November is International Education Month

How does health care differ in industrial versus nonindustrial countries? In socialist versus capitalist societies? In rural versus urban settings? What health inequities do different populations in different parts of the world face?

USF College of Public Health (COPH) students can get answers to those questions by participating in a study abroad program.

In 2024, the COPH will be offering international study programs to Panama, Canada, London and Japan. These for-credit programs are open to both undergraduate and master’s students and generally last about a week. They give students the opportunity to study public health with a cultural context, examining how different countries handle things such as disaster preparedness, preventative health measures and public health policy. Students are also given time to tour and engage in community service projects and research.

Students who have been on the programs say the experience has been eye-opening.

“Personally, I plan to pursue a career in global health and program management, so gaining experience traveling with a public health mindset and learning about different sites that are conducting public health work, such as the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), was super important for me,” said Nupur Kothari, a BSPH student who traveled to Panama. “Being able to participate in research and data collection in Panama helped translate the education I have gained in the COPH to actual practice.”

Hannah Harburg, an MPH student concentrating in epidemiology, said her experience in Japan was “transformative.”

“Exploring Japan for the first time altered my outlook on life,” Harburg said. “Gujo Hachiman is an area I found so beautiful, I cried. As I explored the quiet river town, I knew this was going to be a moment I would cherish for the rest of my life. The storm drain water was so clean you could feed the carp that swam in it. This trip reaffirmed my commitment to researching public health. I gathered ideas and learned problem-solving skills through active information synthesis, diversified group work and insightful debates.”

Erin Millsapps, a Coverdell Fellow who served in the Peace Corps in South Africa as a community HIV/AIDS outreach coordinator, recently returned from a summer international field experience (IFE) in Gqueberha, South Africa.

The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship program at the COPH is a graduate fellowship program awarding financial assistance to selected returning Peace Corps volunteers who are pursuing an MPH or MSPH.

“During my IFE, my peers and I focused on addressing health disparities in ENT [ear, nose and throat] health through community engagement,” said Millsapps, who is an MPH student concentrating in epidemiology and global health. “These endeavors, emphasizing interdisciplinary teams and cultural competency, not only achieved project goals but also strengthened my ability to meet COPH competencies. Grateful for the opportunities provided by the Coverdell Fellowship and USF/COPH, I am empowered to make a meaningful impact in the field of public health.”

For more information about COPH international study programs and Peace Corps requirements, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health (COPH) recently signed an agreement with the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University in Thailand.

“The birthplace of artemisinin resistance”

As part of the agreement, Thai faculty and students exploring RNA-sequencing and drug discovery will have the opportunity to come to COPH for training. RNA is a molecule similar to DNA; RNA sequencing is a technique used to reveal the presence and quantity of RNA in a sample.

This new partnership will provide COPH students from the USF genomics program with an opportunity to travel to Thailand for an international field experience in drug discovery.

“This partnership with Mahidol University was created to better understand malaria drug resistance in Southeast Asia, the birthplace of artemisinin [an anti-malaria drug] resistance,” noted Dr. John Adams, a Distinguished University Professor specializing in malaria research who helped negotiate the agreement. “We hope this partnership will endure for many years to come.”

Background

The agreement stems from a series of previous collaborations between the COPH’s Adams’ Lab and Mahidol’s Dr. Kesinee Chotivanichthe.

In 2018, the Adams’ Lab published a paper titled “Uncovering the essential genes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum by saturation mutagenesis.” The lab was able to insert point mutations (changes to a single nucleotide) within the whole genome of Plasmodium falciparum (one of the species of parasites that causes malaria). This made it possible to screen a wide range of P. falciparum mutants against drugs known to cause resistance in natural infections in order to understand the reason for resistance.

Testing theories

The next step is to test hypotheses on patient isolates exhibiting drug resistance. That’s where the partnership with Mahidol becomes particularly important.

