This past year, the USF College of Public Health celebrated 35 years of educating public health professionals with events and festivities honoring this historic milestone.

A jewel in the crown of the University of South Florida, the COPH was founded in statute by the Florida Legislature in 1984 as the first school of public health in the state.

Three decades of growth and innumerable success stories later, the college has provided excellence in public health education, leadership, advocacy, research and service.

Check out the following highlights from the yearlong celebration of all things public health.

From July 2019 through June 2020, the COPH hosted and partnered on more than 30 events. The year kicked off with the COPH Birthday Party in collaboration with the USF Faculty and Staff Campaign and featured  cake, punch, giveaways and complimentary massages!

Throughout the year the COPH co-branded and promoted several events with the 35^th Anniversary. Starting in August, the COPH hosted regional events for online students and alumni through the “In Your Neighborhood” series. COPHers gathered in St. Petersburg (Aug. 18), Atlanta (Sept. 7), and Annapolis, MD (Oct. 19).

The COPH Alumni Society partnered with the USF Student Alumni Association for the college’s first 7@7 Student Alumni Networking Dinner on Sept. 1. More than 70 coeds attended, the largest attendance for the series!

Some new events were also added, such as the COPH 7@5 Lecture Series that had a featured speaker come to the COPH each month to talk on a variety of topics.

One of the biggest events of the year was the COPH Talent Show. More than 200 COPH students, faculty, alumni, staff and friends of the college sung and swung the night away on Friday, Jan. 31, at Skipper’s Smokehouse, raising a total of $2582.50 for student scholarships. Twelve acts, performing everything from line and swing dancing to stand-up comedy to rock, jazz, classical and country music, took the stage. COPH alumnus and assistant professor Dr. Zachary Pruitt emceed the event.

In February, COPHers ran, walked and jogged their way across the finish line at the 2020 Gasparilla Classic on Feb. 22-23! More than 30 participants joined team #USFCOPHRocks with representatives in each race receiving limited edition 35^th anniversary moisture-wicking t-shirts.

Due to the unprecedented closure of the University of South Florida due to COVID-19 on March 13, many 35^th anniversary events, such as National Public Health Week, Community Jazz Night and the Science in Service: Paths to Health Equity symposium were canceled.

However, all activities did not come to a halt.

In April, Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the COPH, recognized the hardworking students, faculty, alumni, staff and other professionals in the field with awards and accolades. This year’s annual National Public Health Week award ceremony entailed Petersen congratulating award winners in front of a camera instead of an audience.

In May, the COPH was able to honor Spring 2020 graduates with another virtual ceremony. The Class of 2020 included  145 undergraduates, 117 masters and 11 doctoral students graduated and entered the public health profession.

Wrapping up the anniversary year, the COPH just released the 35^th Anniversary cookbook, titled “Passion,” a play on the college’s tagline “Practice Your Passion.” The cookbook is a compilation of recipes, photos and stories from the COPH’s faculty, staff, students and friends of the college.

Read more about the founding of the COPH here.

Read all the news from the COPH’s 35^th anniversary here and view all event photos here.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

The post It’s a wrap for the 35th Anniversary year (VIDEO) appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The USF College of Public Health (COPH) has been training students to become laboratory directors since 2017.

The DrPH program in clinical laboratory science and practice program was implemented because of the emerging need for more laboratory directors in the United States. Clinical laboratories are vital to the country’s public health infrastructure, but there’s a shortage of laboratory professionals who can properly run the four billion lab tests performed in the U.S. each year. The shortage is due to a variety of reasons, says the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), including the retirement of current staff to the lack of training programs for future ones.

Once this issue was recognized, the APHL, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developed competency guidelines for public health laboratory professionals that were intended to ensure a properly trained laboratory workforce.

“Members of the competency work group recognized early on that these educational programs were complimentary to the already-existing DrPH program offered at the COPH,” said Dr. Jill Roberts, a professor in the program. “All we needed to do was expand it a little further.”

