First published on May 14, 2015 in observance of the COPH’s 30^th anniversary celebration.

Long before the deluge of online learning became a given of modern education replete with a glut of overnight “universities,” USF’s College of Public Health launched a distance-learning presence that was formidable before online classes even existed.

From 1990-93, 45 state health department employees in Tallahassee earned master of public health degrees from USF via the old-fashioned method of distance learning.  Every Tuesday, a COPH professor would journey to Tallahassee to teach a three-hour course that evening, said Dr. Charles Mahan, at that time state health officer, and later COPH dean.

Dr. Charles Mahan

“We gave them Tuesday afternoon off, and they gave up their evening,” Mahan explained.  “One professor would come up for a month and do the whole core segment of epidemiology and biostatistics, and then somebody else would come up and do the whole core of community and family health.

“When people in practice throughout the state at the health departments saw what we were doing up there, they came to the college and said, ‘Please, do that for our staff.’  That’s when we began the distance-learning program.”

Technology offered a more efficient means by 1994, when COPH began beaming public health courses via satellite to 33 host sites at state and local health departments across Florida.

Answering a mandate

“USF College of Public Health had a very good partnership with the Florida Department of Health,” recalled Sandhya Srinivasan, COPH director of educational technology and assessment, “and through this partnership, we were able to deliver public health education while utilizing health department meeting space and satellite equipment that was already part of the Florida Department of Health satellite network.  We were able to piggyback on that and beam our classes to busy health professionals.”

Sandhya Srinivasan, MPH, MEd

WUSF-TV had an uplink facility, Srinivasan explained, which enabled COPH to buy satellite time at the discounted educational rate.  The telecasts were cabled to the uplink facility in Clearwater, then beamed to the satellite from there.

As part of the founding of the college a decade earlier, USF and COPH had a legislative mandate to train public health employees statewide, Srinivasan said.  A needs assessment at the time signaled the need when it found that very few public health workers had had any formal public health training.

“They had come to public health through medicine or nursing or sociology, but they were not trained in public health,” she said, “and so the college had a huge challenge in front of it.”

Two evening courses were initiated to meet that challenge, she said.  Each met once a week for three hours, and each had an on-site technical point person should the satellite or any link in the technology fail.  Technical and material needs were communicated via phone or fax in those days before the advent of personal computers and e-mail.

Given those limitations, early growth was slow, but within a few years, the need for more courses and faster, easier means of delivery coincided well with the PC age.  In 2001, Srinivasan said, technical advances and growing interest in the program sparked its rapid expansion.

“We started incrementally,” she said, “moving our classes from satellite to a blended online-and-satellite format.”

The Department of Education weighed in with a $3-million grant for instruction in technology.  That IIT grant, as it was known (standing for Innovations in Technology and Training), enabled the college to hire instructional designers who brought in multi-media components that completed the transition from satellite-online hybrid to a fully online operation.

From online courses to online degrees

With all classes delivered entirely via Internet, geographic limitations were gone.  Anyone, anywhere could take courses on the World Wide Web, and host sites were things of the past.  It wouldn’t be long before the state’s first public health college conferred the state’s first fully online public health degrees.

According to figures supplied by David Hogeboom, statistical data analyst for COPH, the online degree program has conferred 383 MPH degrees in various concentrations since spring 2001.  The total represents more than one-fifth of all MPH degrees and more than one-eighth of all degrees awarded by COPH in that timeframe.  Srinivasan said nine students graduating on Dec. 13, 1998, from the Public Health Practice program were the first to earn their degrees via satellite.

COPH distance learning’s first nine MPH graduates made headlines in 1998.

“Today, in addition to public health practice, we have five other master’s concentrations online and 11 online graduate certificates,” Srinivasan said.

Unlike other classrooms, the virtual variety requires technical design specifically geared to disseminating educational materials.  Accordingly, full-time instructional designers are a big part of the picture at COPH online.

“Our office consists of six full-time instructional designers and a graphics designer,” Srinivasan said.  “The designers are assigned to particular courses and work hand-in-hand with faculty in preparing course materials and assessments.  They are able to parse down a lesson to bare essentials and match the right technology that can deliver that content efficiently to the students.”

Today’s COPH online learning team.  Back row, from left: Thomas Reilly, James Taylor, Andres Abril, Carlos Montoya, Samantha Lopez.  Front row, from left: Ana Vizcaino, Jung Lim, Sandhya Srinivasan, Trudian Trail-Constant.

Srinivasan said one of the concerns the designers address is interaction.

“It is less than ideal to listen to a talking head for three hours, so we use different types of interactive technologies that enable and even encourage student interaction,” she said.

Much of that interaction involves typed responses, she said, but even that is rapidly changing.

“As part of Canvas, the learning management system at USF, we now have access to an interactive virtual tool called Blackboard Collaborate.  Students and instructor log in at a given time and date, and the tools within that virtual classroom allow for interaction.  Students and faculty are able to interact via audio, video and whiteboard tools to do everything they could do in a traditional classroom.”

Alison Oberne, MA, MPH, CPH, an instructor in the USF College of Public Health, narrates a lecture for an undergraduate public health course using the recording space in COPH used for recording content for the lectures and modules of most of the college’s online degree programs.

It doesn’t take an instructional designer to appreciate the brightness of COPH’s online future.

When the college launched its online master’s program, Mahan said, deans at other colleges of public health told him it would never work.  In fact, he said, deans from the older schools of public health at revered institutions like Harvard and Johns Hopkins flat-out swore they would never do it.

“Now, of course, they all do it,” he said.  “Absolutely, we were the first to do it.  We were a couple of years ahead of everybody else in offering the full MPH by distance.”

“The tools from the beginning to now have undergone tremendous change,” Srinivasan said.  “We are committed to remaining on the cutting edge, so the future of our program will be wherever virtual classroom technology will allow us to go.”

Story by David Brothers, College of Public Health.

The post College of Public Health a pioneer of online learning appeared first on College of Public Health News.

First published on June 1, 2015 in observance of the COPH’s 30^th anniversary celebration.

It was the evening of May 2.  There was a slight chill in the air as fans gathered in Traditions Hall anxiously awaiting the event of the century.

No, not the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.  The other event ….

The USF College of Public Health’s Inaugural Alumni Awards Ceremony.

More than 180 supporters of the college traveled from as far as Indonesia to celebrate 28 Bulls with significant impact in public health.  From research to practice to policy to teaching, the awardees have done it all and are doing it exceedingly well.