“Resistance to anti-malarial drugs can develop in a region and spread throughout the world,” Adams said. “Dr. Chotivanichthe is studying malaria drug resistance in Thai patients and can provide P. falciparum patient isolates that are able to be screened in the Adams’ Lab. The comparison of known and unknown mutations will help us learn more about drug resistance. By better understanding how this takes place, we can suggest more effective parasite drug targets and also, one day, predict the potential for drug resistance.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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In a world that’s constantly becoming more intertwined thanks to advances in technology and globalization, the USF College of Public Health (COPH) puts a great emphasis on the study and advancement of global and international health.

Many USF students take part in a variety of study abroad opportunities offered university wide. Of interest to numerous COPH students are the multitude of courses dedicated to studying issues in global health.

Fifteen years ago, USF developed the USF Health Panama Program. The program gives students the opportunity to practice their passion for public health in a variety of settings. In collaboration with other universities, students involved in the program participate in research projects, international field experiences, seminars and courses at the City of Knowledge, the site of an old U.S. military base in Panama.

The program quickly became a mutually beneficial partnership. While serving the local Panamanian communities, the program also allowed students to become more culturally competent, and to gain practical and educational experience through study abroad and research opportunities.

“In 2004, USF signed an agreement of collaboration with the City of Knowledge,” said Dr. Arlene Calvo, a COPH associate professor, native of Panama and the program’s former director. “About two years later, we started working on a more formal basis and USF Health began a nonprofit foundation to administer funds and study abroad programs in Panama.”

The program is now making a transition where it will highlight the presence of the COPH.

To date, the program has trained thousands of students and local health professionals and is providing outreach and education to at-risk communities.

Students participating in these activities serve the local population by working with the Ministry of Health, Gorgas Memorial Institute or the National Society Against Cancer. They also provide resources to malnourished children in the country.

“We will continue to conduct research and provide field experiences and other opportunities for students in this region of Central America,” said Calvo. “We’ve contributed a lot to the field of public health through our collaborations with the Ministry of Health and biomedical research institutes, so the transition will be seamless.”

Considerable research and training is conducted through the program with a special focus on women’s health issues and working with indigenous groups in rural areas. Dr. Calvo and her students have gotten the opportunity to work with major organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), on project topics ranging from the impact of respiratory diseases on pregnancy to reproductive issues impacted by the Zika virus.

However, students interested in other areas of public health have plenty of reasons to participate.

“Our research and field experiences cover a broad range of topics, from tropical diseases to cancer, which is the leading cause of death in Panama,” said Calvo. Students in the program consistently publish and present the research they complete at public health conferences. In fact, seven abstracts accepted by the American Public Health Association (APHA) will be presented at its annual conference in November of this year.

While the Panama Program has garnered many accolades in the realm of public health through research, training and outreach, the COPH still has much to offer the region. In order to continue to develop interprofessional leaders with a global mindset, the program hopes to develop more partnerships with schools, universities and health agencies, both locally and abroad.

“We offer our program to students from other universities and fields of study as well,” said Calvo. “This allows students to build relationships with people from different backgrounds and areas of study, and to continue working with them after they return to the United States.”

Story by Cody Brown

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 USF College of Public Health graduate student Ryan Graydon is conducting his international field experience in the Dominican Republic with the Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology (IMPA) at the Santo Domingo Independent University (UASD).

Graydon, earning his MPH from the Department of Global Health, said he hopes to identify waterborne pathogens of One Health significance in freshwater sources around the Dominican Republic.

Ryan Graydon, MPH student in the Department of Global Health, and IMPA student Akemi Tabata test water samples using the multiple-tube fermentation technique and the heterotrophic plate count (HPC) to identify total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (Photo courtesy of Graydon)

“Living in a country where the tap water cannot be consumed and having to purchase five-gallon jugs for drinking water highlights to me the importance of investing in municipal water systems and protecting our water sources so we can continue to have this life-giving resource for generations to come,” Graydon said.

He’s currently testing water samples for pathogens and mosquitos for Arboviruses like Zika, chikungunya, and dengue.