In addition to the existing DrPH coursework at the COPH, the competency work group proposed eight additional courses focused on the scientific, leadership and management skills necessary for future laboratory directors. These courses will help students pass the high-complexity clinical laboratory director (HCLD) certification exam.

“Students must already have careers in laboratories to qualify for the program,” said Roberts. “Our goal is for the program to prepare students who want to advance their careers to lead the nation’s public health and clinical laboratories.”

As the program prepares to possibly graduate its first two students this spring, Roberts hopes that COPH program can be part of a nationwide replenishment of the laboratory workforce.

“We hope that this much-needed opportunity for advancement and professional training will fill that gap in the current laboratory workforce,” said Roberts. “There are also plans to expand the program to those students who require doctoral-level training for advancement but do not intend to complete the ABB examination.” 

Story by Cody Brown, USF College of Public Health

The post 35th Anniversary Spotlight: COPH doctoral program prepares students to work in laboratory setting appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Ever contemplated the “Principles of Evaluation and Research for Health Care Programs”?

Well, stop struggling.  Public health researcher Kay Perrin, PhD, MPH addresses this and more in her recently published book.

Noted as “A classroom-tested resource loaded with practical examples from across the health disciplines,” the book includes companion pieces such as a website with interactive crossword puzzles and flashcards designed to enhance student learning. Future releases will include support materials for instructors.

According to publisher Jones & Bartlett Learning, the book “provides a basic understanding of the importance of and the key approaches used to conduct health program research and evaluations.” Undergraduates are the target audience, but the book’s focus on “terminology, levels and types of measurement, data collection methods, sampling and basic statistical analysis” are useful to anyone considering a career in the health professions.

In 2013, Dr. Perrin received the Riegelman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Public Health Education. Named and funded by Dr. Richard Riegelman and his wife, Linda, the award encourages and recognizes excellence in teaching of public health to undergraduate students.  Most recently, Dr. Perrin was named assistant dean for Undergraduate Programs in the USF College of Public Health.

“… the college’s undergraduate program is the fastest growing undergraduate program at USF,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, interim senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the College of Public Health.  “That is due to the willingness of our faculty to “step up” and offer outstanding courses and to Dr. Perrin’s leadership and commitment to the success of the program.”

USF is home to the first accredited college to offer a bachelor of public health degree in Florida. Most recently, the BSPH added an online format to its offerings. Currently, more than 800 undergraduates are pursuing their practice, their passion in public health.

The Department of Community and Family Health serves as Dr. Perrin’s academic home.  It includes more than 10 concentrations that lead to MPH, MSPH, DrPH, and PhD degrees, as well as several dual degrees, graduate certificates, and special programs.

Story and photo by Natalie D. Preston, USF College of Public Health

The post Dr. Kay Perrin shares evaluation and research principles in new book appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been associated with feelings of anger, fear, guilt, embarrassment, stigma and depression among women, but few studies have examined the emotional responses among men.

A University of South Florida College of Public Health study shows that men shared many of these same negative emotional reactions as women after receiving HPV test results, but most disclosed the results to their sexual partners and reported high intentions to receive an HPV vaccine in the future.

The study, originally appearing in the American Journal of Health Behavior, was recently reported in NIH PubMed Central.

“We were able to take advantage of a larger HPV natural history study in men to assess their emotional responses to HPV infection,” said lead author Ellen Daley, PhD, associate professor of community and family health at the USF College of Public Health. “Our study found men shared may of the same concerns about HPV infection that women have expressed in previous studies.”

There is no HPV test commercially available for men.  However, an HPV test using DNA extracts is approved for use in research settings – which is how the positive or negative HPV status of male study participants could be determined.

“Our findings strengthen the need for vaccinating both males and females against HPV, which is a virus that can cause certain types of cancers that can affect both genders,” Daley said.

Ellen Daley, PhD

Among the behavioral study findings:

–          As expected, HPV-positive men were more likely to be upset by study results and experienced significantly higher negative emotional responses than HPV-negative men.