COPH 2015 alumni awardees

The celebration began with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the ceremony.  The dynamic Dr. Joette Giovinco served as mistress of ceremony for the evening.  She’s the first physician to complete the COPH’s occupational medicine residency program, but is probably best known as Dr. Joe, the medical reporter for Fox News in Tampa.

Dr. Joe shared stories and relics from her days as a graduate student in 1988.  She even dusted off some vintage overhead sheets and her carousel replete with slides!

“We were so fortunate 30 years ago that visionary leaders like Sam Bell and Dr. Robert Hamlin believed that Florida deserved to have a school of public health and created the foundation for the first one in the state at the University of South Florida,” said Dr. Donna J. Petersen, COPH dean and senior associate vice president of USF Health.

“It is only fitting on the occasion of our 30^th anniversary that we recognize some of those alumni who, through their commitment to their profession, improve the health of communities around the world and reflect back so positively on our College of Public Health.”

Nominations were accepted through January.  A selection committee comprised of retired and current faculty, staff, alumni, students and community partners in public health had the arduous task of reviewing dozens of nomination packets.

Each alumni awardee received a stunning silver bull engraved with his or her name.

After dinner, Peggy Defay shared her experiences as a public health graduate student.

“As a first generation immigrant from Haiti,” she said, “higher education in any capacity is a priority for me.”

“I discovered my passion for public health through my experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia.  Through this experience, I gained a better understanding of health issues at the grassroots level.  Being a volunteer in the Peace Corps helped me understand some of my weaknesses and the need to continue training in this field.”

“The past seven years have taken me to various corners of the world where I have been privileged to meet, live and be empowered by many people.  The last two years at the University of South Florida are no exception to that.  And, I can now say that I have once again lived and worked among amazing people!”

Then, it was time for the main event—presentation of the COPH Class of 2015 alumni awardees.  Each alumni award recipient was recognized during the ceremony, and all are listed here.  A few of their stories are included for those who weren’t present to hear them all on May 2.

Tabia Henry Akintobi, PhD, MPH
Director, Prevention Research Center
Director, Evaluation and Institutional Assessment
Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Associate Dean, Community Health
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, Ga.

“As a graduate student, I had the opportunity not just to learn how to conduct research, but how to lead it in partnership with experts who cared,” Dr. Tabia Akintobi said.  “They recognized the importance of students as significant contributors to their research as reflected in the number of co-authored papers and abstracts I had under my belt prior to graduation.”

“Among the wonderful colleagues, mentors and leaders I met during my tenure was the love of my life, professional confidante and partner in good Dr. Adebayo Akindele Akintobi [former student and husband].”

Abdel A. Alli, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Ga.

Philip T. Amuso, PhD, MS
Consultant
Clinical Laboratory Medicine and Public Health Preparedness

Retired Director
Bureau of Laboratories
Florida Department of Health
Tampa, Fla.

Roy W. Beck, MD, PhD
Executive Director
Jaeb Center for Health Research
Tampa, Fla.

Sherri Berger, MSPH
Chief Operating Officer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Ga.

“My undergraduate degree was in political science, and I didn’t know exactly what to do with it after graduation,” Sherri Berger said.

Sherri Berger and son Jacob.

“Listening to my mother’s advice to ‘get more education,’ I did what other college kids do, and I followed my boyfriend to Tampa, where he had a job offer.  I was hoping to get a master’s degree in hospital administration.  However, in my first semester at the COPH, I fell in love with epidemiology.”

Arlene Calvo, PhD, MPH
Research Assistant Professor
Depts. of Community and Family Health & Global Health
USF College of Public Health
City of Knowledge, Panama

James R. Chastain, Jr., PhD, PE, MPH
President
Chastain-Skillman, Inc.
Tampa, Fla.

“Having an undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, I found public health a perfect complement to that training,” Dr. James Chastain said.  “While engineering is much more design and nuts-and-bolts execution-oriented, public health was more about the personal impacts and generally a systems-oriented and advocacy approach.  There certainly was a great overlap, but even the way that I had to study was different.  Public health provided fresh perspectives to design problems, and I enjoyed expanding my horizons with my studies.  In a word, public health tended to address the “why” questions, and engineering focused on the “how” questions.  I’ve found that very helpful in my practice.”

The Chastain Family celebrated James accomplishments. James is pictured far left.

“The COPH also was quite progressive at the time in terms of scheduling courses that allowed working professionals to take the courses while working at the same time.”

Chastain managed a company and family with three children while earning his degree.

“The time pressures were intense,” he said, “and would not have been possible without a very understanding and supportive wife.”

Stephen R. Cole, PhD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology
Gillings School of Global Public Health
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Martha L. Daviglus, MD, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Professor of Medicine
Director of the Institute for Minority Health Research
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Ill.

Hanifa M. Denny, PhD, MPH, BSPH
Dean
College of Public Health
Diponegoro University
Semarang, Indonesia

“One day, we were brought to new [medical] student orientation session.  After touring a hospital ward, I was not able to eat or sleep for some days due to seeing a diabetic patient with a severe wound,” Dr. Hanifa Denny recalled.

“I asked one professor if there is a program within the college of medicine without a requirement to visit patients in a hospital ward.  I also said that I wanted to help people to live in a healthy lifestyle without necessarily suffering from sickness.  I wanted to make people healthy and able to work without a fear of being sick.  The professor explained public health and how the science would meet my expectation.  After my second year of college, I fell in love with occupational and environmental health.”

Scott Dotson, PhD, MSC, CIH
Lead Health Scientist – Senior Team Coordinator
Education and Information Division
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Cincinnati, Ohio

Anthony Escobio, MPH, FHFMA, CHAM
Vice President
Patient Financial Services
Tampa General Hospital
Tampa, Fla.

“I wanted to be an MD.  I took a few of the pre-med “weed out” courses as an undergraduate and did not do very well,” Anthony Escobio recalled. “I had an entry-level job at St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1990, and this is where I learned that there were many more opportunities in health care that did not involve practicing medicine.”

The Escobios couldn’t be more proud of Anthony (back row, second from right).

One of the more “interesting” events from Escobio’s COPH days involves a class with Dr. Alan Sear.

“I left a management position at University Community Hospital to be a senior analyst at Tampa General Hospital,” Escobio said.  “TGH was having a host of financial challenges at the time, and the leadership was being ridiculed in the press on a weekly basis.  One of my professors, Alan Sear, spent an entire lecture discussing the poor decisions that leadership at TGH was making.  I sat slouched in my chair knowing that I had just taken a job to be an analyst for these very leaders.  All I could think to myself was ‘what have I done?’  Little did I know that I would be at the center of one of the biggest hospital turnarounds in the country for this period of time.”