“My vocational objective is to provide sustainable clean water solutions to any community globally through local empowerment and collaboration,” Graydon said. “This is my goal because of the first-hand experiences I have had witnessing the profound effects that water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) can have on individuals and communities while traveling around the world. In 2012, inadequate WASH caused an estimated 842,000 diarrhea deaths globally including 361,000 among children under five years of age. These are preventable deaths and I want to be part of the solution.”

Ryan Graydon shares his special project during a conference in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo courtesy of Graydon)

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MESCYT) in the Dominican Republic hosted the International Scientific Research Conference on June 8-9 at the Sheraton Hotel Santo Domingo as part of the Dominican Week of Science and Technology.

Close to 1,000 students, researchers, and public officials attended this conference, featuring speakers from around the world.

Special guests included Dr. Aaron Ciehanover, the 2004 co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in Chemistry, and Dr. Foster Agblevor, a researcher from Utah State University Department of Biological Engineering.

Dr. Foster Agblevor (left) and Ryan Graydon in the Dominican Republic (Photo courtesy of Ryan Graydon)

During this conference, Graydon had the opportunity to present his special project, which was based on responses to a survey developed for the Global Health Assessment Strategies graduate course. His research team included Paola Gonzalez, Abdiel Laureano-Rosario, Guillermo Pradieu, and COPH Global Health assistant professor Dr. Jaime Corvin.

“Although I have given poster presentations at previous conferences in Indianapolis, Indiana and Quito, Ecuador, this conference was significant to me because I was chosen to give a 20-minute presentation on my graduate research, which was a first for me,” Graydon said. “The opportunity to present the research I have invested in for over a year to respected researchers from around the world is an invaluable step in my professional development.”

Ryan Graydon at the Congreso Internacional with Dr. Modesto Cruz, director of IMPA. (Photo courtesy of Graydon)

Graydon’s special project consisted of conducting research on the practices and perceptions of tap water and bottled water at USF concluding with recommendations on how to reduce single-use plastic bottles consumption by promoting reusable water bottles.

“I want the public to know that bottled water requires substantially greater resources for a less regulated product than tap water and creates a global plastic waste crisis,” Graydon said. “It makes me terribly sad to walk the shorelines of rivers or the coast here in Santo Domingo and witness a sea of floating plastic bottles and bags that are a disgusting eye sore, choke the marine life, and harm the fishing industry.”

He suggested that although the tap water in the Dominican Republic is unsafe to drink, reusable bottles can be filled at the five-gallon water coolers to reduce single-use water bottle consumption.

“Everyone’s seemingly small action of consuming tap water with a reusable bottle can easily eliminate thousands of plastic bottles from polluting our environment and, as a result, our health,” he said.

Story by Sweta Chalise, USF College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health’s Dean Donna Petersen visited with faculty and leadership of Gifu University in Japan to engage in a signing ceremony finalizing an agreement for an expanded partnership.

The original partnership with Gifu began in the 1980s and the latest agreement is expected to promote international exchanges and research exchanges, according to Petersen.

“This collaboration promotes a focus on students, student exchange, opportunities for their students to come here, and opportunities for our students to go abroad,” Petersen said.

The School of Medicine and the Health Administration Center of Gifu University signed a general agreement for collaboration with the COPH on Oct. 20.

Dean Petersen (right) meets with Dean and Professor/Chairman of the Department of Cardiology at Gifu University, Dr. Shinya Minatoguchi, meet to sign the formal agreement at the School of Medicine. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Donna Petersen)

“Public health in education in Japan is a new and growing interest there,” Petersen said. “There are only three schools of public health in the country right now and they are all pretty new. That’s exciting because we’ve just redone all the criteria for accreditation in the U.S. and Gifu is looking to start an MPH program under the new criteria.”

Jesse Casanova, international programs coordinator at the COPH, said he looks forward to the opportunities students will have as a result of the new partnership.

“The agreement between USF and Gifu really helps to broaden our potential for collaboration in research and field based studies at Gifu, which is at the forefront of research in universities in Japan,” he said. “Gifu is also well connected to the local communities and can serve as a bridge between our USF population and communities in Japan.”

