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Inside Public Health | September 2021
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Dear Friends of the College,
The fall semester has begun! Our students are now attending classes, in-person with masks, and so far the return to campus has proceeded smoothly at the University of Arizona. The university has implemented a layered approach to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated and to wear masks when indoors with others. We also strongly encourage everyone – students, staff, and faculty – to get tested regularly using the free testing options on campus. The more we test, the better we will understand COVID transmission on campus. Ultimately, we hope that despite the spread of the highly transmissible COVID delta variant, our UArizona community continues to stay healthy.
As children return to school, many Arizona districts like Tucson Unified School District, have implemented mask mandates that are very effective in stopping the spread of COVID. Even as case counts have risen among children, Arizona’s COVID infection numbers have leveled off for the moment, as seen in the weekly data reports from Dr. Joe Gerald, and we hope the recent rise in cases may have peaked.
I urge everyone to follow the CDC’s guidance and wear masks indoors in public settings, even for those who have been vaccinated. We must all work together to support vaccine distribution and to inform and encourage those who are hesitant to take the vaccine. The vaccines are safe, they’re effective against the delta variant, and the more people who get vaccinated, the sooner we can move beyond the pandemic and get back to work and back to school without restrictions.
Delivering Vaccines and Information to Communities
The push continues to vaccinate as many Arizonans as possible, even as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly among the unvaccinated. The college’s Mobile Health Units (MHUs) in Phoenix and Tucson have delivered hundreds of vaccine shots to rural and border populations through vaccination events. Guided by the leadership of Dr. Cecilia Rosales, MHU-Phoenix has focused on communities and workers in Maricopa County, often outside the urban areas. And the MHU-Tucson has been delivering vaccines to rural and border communities in Cochise County, Santa Cruz County, and Yuma County through the MOVE-UP program (Mobile Outreach Vaccination and Education for Underserved Populations).
Last week, our alumnus Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States, was recruited to serve as a senior advisor on COVID response to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services. In particular, he will be working to promote the vaccine across all of Arizona’s diverse communities. The announcement was a welcome development for public health leaders around the state, and we have confidence that Carmona’s experience and expertise will help him navigate the challenges of his new role. Dr. Carmona also remains on the UArizona’s COVID Task Force providing guidance to Dr. Robert C. Robbins and university leadership.
New and Improved Giving Webpages
I’m pleased to share that we have updated and improved our Giving webpages that include all of our Funding Priorities starting with the Zuckerman Challenge, a $2 million matching grant thanks to the enduring generosity of the Zuckerman Family Foundation. Our Funding Priorities for giving also include scholarships and programs, community and global engagement, and our research initiatives. Please explore our many programs, find what you’re passionate about, and give today!
We want to thank Donna Knight and Kim Bourn from our development team for all the time and expertise they have put into this effort, and also thank Paula Hayes, our talented graphic designer, for her outstanding work on the new Giving webpages.
New Community Advisory Board Member
Please join me in welcoming our newest Community Advisory Board member Christine Bracamonte Wiggs, MPH ’02, MS ’10, PhD ’16. Christine currently serves as Staff Vice President of Community and Health Advancement for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and additionally as President of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement. An alumna of the college and a lifelong champion for public health, we are honored to have Christine join the Community Advisory Board and excited to work with her to grow our programs and partnerships for public health education, research, and service.
Faculty, Staff, and Student Awards
We are very proud of all that our students, staff, and faculty accomplish and appreciate the recognition that comes their way.
Please join me in congratulating the following:
- Lynn Gerald, MD, MSPH, professor and Zuckerman Family Endowed Chair in Prevention and Lifestyle Medicine, received the University Distinguished Outreach Faculty Award for 2021 in recognition of her many outreach programs and projects, and especially her scholarship-based outreach that led to the 2017 passage of an Arizona law that enables schools to stock and administer emergency albuterol inhalers to treat students with asthma.
https://healthsciences.arizona.edu/connect/honors/dr-lynn-gerald-receives-distinguished-outreach-faculty-award
- Mona Arora, PhD, MsPH, was promoted to assistant professor of research in the Community, Environment and Policy Department.
https://publichealth.arizona.edu/directory/mona-arora
- Public Health undergrad Lady Elli was awarded Taco Bell Foundation's $10,000 Live Más Scholarships in recognition of her passion for nutrition and for ending health inequity and food insecurity.
https://kvoa.com/news/top-stories/2021/08/10/uarizona-student-gets-unique-corporate-taco-bell-experience/
- The Rural Health Professions Program (RHPP), led by Marc Verhougstraete, PhD, was awarded $155,000 from the University’s Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AzAHEC) to help support the program and will allow for increased collaboration with rural AZ communities.
- Marc Verhougstraete, PhD, received $178,000 in funding from Steel Jupiter Inc. to investigate the effects of a chemical additive to filter material on trapping and denaturing microorganisms.
- Public Health graduate student James Hollister was selected as the MEZCOPH representative for the Data Science Ambassadors Program.
https://datascience.arizona.edu/ambassadors
Homecoming Celebration: Honoring our Public Health Alumni and Community Leaders
On November 4, the college will host an early afternoon event outside Drachman Hall as part of the UArizona Homecoming festivities. The event will bring together supporters, alumni, faculty, staff, and students to reconnect in-person after many months apart due to COVID. We will present our Alumni and Community Leaders awards to celebrate the accomplishments of our amazing alumni, supporters, faculty and staff. We hope you will join us to celebrate all we have accomplished during the pandemic and across our 20 year history! More information coming soon.
