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.

At the close of every semester, the USF College of Public Health honors its graduates before they embark on their professional endeavors.  Students file the stresses of their final semesters in “the past” and prepare themselves for their individual paths – graduate programs, fellowships, careers – whatever the future may hold!

On Friday, Dec. 12, students, staff, family, friends and faculty alike flooded COPH’s Sam Bell III Auditorium to reflect on the achievements from their college careers.

“You are our ambassadors in Florida, nationwide and around the world,” said Dr. Kay Perrin, director of undergraduate studies in the COPH.  “You should be proud of your accomplishments!”

And indeed they should.

The fall class of 2014 officially joined the 26% of the U.S. population who hold college degrees, and it even managed to break a handful of records along the way.  The semester not only boasted the largest graduating class thus far with an astounding 153 undergraduates, but also finished with an overall GPA of 3.04, the highest of any graduating class so far.

“Horns Up!” from the fall class of 2014 and undergraduate instructors.

“Our favorite time of the year is when you arrive,” said Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of COPH. “Our second favorite time of the year is today – when we see you about to graduate and enter the field as public health professionals.”

Abu-Sayeef Mirza knows only too well the sense of relief graduation holds.  Last summer, he became the first person to earn an MPH before completing his undergraduate degree. He now is a third-year student across the street from COPH at the Morsani College of Medicine.

“The value of your education will truly manifest when you apply what you learned in the real world,” said Mirza.  “The time and energy you put into this education deserves to be honored and respected.”

Abu-Sayeef Mirza, MPH, CPH,  is a third-year medical student at the Morsani College of Medicine.  He was the featured alumni speaker during the undergraduate pinning ceremony.

“Knowledge must be accompanied by action,” he continued, giving the audience some of the same advice he gives his patients.  “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Whether it is to organize a nonprofit, join an NGO, start up a new business, or enter the health care field at any level from a nurse to physician, you must use your past experiences to build a better future.”

* * *

All graduates have their own stories, their own plans and their own paths.  They have their individual ideas of what their degrees can help them achieve and help them do in the world. To the newly-graduated Angelica Williams, one of the first two to graduate with the new infection control concentration, public health offers an opportunity to improve our communities on a multitude of levels.

Angelica Williams, MPH, CPH

“The public health field as a whole provides us with the tools and resources to prevent the spread, and reach the source, of countless infectious diseases,” she said.  “It gives us the opportunity to extend and improve the quality of lives in our communities.”

Before making the move to Tampa, Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in biological science at Florida State University in Tallahassee.  The Louisiana native then came to COPH to pursue her long-time interest in infectious disease prevention.

“While searching for suitable graduate programs, my main concern was finding a program that catered to my specific interests and goals yet exposed me to a variety of disciplines within public health.  I did not want to feel limited,” said Williams.  “Once I saw that USF provided over 25 different concentrations and was the only college of public health that I looked into that offered the infection control concentration, I knew it was the program for me.”

Like many in the public health field, Williams wants to put her practice and passion to work helping populations in need, specifically those affected by HIV/AIDS.

“HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention has always been one of my passions,” Williams said.  “If I had one wish, I would wish that HIV/AIDS be eradicated.  Being someone who has personally been affected by losing a loved one to HIV/AIDS, I understand the affects that this disease has on not only those infected, but their families and loved ones, as well.”

In addition to her master of public health degree, Williams is certified in public health via the National Board of Public Health Examiners.  During her time with the university, she was able to complete not one, but two separate field experiences.  She first interned with the Epidemiology Department at the Florida Department of Health in Broward County and then in the Infection Control Department at Broward Health Medical Center.

“My time at USF was challenging, yet extremely rewarding.  It helped me grow as a public health professional and strengthened my knowledge and skills,” said Williams.

During her final semester, Williams was offered a full-time position at the Florida Department of Health in Broward County.  Although balancing her new full-time job, completing her field experience and finishing her course work was a little tricky, Williams got through it by putting her time management and organizational skills to use. “My advisor, Dr. Donna Haiduven, was also extremely helpful throughout this process,” Williams said.  “She helped keep me on track and provided me with advice and needed resources throughout my entire graduate career.”

Angelica Williams is one of the first students to earn an MPH in infection control. She’s pictured with her faculty advisor, Dr. Donna Haiduven, immediately after the fall commencement ceremony in Tampa.

Some graduates probably plan to take a break from the textbooks post-graduation, but not Williams. “Now that I have completed my MPH,” she said, “I plan to continue working and begin taking prerequisite courses to apply to nursing school.” Williams also plans to complete an accelerated BSN program with the ultimate goal of landing her dream job as an infection control practitioner.

* * *

Another stand-out of the graduating class is Mary Bigelow.  Winner of the King O’Neal Scholar Award, Bigelow exemplifies the rewards of hard work and perseverance.

USF System President Judy Genshaft congratulates Mary Bigelow on graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

“I was determined to show my children how important education is and how you can do anything you put your mind to,” said Bigelow, a mother of two. Bigelow says juggling the needs of her 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter with her school demands was a challenge, but her grades certainly didn’t suffer.  Even while performing a balancing act with her parental duties and student responsibilities, she became the first BSPH student to graduate with a 4.0 GPA.  She even found time to volunteer with the Red Cross and participate with Community Emergency Response Team, Phi Kappa Phi and the Undergraduate Public Health Student Association.

Mary Bigelow attended the COPH undergraduate pinning ceremony with her husband and father.

The flexible course schedules and post-graduation employment opportunities made COPH an obvious choice for Bigelow.

“It allows individuals with other demands on their time to receive an education in a field that will improve the world,” she said.  “I felt it was a good fit for my personal needs.”

Some of the things that attracted her to public health were the fluidity of the field and the seemingly endless possibilities.

“It is always changing,” she said.  “There will always be issues to tackle and people to help.”

Bigelow already has plans for her public health practice.  While she plans to tackle her graduate degree next, she hopes to use her child and maternal health practice to start working to help ensure that children and mothers alike receive the care they need.

*****

Armed with a wealth of knowledge, experiences and lifelong relationships, the world had better brace itself for the Bulls entering the professional world.  While no one can be certain of what the future holds, one thing is for sure – the fall graduating class of 2014 holds bright and motivated individuals who are ready to make waves in public health.

A friendly bunch of photographers stood at the ready to capture images of soon-to-be graduates.

Paul Winterbotham shared information from the USF Alumni Association with new grads like Yvell Corrielus

Story by Shelby Bourgeois, College of Public Health writing intern. Photos courtesy of Natalie D. Preston, Angelica Williams and Entela Balliu.

The post Public health graduates ready to put passions, new concentration to practice in 2015 appeared first on College of Public Health News.