–          HPV-negative men were significantly more likely than HPV positive men to tell a sexual partner about their test results.

–          Most men, 91 percent, reported they were very likely or likely to get the HPV vaccine in the future.  (Since completion of the USF study, an FDA-approved HPV vaccine for boys and young men has become available.)

–          The most common barriers to HPV vaccination reported were cost (66 percent) and side effects (63 percent).

The findings will be important in helping design HPV-related prevention messages for men as well as interventions that recognize the emotional responses linked to test results, the study authors conclude.

The USF College of Public Health researchers collaborated with Moffitt Cancer Center on the study.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Ellen Daley is an associate professor in the Department of Community and Family Health and co-director of the Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Women’s Health (CTR-WH). The department offers more than 10 concentrations that lead to MPH, MSPH, DrPH, and PhD degrees, as well as dual degrees, special programs, and an online graduate certificate in social marketing.

Story by Anne DeLotto Baier. Reposted from USF Health News

The post Dr. Ellen Daley reports men’s emotional distress about HPV infection similar to women’s appeared first on College of Public Health News.

New online program helps all USF Health students track academic experience

Corralling the details of every college activity, project and job has been greatly simplified for USF Health students with the unveiling of the new USF Health Student Portfolios.

The online software helps students from throughout USF Health collect information about every degree, award, presentation, job, research project, and activity while they are at USF Health, helping them create a personal bio sketch and CV that grows across time.

In addition to building a resume, the goal of USF Health Student Portfolios is to help students have an interactive conversation with mentors about their activities and goals, said Melissa Metzger, director of Academic Technologies and Digital Media for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“It’s a place where students can have a back-and-forth with their mentors and counselors and fine-tune their portfolio as they progress to graduation, a process that, for medical students, can help them build the letters they use to apply for medical residencies,” Metzger said.

Another plus, Metzger said, is that the interaction is completely confidential because students and mentors are viewing the shared content via the secure Portfolios website.

“It’s all behind a log-in, so the virtual assistance is private and confidential, which isn’t the case with emails and attachments,” she said.

In addition to tracking academic experience and using the data to create customized and in-depth resumes and bio-sketches, Portfolios is accessible beyond graduation, allowing USF Health graduates to continue building on their career journeys.

Programs like Portfolios are becoming common among universities, Metzger said, especially medical schools, which will soon be required to have them by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME, the accrediting body for all U.S. medical schools) to have a system in place for students to evaluate career options and apply for residency programs.

“The good news is that we are way ahead of the requirement that is coming from the LCME,” Metzger said.

Portfolios was started in 2012 as a pilot project in the College of Public Health (COPH), in collaboration with Deanna Wathington, MD, MPH, associate dean for COPH Academic and Student Affairs, and David Hogeboom, MSPH, statistical data analyst at COPH. The goal was for COPH students to build a strong portfolio based on their degree work as they progressed toward graduation.

Portfolios quickly became the go-to place to track academic experience and has been expanded to now include all USF Health students, said Anne Jones, project manager for USF Health Information Systems, which designed and implemented Portfolios.

“A program like this is vital for student success in today’s academic settings,” Jones said. “Having a place to interact with mentors and accumulate countless details that can then be customized to fit every career need is invaluable.”

Hands-on experience with the program proved the point, as well.

“Student portfolios are a means of building your career visibility in a focused manner, avoiding duplication of efforts,” said Samuel Matos-Bastidas, a doctoral student in the College of Public Health.

Global health doctoral student Samuel Matos, MD, MPH, CPH, is a frequent user of the portfolio system.

“The Graduate Student Portfolio is a helpful tool to track relevant information throughout your graduate program,” said Kristin Steffen, a master’s student in the College of Public Health. “It helps me to know what competencies I am mastering as I progress through the Master’s program here in the College of Public Health.”

And the expansion to every USF Health student greater opportunities for lining up careers.