Ligia María Cruz Espinoza, MD, PhD, MPH
Associate Research Scientist
International Vaccine Institute
Leon, Nicaragua

Kathryn J. Gillette, MHA, FACHE
Market President and Chief Operating Officer
Bayfront Health-St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Fla.

Jan J. Gorrie, JD, MPH
Managing Partner
Ballard Partners
Tampa, Fla.

Richard T. Hartman, PhD, MS, CSP, CIH
Chief Health Strategist
PSI Inc.
Alexandria, Va.

Xiomara Zulay Hewitt, MPH
Director
Infection Prevention and Control
Adventist Health System
Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Winifred M. Holland, MPH, MA, LMHC
Administrator-Health Officer
Florida Department of Health in Clay County
Green Cove Springs, Fla.

Carol Ann Jenkins, MPH, FACHE
Director, Accreditation and Survey Readiness
All Children’s Hospital Inc.
St. Petersburg, Fla.

Claudia X. Aguado Loi, PhD, MPH, CHES
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Community and Family Health
USF College of Public Health
Tampa, Fla.

Christine McGuire-Wolfe, PhD, MPH, CPH
Firefighter/Paramedic and Infection Control Officer
Pasco County Fire Rescue

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Global Health
USF College of Public Health
Tampa, Fla.

Maj. (Dr.) James McKnight
Force Health Protection Officer
U.S. Central Command
Serving in Jordan

Maj. James McKnight’s children accepted his award since he is serving in Jordan.

Rachel Nuzum, MPH
Vice President
Federal and State Health Policy
The Commonwealth Fund
Washington, D.C.

Claudine M. Samanic, PhD, MSPH
Commander
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

Environmental Health Scientist
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Research Region 5
Division of Community Health Investigations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chicago, Ill.

“Since 1999, when I graduated, I’ve been impressed with the expansion and creation of new institutes and centers, the college’s increasing role in global health, and announcements of various faculty accomplishments and impact,” said Dr. Claudine Samanic.  “It was humbling to be in the room with so many accomplished fellow COPH alumni.”

Angelia Sanders, MPH
Associate Director
Trachoma Control Program
The Carter Center
Atlanta, Ga.

Natalia Vargas, MPH
Public Health Analyst
Health Resources and Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Rockville, Md.

Angelica C. Williams, MPH
Disease Intervention Specialist
Florida Department of Health in Broward County
Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Lauren B. Zapata, PhD, MSPH
Commander
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

Senior Research Scientist
Division of Reproductive Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Ga.

COPH Deans, from left: Drs. Peter Levin, Donna Petersen (current) and Charles Mahan.

Without question, the night was all about the alumni awardees, but there were a few other show-stoppers in the room. Namely, COPH Deans Drs. Peter Levin, Donna Petersen, and Charles Mahan (above) and COPH alumnus and USF Board Trustee Scott Hopes (below left).

USF Trustee Scott Hopes (on left) with Lesley and Rick Bateman.  Lesley was the college’s first public affairs and development officer.

Founded in July 1984, the USF College of Public Health is wrapping up a yearlong celebration of educating and training public health professionals.  Some of the 30^th anniversary year highlights include

• regional events in Orlando, New Orleans, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
• the Dean’s Lecture Series featuring alumni like Drs. Richard Hartman, Charlan Kroelinger and Hana Osman.
• community building activities like a tailgate and USF football game, fall networking social during homecoming, Super Bowl party and spring BBQ.
• Team #USFCOPHRocks with more than 50 public health Bulls participating in the Gasparilla Distance Classic.
• raising almost $70,000 in new commitments to student scholarships in the college.

“We are proud of the work we have done building on a solid foundation and creating an outstanding school of public health—one that just recently jumped in national rankings from 21 to 16,” Petersen said.  “In addition to our great champions and the consistent high performance of our faculty and staff, the reputation we have earned is due in no small measure to the incredible contributions of our alumni.”

The alumni awards ceremony was made possible with support from the COPH, as well as corporate sponsors USF Health and Bayfront Health-St. Petersburg, and individual sponsors Drs. Jay Wolfson and Phillip and Jean Amuso.

It takes a village to raise a family AND host an amazing alumni awards ceremony.  Salute!

Alumni awardee Dr. Abdel A. Alli (second from right) enjoyed the festivities with his family, as well as nominator and faculty mentor Dr. Donna Haiduven (center) and her husband, Michael Gronquist (far right).

Alumni awardee Dr. Arlene Calvo shares a special moment with fellow alumnus Dr. Clement Gwede.

Go, Bulls!

“I applaud the College of Public Health for recognizing alumni who not only have tremendous accomplishments, but who have made a difference in the lives of so many,” said Bill McCausland, executive director of the USF Alumni Association.

Story by Natalie D. Preston, College of Public Health.  Photos by Ashley Grant and Humberto Lopez Castillo.

Related media:
Alumni Awards photo gallery on Facebook

The post Our past is our future: College recognizes distinguished alumni appeared first on College of Public Health News.

First published on December 9, 2019 in observance of the COPH’s 35^th anniversary celebration.

In 2018, the USF College of Public Health (COPH) resurrected its Public Health Executive Leadership Program, which had been dormant for 10 years.

The program aims to bring rising leaders in the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) together to “collaborate and improve upon their own as well as their agency’s effectiveness,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, a COPH professor and co-director of the program along with Dr. Anthony Masys, an associate professor and director of global disaster management, humanitarian assistance and homeland security. “We revived the program not to teach public health skills, but to bring out leadership skills.”

Last year’s program brought 28 FDOH professionals—everyone from bureau chiefs to doctors and nurses to lab executives—to the USF Tampa campus several times over the course of nine months to attend workshops and presentations. In between the sessions, the group performed online work and discussions.

“The students evaluated their own leadership skill growth at the beginning and end of the program,” explained Levine. “Based on this, we saw a significant increase in self-assessed leadership skills. In addition, each student completed a capstone project relevant to their work at their base of operations. Each project was impactful and some had the potential for state- or national-level effectiveness.”

As an added bonus, many students in the program who did not initially know each other created professional relationships. “That will not only help them personally, but it will also enhance the work and impact of the department,” noted Levine.

Hurricane season pushed back the start of this year’s program, but in November 30 FDOH workers came to campus to open the 2019 program and begin fine-tuning their leadership skills. 

