salekin in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and his ongoing NSF-supported research, Professor Bergen-Cico’s investigation in addiction recovery demonstrates both the need for research in areas such as addiction, trauma and mindfulness, as well as the vast potential impact research has to inform policy and practice and improve our broader health as a population” says Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “In addition, our faculty integrate new research and theory into the classroom, preparing students for successful careers as allied health workers, social service managers, policymakers and advocates.”
“Our ultimate hope is that we can provide a sustainable recovery tool that gives people insight into their own physiological and psychological reactivity to stress and life outside of a structured rehabilitation setting,” Bergen-Cico says. “We know that applying these techniques consistently, over time can help sustain people’s abstinence. If we can create a wearable or in-home monitoring device that predictably detects the stress responses that lead to cravings and then cues the use of cognitive and mindfulness techniques, it could be an important tool for sustainable recovery from addiction.”
A Syracuse University News story by Ellen de Graffenreid originally published on January 10, 2022.
A More Sustainable Campus
Tucker, Claire & Caroline: Falk College students, from left to right, Tucker Kopp, Claire Rein and Caroline King worked this past fall as interns for the Office of Sustainability Management, where they “gained both a professional network and some great friendships,” Rein says.
Before they graduate and make an impact in the world, Falk College seniors Claire Rein, Tucker Kopp and Caroline King made their impact on the Syracuse University campus as interns with the University’s Sustainability Management team.
Rein, Kopp and King interned in the Fall 2021 semester through Sustainability Management’s for-credit internship program that allows students to pursue projects that complement their major and explore their interest in sustainability.
“Our internship program is designed to allow students to explore their passions outside of the classroom environment while recognizing the broad impact sustainability has on all majors,” says sustainability coordinator Meg Lowe G’18, who manages the internship program. “At the same time, each project a student works on helps us achieve our goals with a current program or develop a new initiative on campus.”
Rein’s internship project focused on reducing plastic consumption, Kopp explored food insecurity, and King drafted a plan to implement more renewable energy on campus. Rein, who transferred to Syracuse in the fall of 2019, says her internship has so far been the highlight of her Syracuse experience.
“My internship made up for many of the things that I missed out on (because of pandemic restrictions),” Rein says. “I have incredibly supportive and friendly supervisors, as well as other amazing student interns that have made my experience so amazing! While I have learned a lot by doing my research project, I have also gained both a professional network and some great friendships.”
Sustainability Management works with each student’s advisor to ensure the internship aligns with the student’s academic goals, and a single internship can offer the chance to become immersed in several aspects of sustainability.
“We work closely with academic advisors to ensure we’re meeting the needs of every program,” Lowe says. “We hope each student walks away with a thorough understanding of sustainability in a way they can carry it throughout their life.”
As the three Falk College students concluded their internships, they shared more about their projects and experiences with us. Here are their stories:
Claire Rein: Set Up for Success
Growing up in Syracuse just a few miles from the University, Rein enjoyed singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and, of course, attending Syracuse Orange sporting events. She was attracted to Falk College’s Department of Public Health because of its experiential learning–the “the real-life application of knowledge” that she says has prepared her for a successful career in medicine.
“In my studies of public health, I have gained significant knowledge about the American healthcare system, healthcare disparities and social determinants of health, and how to do scientific research,” says Rein, who currently works as a patient care technician at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse. “I have been able to work with a high school equivalency class, participate in PTSD research, work at the Office of Sustainability Management for my internship, and much more.”
For her internship project on reducing plastic consumption on campus, Rein researched microplastics and their connection to public health, the issues with plastic recycling, and the social justice issues surrounding the plastic industry. She determined that aluminum cans are the best alternative and created a proposal for the University to transition to aluminum packaging for its vending machines.
“While the goals of recycling are great, the actual implementation does not match up,” Rein says. “Oftentimes, recyclables get contaminated and never end up being recycled, meaning they are either put in a landfill, incinerated, or end up polluting the natural environment.
“The industry was never designed to support such a large volume of recyclables,” Rein adds, “so our lack of recycling infrastructure in America has made it so that it’s sometimes not worth it economically to recycle.”
As she looks forward to graduation, Rein says she wants to positively influence the healthcare sphere by improving the experience for patients who are often overlooked and vulnerable.