“Our curriculum reinforces the concept of developing a professional portfolio to be used as a networking tool in residency showcases, professional events and job opportunities,” said José G. León-Burgos, second-year student in the College of Pharmacy, who helped USF Health IS test the Portfolios expansion. “I think this digital portfolio will streamline the process of keeping our portfolio updated and I know that my colleagues will be very excited to start using this program.”

Mary Striby, USF Health IS assistant director of application development, was part of the team who unveiled Portfolios to USF Health students at the grand opening of The WELL, the new student services center for USF Health students.

Some of the key features of USF Health Student Portfolios include:
• Pools all of your information to create a strong and in-depth CV.
• Allows for info from beyond the classroom, like community service, jobs, and outside activities.
• Data merges into Word so it can be rearranged to customize as needed.
• Accessible by advisors, mentors and counselors via log-in to track program progression and offer suggestions.
• Offers full access beyond graduation to continue adding career details.
• Merges with GEMS so USF teaching and research employment can be easily added.
• Offers flexibility in reporting for customized bio sketches.
• Uploads event attendance with a swipe of ID card, which instantly fills the calendar section of Portfolios.

There is no registering; every student with current USF Health account can login and start inputting information to build an academic experience portfolio.
Visit now – Portfolios.health.usf.edu

Story by Sarah Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications. Dr. Matos photo by Natalie D. Preston, USF College of Public Health

Reposted from USF Health News

The post Public Health’s student portfolio system is available USF Health-wide appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Animal cells similar to those of humans contain a “control room,” called the centrosome, which regulates cell replication. Disrupt this core hub and you kill cell division.

That is the simple idea behind a new five-year, $2.1-million National Institutes for Health grant recently awarded to the USF College of Public Health’s Department of Global Health and the Florida Center for Drug Development and Innovation.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-funded study may help identify new factors required for the growth of malaria-related parasites and lead to new therapies to combat malaria, a mosquito-borne tropical disease that exacts a huge toll on human health in developing countries.

Principal investigator Michael White, PhD

 

The project began with a key discovery by Michael White, PhD, professor of global health  at USF Health, and Elena Suvorova, PhD, a research assistant professor at the USF Center for Drug Development and Innovation (CDDI).

They showed that in malaria-related parasites known as Toxoplasma gondii the centrosome is more complex and very different from their human hosts. The parasite hub houses novel factors, including unusual protein kinases, or enzymes, that offer new targets for drug development.

Principal investigator White and co-principal investigator Suvorova will collaborate with newly hired CDDI medicinal chemist Jim Leahy, PhD, an expert in developing drugs against kinases in cancer, and University of Georgia cell biologist Boris Striepen, PhD, to study centrosome control of Toxoplasma growth.

Magnified nuclei (blue) of malaria-related Toxoplasma parasites undergoing division. The duplicated chromosomes will be segregated by an unusually complex centrosome with two types of cores, shown here in red and green.

Dr. Michael White is a professor in the USF College of Public Health.  The Department of Global Health is his academic home. The department offers more than 10 concentrations that lead to MPH, MSPH, DrPH, and PhD degrees, as well several dual degrees, graduate certificates, and special programs. Most recently, Global Health added an online master of public health degree in infection control to its academic offerings.

The post Public Health team to study control of malaria-related parasite growth with $2.1-million NIH grant appeared first on College of Public Health News.

With a concerted pull of the drape hiding the sign, the formal name of the USF Health student services center was unveiled: The WELL.

Several hundred staff, faculty and students from throughout USF Health gathered Jan. 16 to learn the Center’s new name and to help officially open what is now the entry point for every new USF Health student, the hub for services critical to student success, a central place for forming new and lasting collaborative inter-professional and team-focused relationships, and a place to relax between all of those endeavors.

Headlining the day was Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services, who shared with everyone the journey that was taken to make this student-centered facility a reality and then thanked and recognized the many people who carried it through.

“We asked these dedicated professionals and teams to think outside the box and to dream big and not be encumbered by history, precedent, personality and old ways of doing,” Ford said.