“This is another dynamic group who we will meet again in person four more times between now and May. Next month we will be exploring leadership in a political context and will convene in Tallahassee where we will view committee meetings and learn about all levels of government budget and policy making,” said Levine.

The Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice, the COPH group that puts on the program, has an annual contract with the FDOH. According to Levine, the group is looking to expand its offerings to engage other public health professionals. “We’re disseminating information to our graduates and others interested in leadership so that we can create a robust resource for leaders working to collaboratively improve health and well-being,” said Levine

.Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Newly revived Public Health Executive Leadership Program welcomes second cohort appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the USF College of Public Health (COPH), delivered the college’s annual State of the College address in person to a packed Samuel P. Bell, III auditorium on Sept. 22.

This year’s presentation highlighted the college’s people, passion and potential. “Our people are the foundation of everything we do,” Petersen said, as she introduced the numerous new hires, promotions, new doctoral scholars and faculty, staff, student and alumni award winners.

“We recognize and thank all of these folks who not only enrich the college but also what we do collectively as USF Health to improve lives and create opportunities for our students and teams to learn and grow professionally,” Petersen said.

One who received special recognition was Dr. Karen Liller, a Distinguished University Health Professor, who was presented with the Cliff Blair Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award, named for the late COPH professor Cliff Blair who famously made difficult subjects easy to understand and who received the student’s teaching award seven times, is given to instructors who, according to the award’s website, “reach deep within and far beyond to provide extraordinary learning moments for students.”

“This award is so meaningful to me,” Liller said as she accepted the award. “I knew Cliff for many years. He always had time for you and was so approachable and funny. He was an amazing individual and I can’t thank you enough.”

Petersen then moved into highlighting the college’s passion—which is educating students and serving the community. Some statistics of note:

• The fall 2023 incoming class is comprised of 466 undergraduate students, 220 master’s students ​and 30 doctoral students​.
• Since May 2022, the college graduated 1,492 bachelor students,​ 314 master’s students​ and 36 doctoral students​.
• During the 2022-2023 academic year, the college’s faculty taught 83,254 student contact hours, up 2.5% over the prior year.
• A team, which included two COPH MHA students, took home second place in the CLARION Case Competition, a national competition that promotes the development of interprofessional relationships among health professional students.
• Two health sciences majors were recently elected USF Student Government president and vice president.
• One student who recently graduated summa cum laude was named a UG Golden Bull and was a Phi Beta Kappa inductee.

“Our faculty amazes me every year,” Petersen said. “Every year you teach more and more and more. And we can’t thank you enough. You help ensure the future of our field.”

Petersen went on to make note of the college’s main initiatives in 2022, including new curriculum collaborations with other areas of USF Health, such as the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Taneja College of Pharmacy; instituting one-credit graduate courses; new graduate student boot camps that focus on things like writing and professionalism; the start of the Disease Intervention Specialist Training Academy (DISTA) and the Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice and its inaugural PHEARLESS cohort, devoted to workforce development.

She also elaborated on the strides of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, which now has 100% participation for all the maternity hospitals in the state; the achievements of the Center for Global Health and Inter-Disciplinary Research, which has active grants totaling $49.9 million;  the genomics program, which recently enrolled its largest MSPH class; and other programs like the COPH Lifelong Learning Academy, which awarded approximately 2,046 CPH and CHES credits in 2022-2023.

Finally, Petersen talked about the college’s potential, “where we are, where we’re going and what we want to do,” she said. And because potential takes funding, she also gave an overview of the college’s budget and grants and outlined some of the important work students and faculty are doing in the research realm.

“We are doing incredible work that is increasingly recognized by different groups locally and around the country,” Petersen commented. “We had 120 research proposals submitted last year. That’s an enormous increase over the prior year. And our active awards are up to an all-time high, from $19.9 million in fiscal year 2020 to $34.98 million in 2023.”

Petersen ended her address looking to the future, making mention of a variety of events to take place and acknowledging and thanking everyone involved in the college for their support and work.

She recounted a story she heard about a man living in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. His dream, Petersen said, was to open a grocery store, because every time he saw someone carrying groceries on a bus, he knew it was likely the third bus they’d been carrying the groceries on as there were no nearby food marts.

“He said, ‘You know, they say you only live once. But that’s not the truth. You only die once, but you live every day. And every day that you live, you have to do something impactful. Have a few kids, get a job, pay your bills, grow old and die—that’s not why you’re here. My purpose is easy. It’s to serve.’ So, every day,” Petersen added, “do something that matters. Be kind. Be helpful. Because that’s what we’re about.”

To view the entire address, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Dean Donna Petersen delivers annual State of the College address appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The USF College of Public Health (COPH) welcomed master’s and doctoral  students to a graduation ceremony presented at the college (and also livestreamed here) to family, friends, students, faculty and staff on Aug. 5.

Dr. Tricia Penniecook, COPH associate professor and vice dean for faculty affairs and development, began the ceremony what public health can do for the graduates and how it’ll change them for the rest of their lives. 

“What happens to the people who come through our halls and study to become a public health professional?” Penniecook said. “They change their world view from looking at an individual to viewing the community as a whole. Next, they start challenging their purpose. What are students going to do now that their world view has changed? Next is a change in lifestyle. Everything they do will start connecting with what they have learned in public health. Lastly, they will realize how important building relationships, support and credibility will be with their communities moving forward.”

Every year, the COPH Excellence in Teaching awardee offers words of encouragement to the graduating class. This year’s speaker was Patrick Rodriguez, instructor I.

“As you enter this next phase of your lives, we encourage you to remember the importance of being a lifelong learner. The field of public health is constantly evolving, and it is essential to stay up to date with the latest research, technologies and best practices,” he said. “We also encourage you to embrace diversity and inclusivity in your work, recognizing that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the root causes of social and economic disparities.”

Dr. Janice Zgibor, professor and associate dean for academic affairs, rounded out the ceremony, presenting the Class of 2023 with their degrees and class gifts.

“I’m so proud of the accomplishments that you have made. It’s taken some time, but you did it. I had the privilege of reading all of your projects and you have made an impact on public health today as we speak,” Zgibor said.

While the graduate student ceremony was underway, the undergraduate studies team celebrated BSHS and BSPH graduates with a stop-in photo booth session before the USF Health ceremony at the USF Yuengling Center.

This semester, 263 undergraduates, 84 master’s degree and 12 doctoral students graduated and entered the public health profession.