“This could be, for example, implementing policies within my practice to better educate care plans to people with low healthcare literacy or language/cultural barriers; focusing care plans on the individual needs, perspectives and abilities of the patient; or finding ways to prevent socio-economic status from hindering the ability to receive excellent long-term care,” Rein says. “I believe being a public health major at Syracuse has really set me up for success when it comes to achieving these goals.”
Tucker Kopp: Ending Food Insecurity
Kopp grew up about 20 miles southeast of Syracuse in Cazenovia, where he started to ride horses when he was just 3. He also enjoyed baking and would spend hours baking with a friend, who sadly passed away last year.
Kopp enrolled at Syracuse University through InclusiveU, which provides opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want to experience college life in a fully inclusive setting. Kopp is a Food Studies major at Falk College, where his passion for baking and food is matched only by his enthusiasm for making friends.
“I’m a people person,” Kopp says, “I love to meet new people and make friends.”
Kopp is in his internship year at InclusiveU, and with Sustainability Management he studied food insecurity on college campuses. As Kopp points out, the Hendricks Chapel food pantry at Syracuse is stocked with food and personal care items that are available at no cost to all students with a valid Syracuse University or SUNY ESF ID.
“The most important thing I wish people knew about food insecurity on a college campus is how to use a food pantry if you don’t have enough money to buy food for yourself,” Kopp says.
InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults says Kopp grew “personally and professionally” from his internship, which was a valuable piece of his experience at the University and tied together his certificate in Culinary Arts with his career goals.
“After working alongside Meg (Lowe) and his other colleagues, Tucker better understands where food comes from and how hard it can be for some to access it,” Shults says. “Tucker valued his opportunities to participate in other projects, such as the virtual cooking class. His work at Sustainability Management really allowed him a new view on how food is experienced and accessed outside of traditional food services.”
Kopp’s education at Falk and his internship with Sustainability Management has given him options as his looks forward to his life and career after graduation.
“I want to do something with horses,” Kopp says. “But if that doesn’t work out, I want to do something culinary-related!”
Caroline King: Quality Healthcare for All
King grew up in the mountains of central Pennsylvania, where hiking and backpacking trips became her favorite hobby (she and her father still go on multiple backpacking trips every year). She entered Syracuse as a nutrition student but switched to a dual major in public health at Falk and policy studies at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
“As I aged, I began learning more about health disparities and the adversities faced in the healthcare system by minority communities,” King says. “I quickly developed a passion to be a part of the shift to providing equitable, affordable access to quality healthcare for all.
“Additionally, public health includes the health of the environment, which was an added attraction as my connection to the earth is strong,” King says.
For her internship, King researched renewable energy (RE) from a public health perspective. She looked at the sustainability of RE throughout its entire life cycle, from sourcing precious metals to the disposing of end-of-life RE systems.
With the information she gathered, King drafted a policy to propose to the University to use more RE on campus.
“I wish people would take the time to think about their energy consumption, where it’s coming from, and how big of an impact it’s causing on the planet,” King says. “It’s easy to put your consumption out of mind when the effects are out of sight, however, we need to be conscious of the impact that the things we do and purchase have on other people and the environment.”
King is a Renée Crown Honors Program student and member of the Phi Sigma Pi Gender-Inclusive National Honors Fraternity, where she has met students with various majors who share her vision of being part of a team that makes a difference in the lives of others.
“I wish people would understand the privilege they have to live the life they do so that they are able to empathize with people of all types around them,” King says. “As I move through jobs, careers and life, I hope to be in a position where I can be a part of a team that makes a large impact on a community, population or the environment.”
Alizée Mclorg ’20 Receives Rotary Global Scholar Grant
Alizée Mclorg, who earned a B.S. in Public Health and Neuroscience with a minor in Math in Spring 2020, has been selected as a 2021 Rotary Global Scholar for the 2021-2022 academic year. Alizée will receive financial support to earn her MSc in Demography and Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Alizée is one of 32 other scholars from around the world participating in a master program that relates to one of Rotary’s areas of focus.
As an undergraduate, Alizée developed a passion for global health while participating in a study abroad in Nairobi, Kenya, where she took classes on public health, interned for a community-based organization, and learned Swahili. She returned to Kenya in summer 2019 to conduct public health research at the Walter Reed U.S. Army Medical Research Unit in Nairobi. This research ultimately led to her thesis for the Renée Crown University Honors Program, which measured wealth over time and created wealth indices using demographic health surveys for 130,000 individuals from Kombewa, Kenya.
