Dear Friends of the College,
I hope the Spring 2023 semester is off to a good start for all you! The new year has begun with lots of activity in the college, and we have already been hosting events, both in-person and online.

February is Black History Month and I want to thank and celebrate all the students, staff, and faculty in our college who do so much to support education, research, and public health services that benefit our Black communities in Arizona.

We are also grieving yet again for the victims of gun violence in two tragic shooting incidents in California last month and others around the country. We continue to push for a public health approach to mental health services and to the epidemic of gun violence in this country, and we believe in a future when gun violence declines significantly thanks to science based public health programs and policies.

We also share the sorrow of the community in Memphis, Tennessee following the tragic death of Tyre Nichols after he was severely beaten by police following a traffic stop. We remain determined to work on systemic change that will end the inhumane and brutal violence we have witnessed too many times against people of color.

Recent College Events
The semester has just begun, and already we have hosted several events for our programs and students. The launch event for the Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research was a great success at the end of January. The event brought together researchers, firefighters and students to celebrate the research that has already been accomplished, and to look ahead at upcoming research that will benefit firefighter health. The new Center builds on the studies conducted by Dr. Jeff Burgess and other MEZCOPH researchers over the past decade, and provides coordination so that research results can be translated into programs and policies that help safeguard firefighter health.

This past weekend we were honored to host another event, Indigenous Health: Connecting with Wellbeing and Community Day, outside Drachman Hall. A community gathering organized to build connections for Indigenous Health, the event featured our alumna Julianna Reece, MD, MBA, MPH '96 (Diné), a pioneer in Indigenous Health, who leads the Healthy Tribes program for the CDC. Julianna gave a powerful presentation about the new approach she is taking to health in tribal communities. Students and community members also participated in activities, enjoyed traditional food, and joined in a round dance to build Native engagement.

I was also pleased to attend the University of Arizona’s 2022-2023 Alumni of the Year ceremony in which one alumni winner from each college at the university is celebrated. We honored our own Alumna of the Year winner Dr. Julianna Reece. Dr. Reece’s passion to show how culture is medicine in Native communities led to her current leadership position as the director of the Healthy Tribes Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.

Memorial for Dr. Frank Marcus, Public Health Champion
The college is helping to organize a memorial for Dr. Frank Marcus who passed away in December 2022. An innovative cardiologist and Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson here at the University of Arizona, Dr. Marcus was a pioneer in cardiovascular research and heart health. His impressive career with the Sarver Heart Center led him to understand the root causes of many heart problems, which then led him to public health. Frank realized that public health education could change behaviors and improve health for so many patients, so he provided the funding and direction to establish the Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative  in collaboration with the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Please register for the memorial service on February 13, 2023, 5:30- 7:30pm in the Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB) to share in our celebration of Dr. Marcus’ life.

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:

• Our alumna Zaida Dedolph Piecoro, MPH, was chosen to serve as Health Policy Advisor for Arizona’s new Governor, Katie Hobbs.
  • publichealth.arizona.edu/news/2023/mezcoph-alumna-appointed-health-policy-advisor-az-governor-hobbs
• David O. Garcia, PhD, FACSM, was named to the NASH kNOWledge board of directors, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • Health Sciences Connect: healthsciences.arizona.edu/connect/honors/0123/dr-david-o-garcia-joins-nash-knowledge-board-directors
• Amanda Wilson, PhD, MS, was named to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Direct Potable Reuse Technical Advisory Group to guide the expansion of “potable reuse,” the process of treating wastewater to use as drinking water.
  • Health Sciences Connect: healthsciences.arizona.edu/connect/honors/0123/dr-amanda-wilson-named-adeq-advisory-group
• Two of our alumni, Benjamín Aceves, PhD, and Nicolás López-Gálvez, PhD, are part of a new program to address Latinx health disparities at San Diego State University (SDSU).
  • SDSU News: newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=78960
• Amanda Sokan, PhD, MHA, LLB, received a letter of appreciation from the UArizona Division of Human Resources and the Office of Life & Work Connections for her work as a Wellness Ambassador within MEZCOPH after the university earned a Platinum Award from the Healthy Arizona Worksites Program.

Giving Day, University of Arizona
Every year on February 14, supporters join in Giving Day for the University of Arizona. Wildcats from around the world give to help students, faculty and programs during this 24-hour philanthropic campaign.

This year on Giving Day, make a gift to support MEZCOPH! Gifts of all sizes matter, and together we achieve much more than any of us could alone. Giving Day is all about participation, so no matter what amount you give, know that it will make a meaningful impact for our students, our programs, or our research.

Gratitude for Our Community
I thank all of you for your ongoing support of the College and our public health mission. We live in troubling times, and so often public health offers solutions to the widespread suffering in this world. As we continue through the spring semester, 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

Plants Grow Here: Horticulture, Landscape Gardening, and Ecology

Professor Frank A. von Hippel, PhD, lead of the One Health Research initiative, discusses One Health and whether we should be concerned with the modern use of pesticides and other types of chemicals in this podcast series 'The Chemical Age: Pesticides and Other Chemical Hazards.'

Record Numbers Sign Up for Obamacare in Arizona

Daniel Derksen, MD, director of the Center for Rural Health, comments on the record number of Arizonans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Research Shows Firefighters’ Careers Could Impact Reproductive Health

Leslie V. Farland, ScD, MSc, is quoted in a story about a new study that suggests firefighters exposure to high temperatures, stress and ‘forever chemicals’ could be factors in pregnancy and fertility complications.

Deaths From COVID Upended Lives in Arizona

Agnes Attakai, MPA, (Diné) comments in this story about new data showing that COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021 behind heart disease and cancer in Arizona, yet some health experts say that isn't telling the full story of its lethal effects in the state.