Here are some of the stories from the Class of 2023:

Epiphany Jordan, MPH in social marketing

Epiphany Jordan is a multitalented professional from Nevada who said the COPH’s online MPH program with a concentration in social marketing made her feel like she’s graduating with three degrees.

It had been decades since the author, who also serves as caregiver to her mother, had been in school and the first time learning how to think like a scientist.

While testing rebranding strategies on nurturing connections, she fell in love with qualitative research and taking deep dives into the way people think.

“I entered the program not sure of what it entailed and felt a little strange being decades older than my peers,” she said. “But I succeeded in learning to leverage commercial marketing strategies to influence behaviors for the greater social good.”

Jordan soon realized her personal perspective and life experience outside public health were assets that brought welcome insight and empathy to the research she and her colleagues carried out. The support she received throughout the program validated her interest in redefining human touch as an integral part of health and wellness.

This new skillset has opened the door for Jordan to become a social marketing consultant for health agencies in Reno. As an author is working on a second book on nonsexual touch for couples.

“My ultimate goal is to bring human touch to the public’s awareness as a tool for helping us cope with the human and social aspects of climate change. In the short term, I think it can help with the loneliness epidemic,” Jordan said.

Natalia Babenko, MPH in global health practice

Born and raised in Mariupol, Ukraine, Natalia Babenko began working in the pharmaceutical field after completing her BS and MS in chemistry from Donetsk National University in Ukraine.

After seven years in pharmaceuticals, she said she reached a point in her career where her true passion became preventing diseases and decided to pursue the field of public health. She ultimately joined the COPH’s MPH program and decided on a concentration in global health practice.

During her time at the COPH, Babenko said she was most proud of the research she was able to conduct, especially after the pandemic.

“I am proud of conducting research on the predictors of anxiety and depression in health care workers and further developing a public health prevention initiative for doctors in the Dominican Republic to decrease anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “Being a public health student helped me develop personal stress-coping mechanisms, which then enabled me to develop population-based interventions for managing stress and anxiety in health care-related cohorts.

Babenko said that she enjoyed her time in the program and is looking forward to using her public health knowledge in her career.

“I would definitely recommend the program for students who want to develop foundational knowledge in public health and understand the intricacies of public health concepts and theories,” she said.

She is continuing her education at the USF School of Aging Studies in its doctoral program.

“I hope that the results of my research can be used in developing intervention campaigns for aging communities to improve mental health via active social engagement and connection in the community,” Babenko said.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

The post The COPH graduates 359 public health heroes this summer appeared first on College of Public Health News.

When Stephanie Carraway relocated to Tampa from Florida’s East Coast 12 years ago, she took a job as a secretary in the infection prevention department at Moffitt Cancer Center.

“My time there proved to be highly influential,” said Carraway, a native of Islamorada, Fla., and a 2006 graduate of Florida State University. “I became deeply inspired by the department, prompting me to pursue a specialization in infection prevention.”

In 2013, Carraway enrolled in classes at USF to acquire a graduate certificate in infection control, which sparked an even broader interest in public health. In 2015, she received her MPH from USF’s College of Public Health with a specialization in infection control.

Carraway said what she loves about the work is her ability to have a direct impact on an individual’s health and well-being.

“Our primary objective revolves around ensuring the well-being of both patients and staff, shielding them from the risks associated with communicable diseases and infections that they might be vulnerable to during their hospital stay,” Carraway said. “It is truly gratifying to witness the positive impact my team can make by introducing projects or processes that enhance the health outcomes of our patients and the safety of our staff.”

Carraway credits her COPH training with helping her climb to the top.

“The invaluable knowledge I gained at USF has played a pivotal role in shaping my current position,” she stated. “My experience at USF has enabled me to successfully transition into the role of an infection preventionist, significantly expanding my responsibilities within my organization. I started as a secretary and today, I stand as director of infection prevention at a prominent comprehensive cancer center, a testament to the transformative power of education and personal growth.”

Infection control’s ever-changing nature keeps Carraway on her toes.

“I am dedicated to the education of health care personnel and the general public regarding infectious diseases and effective measures to contain their spread,” she said. “Through this outreach, I aim to foster awareness and empower individuals with knowledge on limiting the transmission of infectious diseases. I firmly believe that in this role, the learning process never ceases. There is an endless array of knowledge and skills to acquire, and I relish the opportunity to face and overcome such challenges.”

Carraway said one of her greatest professional accomplishments is being selected as a fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Fellows of the APIC must demonstrate exceptional expertise and leadership in the field of infection control and epidemiology, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals and exhibiting proficiency in at least three of the four domains of infection prevention (for example, operations and performance improvement, professional stewardship, etc.).

“Receiving the title of APIC fellow is an accomplishment that I am immensely proud of. It highlights my dedication to infection prevention and control, as well as my commitment to advancing the field through leadership and scholarly contributions,” Carraway said.

Carraway intends on staying put at Moffitt, at least for the time being.

“I love working at Moffitt. I feel like I have truly found my passion and I love what I do,” she said. “I am not sure what the future holds for my career, but I am along for the ride!”

Alumni Fast Five:

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

I was always inspired by doctors and thought medicine was super cool!

Where would we find you on the weekend?

You will most likely find me spending time with my family. My weekends are when I get to have fun with my 5-year-old daughter and my husband. I look forward to different activities and watching my daughter grow and play! There is no other place I would rather be.

What is the last book you read?

I am currently pursuing my MBA, so the only books I have read lately are about finance!

What superpower would you like to have?

I would love to be able to heal people. You know…place your hand on a broken arm and fix it. There would be no better feeling!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

This is tough, and I am not sure I could pick just one. I really loved “Mrs. Doubtfire” growing up and that’s in my top 10!

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post From secretary to department head: One grad’s rise in infection control appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The USF College of Public Health (COPH) welcomed master’s and doctoral  students to a graduation ceremony presented at the college (and also livestreamed) to family, friends, students, faculty and staff on May 5.

Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the COPH, began the ceremony sharing the morning’s top news headlines. The dean noted that the public’s health is an ever-present concern (and news topic) for the country and the world.

“Why does that matter?” asked Petersen. “Because everything that happens in our environment affects our health.”

Every year, the COPH Excellence in Teaching awardee offers words of encouragement to the graduating class. This year’s speaker was Patrick Rodriguez, instructor I.

“As you enter this next phase of your lives, we encourage you to remember the importance of being a lifelong learner. The field of public health is constantly evolving, and it is essential to stay up to date with the latest research, technologies and best practices,” he said. “We also encourage you to embrace diversity and inclusivity in your work, recognizing that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the root causes of social and economic disparities.”