Alizée chose to attend graduate school at LSHTM because it is one of the only graduate schools in the world that focuses primarily on global health. While there, she will take courses in epidemiology and others that will help her learn to design disease control programs in developing countries. With the training provided by this master program, Alizée plans to join an NGO or government aid organization dedicated to developing quality public health programs in East Africa.
Source: Syracuse University Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising.
Dean’s Winter Welcome
Dear Falk Students,
Welcome back to Syracuse University! We hope you enjoyed your winter break and had the opportunity to relax and spend time with friends and family. We’re excited for all that lies ahead for you in Spring 2022. With that in mind, here are some important reminders as we start the new semester:
Public Health and University Communications:
Public health remains a critical priority for life on campus and in our wider Syracuse community. We fully expect all Falk College students to follow University public health guidelines and local public health mandates. By doing our part, we can keep each other safe and healthy. Please visit the Stay Safe website, the official source of public health information for Syracuse University, for guidance and updates.
Remember to check your Syracuse University email daily, as it is the primary communication method at the University. Your professors and University offices will contact you with important information using your Syracuse University email address (ending in “@syr.edu”), not your personal email address.
Student Support Services:
Falk Student Services counselors are here to provide you with private academic advising and help you meet your requirements and goals. In addition, they are your resource for private consultation related to student social and emotional concerns. If you have any concerns throughout your academic career, please contact Student Services or visit Suite 330 Barclay Hall in the Falk Complex.
Falk Career Services advisors, also located in Suite 330 Barclay Hall, can help you prepare for life after college through career exploration, internship and job searching, professional networking, and more. You can also search for opportunities through Handshake, the University’s job search and professional events portal.
In addition, you can connect to spiritual life on campus at Hendricks Chapel, and health and counseling services in the Barnes Center at the Arch.
Student Lounges, Computer Labs, and Cafés:
The Student Lounge, located in Falk 216, is available to you any time the Falk Complex is open. The lounge has a microwave, refrigerator, and vending machines for student use. Just down the hall is Falk 229. This quiet student lounge has both Windows and Mac computers that are available to students any time the Falk Complex is open.
Falk 113, 400, and 407 are Windows computer labs that are also used as teaching classrooms. They are available to students any time class is not in session. You may check the schedule of availability using the Orange Events website. You may also use the quick-print stations in Falk 216 and 229 for printing and email. These stations log out automatically after 15 minutes of use.
The Falk Café on 2 is expected to open Feb. 2 on a limited basis. Check the Food Services website for other campus cafés and operating hours, which are subject to change.
Ways to Get Involved:
Get to know many of the hundreds of Syracuse University student organizations at the Winter Student Involvement Fair 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26, 2022, in Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center.
You can also discover activities and events on campus by visiting the Syracuse University Calendar. Please note that events are subject to change according to public health guidelines. You can find the most up-to-date event information on the University Calendar. Once again, visit the Stay Safe website regularly for public health information and watch your University email for important announcements.
There are many other resources available to you at Syracuse University beyond these important highlights. Please visit the For Students page to review a more comprehensive listing of student resources to enhance your experience at Syracuse.
Thank you for being part of the wider Syracuse University community and our Falk College family. On behalf of the Falk faculty and staff, I wish you the best for Spring 2022.
Go Orange!
Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dean
Falk College
Introducing the Wastewater Surveillance Network
Jan. 19 webinar to explain how network will slow spread of COVID-19 in New York State.
Pruthvi Kilaru ’18, G’20 displays a collection container for a wastewater sample from a residence hall. As a Falk College public health (MPH) graduate student, he lead the original wastewater surveillance program on campus.
As the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread quickly across New York State and the U.S., Syracuse University and the New York State Department of Health are partnering on a statewide wastewater surveillance network that will provide three to five days early warning that COVID-19 cases are increasing or decreasing in a community.
To learn more the public health benefits of the network, you are invited to join a free webinar called “Introduction to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network” from 10 to 11 a.m. Jan. 19. Registration is required to attend.
