Dear Friends of the College,
The summer is underway and many of our faculty and staff are enjoying much-deserved vacations. In Tucson, our long-awaited monsoon storms have arrived and we all welcome the rain! I also hope that everyone in our MEZCOPH community enjoyed a safe and happy Independence Day celebration.
When the COVID-19 pandemic put public health in the spotlight, it was an opportunity to show how our expertise could help keep our communities as safe as possible from the virus. Now that the threat from COVID has subsided, primarily due to the effective vaccines, we are thankful and relieved. However, recent events in our country have presented new threats to public health, and new challenges to solve.
First, the deeply disturbing incidents of gun violence that have taken so many lives in the past few months, and most recently during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, demand that we look at this epidemic from a public health perspective and find solutions to stop the suffering. At the same time, the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade threatens to undermine so many of the gains that have been made in women’s health and family planning services in our country.
The Roe v Wade ruling had insured women’s reproductive freedom for the past 50 years, and this new decision will undoubtedly harm maternal health outcomes. The results of this change in the law will also fall disproportionately on women from underserved and lower income communities who are already less likely to receive reproductive health services, more likely to experience maternal health complications, and also experience higher maternal death rates.
Both of these challenges, gun violence and reproductive rights, show the vital importance of public health to solve problems and safeguard health. The tools and expertise that public health professionals provide will guide us to find solutions and build a healthier future for all Americans.
New Funding Awards
I’m very pleased to report that our AZ HEROES research study on COVID vaccines and immunity has received a third year of funding, $22 million, from the CDC. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Jeff Burgess and Dr. Karen Lutrick, along with the support of many MEZCOPH faculty and graduate students, the AZ HEROES study continues to provide vital data that guides CDC decisions about how to fight COVID, even as the threat from the virus shifts. A press release about this new round of funding will be coming soon.
I’m also pleased and proud that our Western Region Public Health Training Center (WRPHTC) was awarded a fourth round of funding, $4.12 million over four years, from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Now under the new leadership of Dr. Kelly Reynolds, the team at WRPHTC continues to provide the most up-to-date training for our public health workforce in the Western Region, and we all appreciate the excellent work they do! A news release about this new award will be coming soon.
Global Health
In June, our director of global education, Dr. Gabriela Valdez, traveled to Bali, Indonesia with the UArizona’s CIELO program as part of her role with the UArizona’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) Fellows program, and had the good fortune to meet two of our public health students, Erin Broas and Belen Mejia, both in the MPH program, who were also on the CIELO program, as well as our international alumna Komang Triyani, MD, MPH ’17, who now teaches public health at Warmadewa University in Bali.
Also in June, our Young Global Leaders program for Arizona high school students introduced a new cohort to the role of public health in global health. Many of our faculty and staff gave their time and expertise to show the students the many ways that a public health education can prepare them to become public health leaders both locally and globally. Thanks to all our supporters who made scholarships for the Young Global Leaders program possible!
Faculty, Staff, and Students: Honors, Profiles, and 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:
Felina Cordova-Marks DrPH, MPH, MS, has been awarded the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Faculty Seed Grant. Dr. Cordova-Marks was awarded $25k for a project focused on breast cancer among American Indians in Southern Arizona.
David Garcia, PhD, has been awarded the Early Career Investigator Award by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Breanne Lott, PhD, has been awarded a $10k grant from the American Association for Cancer Education for her work with breast cancer survivors in Ethiopia.
Kelly Palmer, PhD, MHS, CCRP, has been awarded an Innovations in Health Aging Grand Challenges Seed Grant for her proposal Virtual Experiences to Reduce Loneliness and Psychosocial Distress Among Older Black Church Members.
Jayati Sharma graduated from the University of Arizona with her BS in both Public Health Quantitative Methods and Molecular and Cellular Biology in May 2020, and she recently completed her MPH in genetic epidemiology this May from Johns Hopkins University. She was awarded the 2022 ASA/AAAS Mass Media Fellowship. magazine.amstat.org/blog/2022/06/01/sharma_aaas/
Gratitude for Our Community
I thank all of you for your ongoing support of the College and our public health mission. I look forward to working with you to support our diverse communities, both locally and globally, with the best public health education, service, and research.
Best Wishes for your Health and Safety,
Iman
July Highlights
Researchers Investigate Virus Transmission in Households
Kate Ellingson, PhD, leads UArizona Health Sciences researchers to study factors associated with the spread of COVID-19 and influenza in households with funding from the CDC.
Arizona Rural Health Conference Brings Together Health Leaders from Across Arizona
At the 48th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference, health professionals and community members from across the state gathered to share news and knowledge that will build networks and improve care for diverse communities all over Arizona.
Working with Street Medicine Phoenix co-founder and MEZCOPH grad Jeffrey Hanna, MPH, MSc, the college created a webpage for Street Medicine Phoenix, a collaborative student-led group that delivers care and services to the homeless population in Phoenix.
Chapter of Sigma Phi Omega, Professional Society in Gerontology, Established at UArizona
Amanda Sokan, PhD, MHA, LL.B, established the new Alpha Delta Omega chapter of the Sigma Phi Omega International Academic Honor and Professional Society in Gerontology at the University of Arizona to promote excellence in gerontology and aging studies in the college and around the university.
Joe Gerald, MD, PhD, comments about how the majority of Americans now carry some immune protection to COVID, from vaccines, infection, or both, and the current state of COVID infections nationally.
Google Maps Adds Air Quality Index to Help Users Avoid Pollution
A research study by Melissa Furlong, PhD, about pollution, exercise, and brain health is cited in this article about a new feature in Google Maps that shows air quality.
Alcohol Involved in Increase of Sexual Assault Among College Students
Mary Koss, PhD, wrote this story for The Conversation about studies that show an increase in sexual assault among college students, and a corresponding increase in the connection between alcohol use and sexual assault.
Do Adults Sleep Better Alone or Together with A Partner?
MEZCOPH undergraduate student Brandon Fuentes conducted a study to understand if sleeping in separate beds is beneficial for couples who struggle with insomnia. The results show that sharing a bed has healthy sleep benefits, and the study received widespread media attention.
Join us for a live Kick-Off event for our Summer 2022 Virtual MPH Internship Conference where we will be spotlighting a few of our student presenters to talk about their overall experience in their internship.
The conference continues to be offered in a virtual format and features internship projects from MPH students across our campuses - Tucson, Phoenix and Online. On-demand viewing of internship presentation recordings will also go live at this time at the webpage: publichealth.arizona.edu/summer-2022-mph-internship-presentations
Start on your path to Public Health! The Zuckerman College of Public Health offers tremendous opportunities for students, from education to research and community engagement. Join one of our two online sessions to learn about our Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and other graduate programs.
Learn from current healthcare professionals, grasp how to become a competitive candidate for any graduate program from admissions representatives and advisors, network with hundreds of pre-health students around the globe, and even engage in a research expo.
Day 1: Exploring Careers in Healthcare (Part 1)
Day 2: Exploring Careers in Healthcare (Part 2)
Day 3: Application and Resume Building
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.
We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.