Drs. Janice Zgibor, Amy Alman, Jaime Corvin and Victor Weedon rounded out the ceremony, presenting the Class of 2023 with their degrees and class gifts.

Zgibor, professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs, spoke to the PhD and DrPH graduates.

“I’m so proud of the accomplishments that you have made. It’s taken some time, but you did it. I had the privilege of reading all of your projects and you have made an impact on public health today as we speak,” Zgibor said.

Moving onto the MPH, MSPH and MHA students, Corvin, associate professor and director of MPH programs, urged the graduates to stand up for the vulnerable, fight for the innocent and weak and advocate for change.

“Let nothing stand in the way of your drive and passion, and never cease to be inspired,” she said.

While the graduate student ceremony was underway, the undergraduate studies team celebrated BSHS and BSPH graduates with a stop-in photo booth session before the USF Health ceremony at the USF Yuengling Center.

This semester, 684 undergraduates, 129 students seeking their master’s degree and 10 doctoral students graduated and entered the public health profession.

Here Are Some of the Stories From the Class of 2023:

Cayla Lomax’s path to public health wasn’t a straightforward one.

“In my last year of undergrad, I took a health economics course on a whim. It’s somewhat hyperbolic, but this class completely changed my trajectory. I knew nothing about the health care industry and knew even less about public health but upon taking this course, I completely fell in love with the topic. I loved learning about the health care industry and was eager to learn more. I wanted to know if it was possible to ‘fix’ the industry and I wanted to pursue further education that was more centered on health policy to find out. This is what ultimately led me to public health.”

As an MPH student concentrating in health policies and programs, Lomax said her favorite memories were passing the CPH exam and being a part of the Black-ish in Public Health student organization.

After graduation, Lomax will be working in the Hillsborough County Department of Health (DOH) as a human services program specialist.

“What I love most about this position is that you can see public health directly in action. The program I’ll be working on seeks to address the social determinants of health of clients that the DOH works with,” she said. “We’re looking to improve the health outcomes of our clients by addressing and connecting them to community resources that can meet their social needs, such as food security or transportation. I love how my position will allow me to work directly with the population we’re serving—I feel like by doing so you can really get a feel for how we can positively impact people’s lives.”

A two-time USF alumna, Chinwendu Ilonzo graduated with her MPH with concentrations in epidemiology and maternal and child health.

“Already a one-time USF alum, USF has always been a school I’ve called home,” said Ilozo, who earned her BS in biomedical science in 2019. “Being familiar with the campus, different activities and opportunities available and the wonderful people that study and teach here, I didn’t want to go anywhere else for my public health degree.”

During her time at the COPH, Ilonzo was involved in several organizations, even founding and serving as president of the Black-ish in Public Health student organization.

Ilonzo is excited to start her full-time position as a health care associate supporting and implementing initiatives focused on health care policy and performance measures.

“What I love about this position is that I will be able to apply the skills and knowledge I have gained during my program. Also, that the work is centered around improving the quality of health care through policy and systems change,” she said. “This position is heavily focused on written communication for different audiences, literature reviews, project management and developing relationships with internal and external stakeholders —all of which I have built a solid foundation for during my time as a graduate student. I feel the COPH has prepared me to take this next step!”

In the future, Ilonzo hopes to become a physician and open a medical practice that is more accommodating and accessible to Black and brown communities. She’d also like to evaluate maternal health programs and develop policies that improve community health.

Laura Pemble was first introduced to public health while studying comparative health systems and health policy abroad in Sydney, Australia, during her freshman year at Florida State University. When she returned to Florida, she decided to focus on health management and pursue her MHA at the COPH.

During her time at the COPH, Pemble said she was most proud of how much she grew in terms of professionalism and exploring a multitude of opportunities.

“I stepped out of my comfort zone for many opportunities, including running for and being voted president of the Health Management Student Association and for accepting a summer internship position in Chicago, where I did not know anyone in the city,” she said.

After graduation, Pemble will be pursuing an administrative fellowship at Tampa General Hospital. The yearlong program is designed to be a continued-learning experience where she will be doing rotations through various departments and completing several high-level projects.

“As I begin working hands-on in a hospital, I will apply the knowledge and professionalism I acquired in my classes to build relationships and be successful in future endeavors,” she said. “I believe this program was an amazing experience and immensely furthered my career. The opportunities that I was provided with are invaluable, and this program was very nurturing.”

The first in her family to graduate from college, Jacqueline Perez earned her BA in global health and international comparative studies from Duke University before deciding to attend the COPH for her MPH in health promotion and behavior.

Perez was first introduced to public health after landing an internship at the Duke Student Wellness Center (DuWell) her freshman year of undergrad.

“I didn’t know it then, but my job at DuWell introduced me to public health and the world of health education and promotion. During my four years as a DuWell intern, I had the opportunity to create and lead the implementation of health promotion projects centered around topics in sexual health, healthy relationships and mindfulness,” she said. “As someone who values creativity, this was my first work experience creating projects and programs to improve the health and well-being of my peers—and having fun while doing so. Once I realized this, I knew public health was the place for me.”

During her time at the COPH, Perez was involved in Eta Sigma Gamma and the USF Health Executive Student Leadership Board. She was also a graduate assistant for the Florida Research Prevention Center (FPRC) and Dr. Rita Debate, researching food insecurity among college students.

After graduation, Perez is excited to join the health communication research team at Fors Marsh as a research analyst.

“I never imagined myself as a research analyst, but one of the things that I love about this position is the potential for impact by developing evidence-based public health programs for our communities. I am also excited to work with a team of researchers who are driven and put people first,” she said.

A first-generation American, Calandra Peterkin had always been around health care coming from a family of nurses and midwives.

“My journey has been interesting. I wanted to become a lawyer when I was younger. However, in 2018, I became a medication technician and resident aide. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in health care,” she said. “I got into public health when I started as a freshman at USF and was amazed by how much public health covers without having to be a nurse or in direct patient care.”

During her time at USF, Peterkin was involved in numerous organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women, Black Female Development Circle, National Society of Black Women in Medicine, co-chair for education for Time for Change and vice president/health chair for the USF Chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Peterkin was recently accepted in the COPH’s MPH program and will also be working as a community health worker.

“I love that this new position focuses on overcoming social determinants of health and getting patients to their primary care practitioner rather than using the ER,” she said. “I love trying to build the bridge to the continuity of care and having the physician’s support.”

As she continues her graduate-level education, Peterkin said, “I hope to build relationships with more professors at USF! I want to be a part of more discussions and become a certified health education specialist.”