The webinar is organized by the Syracuse University Falk College Department of Public Health and the University’s Environmental Finance Center, and co-sponsored by the New York Water Environment Association and New York State Water Resources Institute.
In mid-December, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80 announced that the Department of Health and the Syracuse University public health team led by epidemiologist David Larsen, an associate professor of public health at Falk College, will expand the University’s groundbreaking method to analyze wastewater for COVID-19 to include at least one wastewater treatment plant in each of the state’s 62 counties.
In the last year, 20 counties have participated in wastewater surveillance with test results providing evidence of COVID-19 in communities that are home to more than 2 million New York residents. New York City has also conducted wastewater surveillance in its five boroughs, and the expansion of the statewide network will improve coordination and provide an opportunity for participation from many more municipalities.
Studies have shown that wastewater surveillance detects variants of the virus such as omicron. New York State reported 22,478 new COVID cases on Dec. 19 and 60,000 from Dec. 17-19, each a record for the state.
“We’re learning new things about the COVID-19 virus every day, and in order to stay ahead of it, we’ve had to adopt new and innovate strategies for prevention and detection, particularly when it comes to variants,” Hochul says on the official New York State website. “I thank our nation-leading scientists and researchers at the Department of Health, and our academic partners at Syracuse University and SUNY Buffalo, SUNY ESF and SUNY Stony Brook for their efforts to track the virus through the cutting-edge wastewater surveillance program that will undoubtedly be used to inform public health issues well into the future.”
The Jan. 19 webinar will feature Larsen; Mary B. Collins, associate professor of environmental studies at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF); and other experts who will discuss details of the network and answer questions about the real-time monitoring of wastewater for coronavirus RNA. Larsen’s team and the Department of Health are working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to develop the network throughout the state.
David Larsen, associate professor of public health at Falk College (pictured here in his office), sees wastewater surveillance as a way to monitor potential COVID-19 outbreaks at the state level.
“Establishing wastewater surveillance in every county throughout the state will give us better understanding of COVID-19 transmission,” Larsen says. “This system will help the public and policymakers better respond to the pandemic.”
The webinar is designed to inform wastewater treatment plant operators, county and municipal government officials, elected officials and staff, and public health officials, but will be structured in a way that any New York State resident can learn how the network will work and the health benefits derived from it.
Testing wastewater for the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t depend on testing individuals. The statewide network will help participating municipalities establish the baseline level of virus and identify which communities experience an increase. This information will complement other state testing and surveillance efforts to better understand the risk of COVID-19 transmission throughout the state and allocate public health resources.
While the wastewater surveillance network will initially focus on COVID-19, it will remain a vital public health resource as it will be able to detect other infectious diseases and provide estimates of opioid use.
For more information, visit the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network website. Visit the registration page to attend the free Jan. 19 webinar “Introduction to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network.”
Future medical doctors devoted to health equity
Public health empowers future physicians to promote health equity.
Mohamed Khan ’22 is preparing for medical school by integrating natural and social sciences as a double major in public health and history. “As a first-generation college student and student of color, the most important thing I want to do with my public health knowledge is increase the health quality for people from all walks of life in my long career in medicine,” says Khan. He first enrolled at Syracuse University as a biomedical engineering major, but after taking a Falk College course on health disparities, he switched his major to public health. “I wanted to learn more about the social determinants of health.”
One of Khan’s public health professors, Luvenia Cowart, Ed.D., RN is an expert in minority health, and directs initiatives to develop academic and community partnerships to reduce health disparities and promote health and healthy lifestyles among minority communities. “Many people from racial and ethnic minority groups are at higher risk for various diseases due to historical health and social inequities,” says Cowart. “Social determinants of health, such as poverty and access to healthcare have prevented them having equal opportunities for total health. To achieve health equity, barriers must be removed so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be healthy.”
In her course, “Promoting Health through Literacy and Cultural Competence,” students like Khan learn how and why limited health literacy and the lack of culturally competent healthcare fuel health disparities, resulting in poor health outcomes. “The course explores the multilayered linkages between culturally competent healthcare, health and literacy and health outcomes,” says Cowart. “Literacy, health literacy and cultural competence are all factors that impact quality of healthcare delivery and health outcomes among all populations.”