Please note, our Scholarship Luncheon, previously scheduled for October, will be postponed until spring 2022 due to the recent spread of the delta variant. We want everyone to be able to attend indoors, and we believe that a spring date will work better for donors and scholarship students once pandemic concerns are behind us.
Gratitude for Our Community
Thank you for your ongoing support of the College and our public health mission. I welcome everyone back for a safe and productive the fall 2021 semester, and I look forward to working with all of you to support our diverse communities locally and globally with the best public health education, service, and research.
Best Wishes for your Health and Safety,
Iman
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How to Stay Safe: Our Public Health Experts Guide for Back-To-School COVID Prevention
As the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, our expert public health faculty compiled this guide on how to keep our communities safe. If we can follow the best public health practice based on the most current scientific data, then we’ll be able to return to school and work with the lowest possible risk.
Read More
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AZ HEROES Vaccine Research Published by CDC Shows Need for Vaccination Push
Kate Ellingson, PhD, contributed to this report published in the CDC’s "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" suggesting vaccines remain effective even with the surge of the delta variant and an increased level of vaccination will be required to end the pandemic.
Read More
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Welcome Andre Dickerson, New Assistant Dean of Student Services
New Assistant Dean Andre Dickerson brings outstanding experience in student support and recruitment, combined with a proven track record of academic leadership with an emphasis on equity and diversity, to his new role as the head of the Office of Student Services.
Read More
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College Launches New Website for Global Health Institute
As the college builds new global programs and partnerships, we have launched a new Global Health Institute website that highlights our global education, research, and cooperative projects.
Read More
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During the pandemic there have been too many media interviews with our faculty to list them all. A few highlights are included below. We thank all of our faculty for doing so many interviews even as they work every day on COVID-19 response initiatives and research, and continue to support our regional and state public health officials.
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Data From CoVHORT Research Study Shows Mild COVID-19 Infection Can Still Cause Long Term Symptoms
Melanie Bell, PhD, and Leslie Farland, ScD, MSc, from the CoVHORT study comment on new data that shows Long-COVID symptoms affect the majority of those infected with COVID-19, even if the original infection is mild.
Story in the Arizona Daily Star >
Health Sciences Press Release >
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Restorative Justice Program Brings Positive Results
Mary Koss, PhD, conducted a study of RESTORE, the first restorative justice program for sex crimes in the U.S. and found that more than 80% of participants felt that justice had been done.
Story in Good Housekeeping >
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What We Know About “Breakthrough” COVID Infections
Kate Ellingson, PhD, shares important knowledge about breakthrough COVID infections and emphasizes the effectiveness of vaccines.
Story in Smithsonian Magazine >
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COVID Cases Rise Among Youth in Arizona
Joe Gerald, MD, PhD, says that cases among those 15 and younger are projected to surpass the rate of all other age groups in the state.
Story on KJZZ-FM (NPR) Radio Phoenix >
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Pandemic Puts Pressure on Adolescent Mental Health
Graduate student Cody Welty, MPH, discusses the pressure on kids as tobacco and prescription drug use rose while alcohol use declined during the pandemic.
Story on KOLD-TV Tucson >
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Dr. Carmona Pushes for Increased Vaccination in New Role Advising Arizona Governor
Alumnus and distinguished professor Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, talks about the need to push for more vaccination in Arizona to stop COVID and return the economy to normal.
Interview on “The Show” from KJZZ-FM (NPR) Radio Phoenix >
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C A L E N D A R
College of Public Health Seminar: Evidence Ambassadors
- Evidence Ambassadors: intervention to strengthen civic engagement and measure policy communication effectiveness. With guest speakers Dr. Beth Meyerson and Danielle Russell, MS.
- September 8, 2021. 12:00pm to 12:50pm
- Join Zoom meeting: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/86977103394 - Password: 969275
Pima County Health Department Job Fairs
Decolonizing Tobacco: Through Tribal Policy Development
- Smoke Free Wildcats Club wants you to join us for our free Lunch and Speaker Event! Join in-person at Drachman Hall or virtually online via Zoom. With guest speakers Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson and Hershel Clark, MPH '18.
- September 20, 2021. 12:00pm to 1:00pm
- In- person: Drachman Hall, A122
Virtually: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/85728235089
2021 ASPPH Undergraduate Conference
- This year’s agenda features presenters representing academic institutions with undergraduate public health programs, CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health, and organizations working closely with undergraduate public health education initiatives at plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions.
- September 30, 2021. 7:00am to 2:30pm
- Register here: https://www.aspph.org/event/2021ugphconference
APHA 2021 Annual Meeting and Expo
- This year's APHA Expo theme is "Creating the Healthiest Nation: Strengthening Social Connectedness." In-person attendees will participate at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, while virtual attendees can participate online from anywhere globally. All attendees will have access to high-quality scientific sessions, inspiring presentations and many opportunities to connect with peers.
- October 24 thru October 27, 2021
- Register Here: https://www.apha.org/Events-and-Meetings/Annual/Registration-Information
MEZCOPH 20 Year Anniversary Homecoming Celebration
- This outdoor event we will hold an awards presentation for our 2021 Alumni, Faculty, Staff, and MEZCOPH Community Leaders Award winners and celebrate all we have accomplished across the past many months in response to the pandemic and the needs of the many communities we serve.
- November 4, 2021. 11am to 1pm
- Event time, registration and more information coming soon, save the date!
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Support Our COVID-19 Research and Shape the Future
All the funds raised for the “Dean’s Fund for Excellence” go to COVID-19 research. You can support this targeted fund by going to our UA Foundation page and making a contribution.
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Discover ways to give to the College of Public Health by visiting
publichealth.arizona.edu/support/ways-to-give
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