After earning her BS in communication sciences and disorders in 2011 and a BS in event management with a minor in 2014, both from the University of Central Florida, Aura Marie Reyes knew she needed to come the USF for her public health degree.

“It’s a funny story! In high school, I was a part of a club called Future Business Leaders of America. We were on our way to a conference and my teacher decided to book a university tour at USF. Since then, I always had a feeling that I would be studying at USF one day. As the pandemic affected the hospitality industry, I thought it was the perfect time to pivot my career and apply for a master’s in public health. I was living in New Jersey at the time and I saw that USF had an MPH. I decided to apply and move back to Florida to be closer to my family. I think in an odd way it was fate.”

One of Reyes favorite memories at the COPH was being asked to join the Florida Prevention Research Center (FPRC) team as a graduate research assistant working on a project that aligned with her previous experience in hospitality.

“I was able to lead, delegate tasks and learn to code a qualitative study. The major accomplishment though was completing the target number of interviews needed for one population. Recruitment is hard!”

Reyes said that she’ll always remember the people that she met while in the MPH program and the support they gave each other through all the highs and lows.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

The post The COPH graduates 823 public health heroes appeared first on College of Public Health News.

When Jennifer Davids graduated in 2019 with her bachelor’s degree in public health, she started work promoting a health screening program. Although she loved the people she was helping, she didn’t really feel fulfilled.

What she wanted, she realized, was a boots-on-the-ground job in health care, fighting disease and infection.

Choosing infection control

“Growing up, my dad was an EMT who eventually became an EMS chief,” Davids said. “I would go on emergency medical calls with him and assist with some of the courses he taught. The medical field and community felt like my extended family, and I missed that. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and I had a lot more time to reflect on what I truly wanted to do with my public health degree, I thought about the classes I took in undergrad that impacted me the most. I realized that I love communicable diseases, understanding how they spread, how they impact the body and figuring out ways to help break the chain of infection to stop and slow the spread of disease.”

Choosing the COPH

Davids researched MPH programs in infection control and settled on the USF College of Public Health. She’s currently concentrating in infection control and working on a certificate in the epidemiology of infectious diseases.

“I am a military spouse, so I wanted to ensure I had a program that would be as portable as I have to be,” Davids noted. “The program being offered completely online was a huge bonus because I knew no matter where the Air Force would send us, I would still be able to accomplish my goals. Another huge part of choosing this program was the opportunity to not only be a part of the amazing infection control concentration (which is very rare to find) but also to do the epidemiology of infectious diseases certificate. Infection control requires a lot of data manipulation and analysis for a successful program, so I wanted to ensure I got more exposure and expertise in data collection, management and analysis.”  

Although she’s still completing the MPH program, today Davids works as an infection preventionist (IP) with Madigan Army Medical Center, a large military hospital in Washington State with more than 200 beds, a pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit and busy operating room.

Some of her responsibilities include helping to determine if a patient’s infection was acquired in the hospital or elsewhere, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards and evaluating the use of transmission-based precautions for inpatients.

Davids says she started her job right about the time she started the infection control MPH program. “What I learned in just those first few weeks really helped me be more successful starting out as an IP,” Davids said. “That knowledge has only grown and progressed as I have completed the other courses that are really built to help you learn how to implement an infection control program.”

“There’s always something new to learn!”

Davids says she loves the breadth of infection control and the support she gets at the COPH.

“Even with the program being online, I’ve felt an immense amount of support from the faculty,” she said. “They’re always happy to answer questions and provide feedback. Infection control overlaps so many other areas of public health, such as occupational health in implementing a blood-borne pathogen exposure protocol or understanding facility management when advising on a construction project within a healthcare facility, that it’s nearly impossible to get bored. There’s always something new to learn!” 

Future goals

While Davids says she’s happy working as an IP, her ultimate goal is to become director of an infection control program at a large cancer hospital.

“I’ve always been humbled by the vastness of cancer’s effects on the body, and I’m passionate about how to keep those patients as safe as possible while their body works incredibly hard to battle the disease,” Davids commented.

Davids expects to earn her MPH in Fall 2023.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Public health student finds a career in infection control appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Growing up, Dr. Dauda Fadeyi’s first love was basketball. He went to college on a full athletic scholarship and dreamed of joining the NBA or playing overseas.

Even though his parents—his father was an epidemiologist and his mother a social worker—supported his basketball aspirations, Fadeyi, who grew up in Tampa as a first-generation Nigerian, said they also encouraged him to pursue an MPH degree after college.

Choosing which direction to take his career in was a tough decision, but Fadeyi ultimately decided to hang up his jersey and head back to the classroom. “I opted to further my education rather than take my chances playing ball overseas,” he commented.

Fadeyi enrolled in Florida A&M University, getting his MPH in 2011. Ten years later, he received his DrPH degree in Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health from the USF College of Public Health (COPH).

Early Career

Fadeyi’s first job as a newly minted public health professional was working with a nonprofit community-improvement association assessing residents’ perspectives on prostitution in their neighborhood. From there he took a job with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working as a public health associate with the Southwest Public Health District in Albany, Ga.

“When I began my MPH journey and learned more about public health,” Fadeyi said, “I realized that public health is everything. It encompasses environmental, global, community and behavioral health. It’s policy-making, research, science, innovation and marketing. It has a great impact on our daily lives.”

Going Global

In the nearly 12 years since he’s been with the CDC, Fadeyi’s held a variety of positions with the agency around the world, serving as a grant management specialist, a public health analyst with the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and a deputy team lead with the CDC’s Center for Global Health, Africa Polio Eradication Branch.

Today, Fadeyi is the cooperative agreement manager/acting deputy director in the Division of Global HIV/AIDS and TB in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a position he’s held for about a year. He’s primarily responsible for providing technical assistance and leadership to local and international partners helping with HIV/TB treatment, diagnosis and care.

Fadeyi says what he loves about the work is it’s an opportunity to work boots on the ground with communities and partners around the world.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as a diplomat/expat on behalf of the U.S. government,” he said. “I love the fast pace, being close to the action, working with local partners, meeting other diplomats and the collaboration among other agencies and missions. I also love that I get to experience this with my family (my wife Chryston, daughter Cyrene and son Dauda III).”

Time at the COPH

When it came time to further his education, Fadeyi said USF’s COPH was a logical choice.