Among the requirements of the course, students gain exposure to different cultures throughout the community as part of a 25-hour academic service-learning course requirement. In Fall 2021, Khan and his classmates tutored with RISE (Refugee and Immigrants Self-Empowerment) in the city of Syracuse. In addition, every student in the course registers for the Conversations About Race and Ethnicity (CARE) program, a six-week dialogue space for community members of Syracuse University to engage in meaningful, challenging, and vital conversations about race and ethnicity. “Both of these experiences reinforced the learning objectives of the course, as well as emphasized the need for more culturally competent physicians, which is what I hope to become,” says Khan.
He has big plans for life after Syracuse, including medical school to become a doctor of allopathic or osteopathic medicine. “I am also planning to work as a graduate medical officer for the Navy for 7 years, active duty, right after medical school,” he says.
“I believe public health at a population level is the key to my personal and professional goals,” Khan adds. And he’s not the only one.
Public health alumna Bijal Patel ’20 says the skills she gained at Falk translated directly into her work as a health educator in a local nonprofit family planning clinic. “Professor Cowart’s course taught me about the importance of sharing accurate, accessible, and reliable health information,” says Patel. “This was especially relevant to my work as a health educator teaching reproductive health in Syracuse after graduation. In this role, I developed health messaging for our social media, website, and clinics and the lessons I learned in her course have been so useful!”
Patel chose public health to pursue her interest in communities, environmental health, and disparities. “I wanted to learn about health and illness beyond biology,” she says. She completed degrees in both biology and public health. “I’m glad I was able to study health all the way from cells to populations!”
In Summer 2022, she starts medical school, where she looks forward to learning more about the intersection between public health and medicine. “I am most excited to apply what I’ve learned to a clinical setting and emphasize prevention and equity in my work,” says Patel. “My biggest goal as a physician is to provide equitable, inclusive care to all patients.”
Her public health education, she says, will help her reach that goal. “One thing that stuck with me from my public health education is the importance of meeting people where they are at in healthcare. People are coming from various cultural backgrounds, literacy levels, and life experiences.”
Students in Cowart’s classroom benefit from her professional and academic experience, as well as her personal passion for health equity. “The prevalence of health disparities and increasing evidence of inequities in social determinants of health among African Americans in underserved communities compels a ‘call to action,’” says Cowart reflecting on her own interest in public health. “As a public health professional, it is needful to respond to the identified health and social needs, as well as social injustices, in your community. If not me, then who will answer the call to work in non-traditional settings, such as churches and barbershops, to engage, educate and promote healthier lifestyles among African Americans in underserved communities.”
Among her academic research and community work, Cowart leads community-driven, culturally competent interventions to reduce health disparities among African Americans, who are at higher risk for chronic diseases and health problems, and to adopt healthier lifestyles across the lifespan. One example of her work is The Genesis Health Project Network, a collaborative effort with faith-based communities and other health related agencies to develop a culturally appropriate program church members want, need, and will sustain. “The approach to the work is simple; recognize, respect and integrate,” Cowart explains. “We must recognize cultural differences, values, traditions and health beliefs, and respect and integrate those differences into our healthcare and healthcare delivery system. Our theme is: Community First. That is, working to address the health and social needs identified by the community, for the community and with the community.”
Future physicians Khan and Patel are keeping issues of health equity at the forefront of their careers in medicine. “Low health literacy along racial and socioeconomic lines is not only a direct consequence of health disparities, but it is evident of institutionalized racism in our nation,” says Khan.
“Health should not be a consequence of race, geographic location, gender, socioeconomic status, or sexuality. Health disparities are deeply rooted in systemic inequities, but we can and should work towards a solution,” says Patel. “Equity is possible!”
October 28 event features alumni in disability advocacy
Falk College Career Services will host the “Falk College Alumni Speaker Series: Improving Access for People with Disabilities” on October 28, 2021, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in Grant Auditorium, followed by a networking reception with refreshments from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The panel discussion will focus on current issues surrounding accessibility in a range of environments, and will be of particular interest to students seeking internships or careers in healthcare, mental health, education, policy and advocacy, and sport and recreation.
This is the fourth event in a series of Falk College alumni panels, which bring alumni back to campus to discuss current industry trends of interest to Falk students and share valuable career experiences and insights. Previous alumni panels have focused on topics such as community health and wellness; promoting exercise and nutrition as natural approaches to health, and; sport, health and social activism.