“We encouraged them to shape the future of student services at Health. We celebrate today because of your tireless energy, passion for this program, and creative vision for what an old, very dated medical clinic could become. We are giving birth today and it was worth every labor pain we experienced together during delivery. Just look at this beautiful baby. We turned an ugly duckling into a swan. It is simply amazing.”

“Fostering an inter-professional collaborative learning environment; strengthening the student-centered culture and optimizing student success; providing high-quality, technology-enabled and timely delivered services and programs; building community; and promoting USF Health, serve as the cornerstones for this beautifully renovated center.” — Joe Ford

Joining in the celebration were deans, administrators and students from all four USF Health colleges, schools and programs, members of the USF Board of Trustees, and Provosts, as well as administrators of support services from across USF.

“This collaborative space is truly a labor of love,” said Donna J. Petersen, ScD, MHS, CPH, interim senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF College of Public Health. “While there were some challenges, the focus was always on the students. It is at the hub of USF Health, at the heart of Health. Every student will begin their education journey here and become part of USF Health and our community.”

“We started with our students to create an environment that not only meets their needs but is also a place for them to come together.” — Dr. Donna Petersen

One by one, student leaders from every facet of USF Health shared what such a student-centric center would mean for the entire USF Health community – Kristin Steffen from the College of Public Health, Kumar Jairamdas from the College of Nursing, Kelley Kinsella from the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Matthew Schneller from the College of Pharmacy, Lauren Terpak from the Morsani College of Medicine, and Keirsten Reilly from the School of Biomedical Sciences.

Then, with a snip of large gold scissors, a green ribbon was cut, signifying a new era for USF Health students.

The WELL – standing for Wellness, Engagement, Leadership and Learning – was named following a contest that drew more than 200 entries and reflects the mission of USF Health, as well as serves as a metaphor: a central resource where a community can gather. The WELL is the creation of Lynne Arric, EdD, director of Student Services for the USF Health College of Pharmacy.

Designed with input from students, faculty and staff as a way to enhance services the USF Health colleges and schools currently do for students, The WELL integrate support for USF Health students in one place. The colleges occupy the main sections of the Center but are connected in a cohesive way, providing a sense of unity in the shared space.

In addition to student affairs, financial aid, and registrar services, the Center also includes computer support, USF Health Service Corps, and multiple spaces for students to meet and study, from open lounges and a computer bar to enclosed conference rooms and quiet study spaces. More than 50 staff members fill offices in this first phase of the project.

The space not only serves as a central place for students, but also brings staff together to share ideas, collaborate and work in teams.

USF Health is the Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the Doctors of USF Health. In total, USF Health enrolls more than 5,400 students, nearly 12 percent of the USF System student body.

The entire event began with an amazing rendition of Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E Minor performed by the USF Health Orchestra, with violin soloist Samson Lu, fourth-year medical student, and conductor Dr. Frazier Stevenson, associate dean for Undergraduate Medical Education.

 

USF Health students from left are Keirsten Reilly from the School of Biomedical Sciences, Kelley Kinsella from the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Kumar Jairamdas from the College of Nursing, Lauren Terpak from the Morsani College of Medicine, Matthew Schneller from the College of Pharmacy, Kristin Steffen from the College of Public Health, with USF Health Senior Vice President Dr. Donna Petersen.

The official cut was made, from left: Keirsten Reilly, Dr. William Quillen, Kelley Kinsella, Dr. Harry van Loveren, Kumar Jairamdas, Dr. Michael Barber, Lauren Terpak, Dr. Kevin Sneed, Matthew Schneller, Kristin Steffen, Dr. Donna Petersen, and Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy.

 

Story by Sarah Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications.

Related story:

Academic and Student Affairs prepare to join Shared Student Services Center

The post Hundreds gather as The WELL officially opens to all USF Health students appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The post How are you making life better? appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The post COPH accredited by CEPH for 3 years appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The post Biosafety Level 3 laboratory commissioned; state-of-the-art insectary completed appeared first on College of Public Health News.