“My dad is a USF alum, Tampa is home for me and the COPH offers a great online program,” he commented. “I met amazing individuals, learned a great deal and conducted a unique, but relevant, mixed-methods study exploring the role of socioeconomic status (SES) and how it affects the relationship between college athletes and psychological health. I think the USF DrPH program is amazing and I always recommend it to others who inquire.”

Not that there weren’t challenges. Fadeyi said that while working on his dissertation, his father unexpectedly passed away.

“This was very tough on me and my entire family,” he said. “I also became a father a few weeks after my dad passed, and later experienced more challenges with my study ambassador who served as the key person of contact in my study, assisting me with recruitment and the data-collection process. This caused major delays in my overall study progression and extended my graduation date one additional semester. But I’m grateful to my entire committee. They really worked hard to help me meet deadlines, overcome challenges and get through the program.”

Future Goals

Fadeyi said he hopes to continue to work for the CDC on an international level, “assisting individuals, communities and countries with general health needs and working toward creating a better world for all, one day at a time.”

And he hasn’t abandoned his love of sports. Since graduating from the DrPH program, Fadeyi’s created a virtual community for college athletes called Sports Knowledge and Life (SKaL).  “SKaL is focused on helping student-athletes learn from the unique journey/stories of former college athletes,” he said. “I’d love to broaden my SKaL passion project to reach as many student-athletes as I can.”

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

I dreamed about owning my own business as a car salesman and playing basketball in the NBA or overseas.

Where can we find you on the weekend?

Spending quality time with my wife and two children and doing fun things that are kid-friendly. Also, hanging out with family and friends. 

What is the last book you read?

“The Code of the Extraordinary Mind,” by Vishen Lakhiani

What superpower would you like to have?

I would love the superpower of total recall/photographic memory, where I can recall anything from current or ancient history. I would be able to implement positive change and work to not allow bad times in history to repeat. 

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

“The Jacksons: An American Dream.” So many lessons to be learned from this movie, along with understanding what it takes to be successful.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post From the basketball courts to the CDC: One DrPH grad’s journey in public health appeared first on College of Public Health News.

This year, multiple USF College of Public Health staff members were awarded the 2022 Outstanding Staff Awards for representing the core values of USF and demonstrating their commitment to the pursuit of excellence.

Nominated by fellow colleagues, these individuals showed commitment to inquiry, innovation, integrity and inclusion through their projects at the college. Additionally, the award aims to highlight the contributions of staff who are essential workers, veterans and/or members of historically marginalized groups.

Of the recipients, the COPH received two individual award nominations and two team nominations.

Individual Award – Patricia Roque

One of the recipients of the individual award was Patricia Roque, who has been with the COPH for over 10 years and has worked for the last three years as the academic services administrator for Experiential Learning.

“I am extremely honored to receive the Outstanding Staff Award. I am sincerely grateful for the recognition I have received. I would also like to thank Dr. Somer Burke for encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone. I am incredibly thankful for the level of support you and our team continue to show me,” Rogue said, “My work means everything to me; it is my commitment and independence. I will always be committed to doing my best no matter what I am doing and always giving it 110 percent.”

Burke, director of student success and assessment for Experiential Learning, wrote in her nomination letter that Rogue exemplifies integrity and emphasized Roque’s willingness to go above and beyond in her work and how, in turn, students feel genuinely supported.

“She works to ensure that our students are getting the best service, accurate information, timely responses and genuine care,” Burke said. “She performs at the highest level of honesty and professionalism.”

Individual Award – Sheri Lee Shakes

Another recipient of the individual award was Sheri Lee Shakes, the director of faculty recruitment.  She is responsible for hiring new faculty and acting as a line of communication between the college’s faculty and administration.

“Due to the ongoing pandemic, there has been a need to hire many new faculty members in the college. This may have daunted others and certainly meant an incredible increase in her workload, but Sheri-Lee was unphased. She took on this challenge through her incredible organizational skills and accepted the difficult task of recruiting talented and diverse faculty with effortless grace,” undergraduate instructor Patrick Rodriguez said. “It is because of people like Sheri-Lee that we see our college and the university grow and establish the commitment to diversity and excellence simultaneously to further the success of faculty, staff and students.”

Team Award – COPH Lifelong Learning Academy (COPH LLA)

The COPH Lifelong Learning Academy (COPH LLA) is an initiative created by the COPH to provide educational opportunities to people worldwide and create innovative approaches to teaching and learning beyond degree programs. The academy serves as an online resource for public health professionals to develop the necessary skills to succeed in the field, providing everything from lectures and resources to networking opportunities.

Some courses available at the COPH LLA include micro-certificates in genomics, disease intervention specialization training, infectious control for emergency responders and more.

For their contributions to making the COPH LLA possible, Andres Abril, Samantha Haylock, Evan Itle, Ann Joyce and Anna Mayor have been recognized for the team award.

Dr. Janice Zgibor, professor and associate dean of Academic Affairs, spoke about how members from different offices offered their expertise and did their part to make the academy possible. In her nomination letter, she mentions how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a great need for public health workers and how the teams’ work helps address these challenges and issues in the field.

“With all the competing demands, the team was able to pivot and make workforce development a priority for the community, stakeholders and alumni,” Zgibor said. “The team worked in concert to deliver a high-quality product that is receiving regional and national recognition.”

Team Award – Salud Latina USF (SLU)

Anna Mayor, Carlos Montoya and James Taylor have been recognized for their contributions to Salud Latina USF, an organization formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to combat the spread of misinformation. Since its founding, all three individuals have taken responsibility for a large portion of the organization needed to run the program, including communication outreach, messaging and logistical support.

“The process of creating any marketing collateral in a language that is not your first language is lengthy and at times complicated. Still, this duo [referring to Mayor and Taylor] was committed to making sure the imagery and messaging was appropriate for their specific and diverse audience—Spanish speakers and a multitude of different dialects within,” said Natalie Preston, director of the Office of Engagement and Constituent Relations.

On top of their regular workload and duties, these three employees have shown dedication to connecting with the community and growing the program.

Mayor mentioned how thankful she is to her colleagues and the faculty of Salud Latina USF for the work she’s been able to do for this organization.

“Being part of this initiative since its inception and being witness to its amazing growth is a testament to the fervor behind its mission,” Mayor said. “I am thankful for the opportunity to assist in getting these important health messages out to the Latino community and stakeholders who need it most. It’s a privilege to take part in such significant work while also getting to work with such a dedicated group of public health practitioners and researchers.”

Story by Parker Guevarra, USF College of Public Health

The post COPH celebrates recipients of the Outstanding Staff Award appeared first on College of Public Health News.