“For students, this is an exceptional opportunity to learn more about how they can be an advocate in whatever field they pursue,” says David Sly, director of Falk College Career Services. “In addition to learning about the specific careers of our panelists, students, faculty, and staff can leave this event with ideas for better serving people with a range of disabilities in any setting.”
The “Improving Access for People with Disabilities” panel will include four Falk College alumni:
Scott Ebner, MSW ’97
Scott Ebner is the Executive Director at CIRCARE, a local agency that supports people with behavioral health disabilities, including family and employment support. He has also worked with Provisions Bakery in Armory Square, a work transition site for people with mental illness.
Jeremy French-Lawyer, BS Public Health ’14Jeremy French-Lawyer is the Assistant Director of Evaluation, Assessment and Research at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Jeremy also has previous experience as a Disability Integration Fellow with SUNY Upstate, integrating disability-relevant information into medical school and continuing medical education curriculum. Other previous roles include working with children and at-risk parents in education and healthcare settings. Jeremy holds a master of public health (MPH) degree jointly awarded from Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Ocesa Keaton, MSW ’15Ocesa Keaton is the Central New York Regional Director for New York Civil Liberties Union and has previously served as the ADA Coordinator for the City of Syracuse. Ocesa has extensive experience in youth and advocacy programs, with a focus on at-risk pregnant and parenting teens, youth violence prevention, and poverty.
Eileen May-West, BS Sport Management ’10Eileen May-West is the Program Director at Wasatch Adaptive Sports and leads outdoor adaptive recreation operations for over 500 individuals with disabilities each year. Eileen holds a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of New Hampshire.
For Syracuse University students, registration is appreciated, though not required, through Handshake. For faculty, staff and community attendees, please RSVP to falkcareers@syr.edu. CART and ASL services will be provided. To request other accommodations, please contact Falk Career Services at falkcareers@syr.edu or 315.443.3144. For event information, visit the event page.
Bee Orange
In spring 2020, South Campus became home to six honeybee hives, which house over 300,000 honeybees.
In their first year on campus, the bees harvested enough nectar from campus plants and trees to create over 300 pounds of honey. The honey is harvested twice a year and has been bottled for sale on campus. A small initial offering of campus honey in early 2021 proved immensely popular, with the honey quickly selling out across campus.
In the next few weeks, University community members will be able to purchase the honey in the Campus Store in the Schine Student Center, as well as in campus convenience stores.
The product for sale is raw honey, meaning it is not processed and contains only one ingredient: honey. Raw honey retains beneficial nutrients, pollen and antioxidants that processed honey does not. The honey has a distinctive Syracuse University flavor due to the unique plants in the area of the hives. A jar of honey costs $12, with all proceeds of its sale going back to support the honeybee hives overseen by Sustainability Management.
Currently, the University has 965 acres, of which 624 acres are green space, supplying bountiful habitats for pollinator species that encourage their critical existence. The establishment of honeybee hives in an area helps to support pollinator-dependent plants, including native plantings and agriculture-producing plants.
The campus hives are part of a Campus as a Lab for Sustainability (CALS) project run by Sustainability Management and awarded to associate teaching professors Lisa Olson-Gugerty and Mary Kiernan of Falk College. Their proposal, titled “Bee Orange,” coincided with the aim of the CALS grant, which strives to seamlessly integrate the academic and research mission of Syracuse University within the facilities and operations of the campus. “Bee Orange” supports the University’s efforts as a Bee Campus USA affiliate, including boundless opportunities for research around the honeybees and pollinator plant species, no matter the area of expertise of faculty and students.
To learn more about the University’s sustainability efforts and to become involved with these initiatives, visit the Sustainability Management website.
Read a related article about the bees in the Daily Orange.
A Syracuse University News story by Jennifer Horvath originally published on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.
Welcome Class of 2025!
Falk College welcomes the Class of 2025, a talented group from 37 states and 33 global countries. The Class of 2025 includes 373 first-year students, 13 transfer students, 163 new graduate students, and 156 new online graduate students. Fall 2021 Syracuse Welcome is scheduled for Aug. 26-29, 2021, with new student move-in beginning Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. The entire welcome week schedule for new students can be found by visiting the Syracuse Welcome website.
Falk College Syracuse Welcome Events:
There are currently no events scheduled, please check back soon.
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