He said students will have the opportunities to do their research or field experience with Gifu faculty.

“I am most excited to see what new areas of research will develop as a result of this new partnership, and the growing number of students that will be able to travel to Japan to practice their passion for global health,” he said.

Dr. Mayumi Yamamoto, professor and director of the Health Administration Center at Gifu, completed a post-doctoral program at USF and was instrumental in the agreement process, according to Petersen.

Yamamoto manages an educational program in public health at Gifu, and provides health care for all of the university’s faculty and students on campus.

(Front row, from left): Dr. Mayumi Yamamoto, professor and director of the Health Administration Center at Gifu, Dr. Shinya Minatoguchi, dean and professor/chairman of the Department of Cardiology at Gifu, Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the College of Public Health, and Dr. Petersen’s husband, Terry Noonan. (Back row): Faculty and senior leadership at Gifu University.

Petersen said collaboration with the Health Administration Center will provide new experiences for COPH students.

“They collect all the data on the health of the students and faculty on the campus. So it’s a unique learning and research experience for our students. We don’t do anything like that here,” she said.

Dr. Lynette Menezes, assistant vice president of USF Health International, agrees that students will have a vast array of new opportunities as a result of the collaboration.

“Gifu University’s many programs offer public health students a unique opportunity to experience the Japanese health system and explore a different culture. As the collaboration grows, I see the potential for interdisciplinary efforts across USF Health colleges involving faculty and student exchanges, research and training,” she said.

The expanded partnership will continue for many years to come, according to Petersen.

“They were incredibly gracious hosts and that speaks a lot about the potential for this program. They were very excited,” Petersen said. “It’s not a large university, it’s smaller, but fierce and they are driven to excel.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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For USF College of Public Health master’s student, Sheila Alaghemand, last summer was a time of opportunity. Instead of lounging poolside, she found herself across the world in Malaysia ready to practice her passion in global health.

Alaghemand, earning her degree in global communicable diseases from the Department of Global Health, spent her international field experience (IFE) in Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

She studied alongside Dr. Safii Razitasham, a professor at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to learn about the overall surveillance process for major communicable diseases prevalent in Sarawak.

IFE is a practicum that is open to all COPH students and is mandatory for students in the global health practice concentration.

The IFE takes place in an agency, institution, or community in a developing country, and under the supervision of the preceptor and the guidance of the student’s academic advisor.

Sheila Alaghemand in Kuching, Sarawak. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Alaghemand)

As a student she had set goals for herself to learn about different perspectives on public health in the Malaysian culture and to gain hands-on experience with public health in a real world setting, while also gaining a global perspective on different disease control strategies.

Through her IFE, she said she was exposed to experiences she would not have otherwise had in the U.S.

During her time in Kuching, she worked in health vector labs and also had the opportunity to work at each level of the health care system, from the district to divisional to headquarters.

She was also able to examine how diseases are reported through various computerized surveillance programs including e-notifikasi and e-wabak.

“By doing my IFE in Kuching, and interning with different public health officials, I gained a unique working experience that would be difficult to acquire in the U.S.,” she said. “This experience helped me learn the importance of researching the community and understanding cultural practices in different ethnic groups for a successful prevention and treatment plan implementation.”

Alaghemand assisting in the malaria research lab. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Alaghemand)

Alaghemand (third from left) with Dr. Razitasham (fourth from left) and the tuberculosis control team at the Anti-Tuberculosis Association Sarawak Clinic. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Alaghemand)

Community outreach with the UNIMAS team. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Alaghemand)

“Educating the community is also one of the best investments you can make as a public health practitioner to ensure the success of your program,” she said. “This is seen every day in how Sarawak is able to successfully give people in rural communities access to health care. This trip reinforced my passion for public health and I am excited to practice everything I have learned.”

Alaghemand with the vector control team during the Rainforest Music Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Alaghemand)

The COPH’s IFE allows students to integrate theory and practice in an international public health work environment.

The student contributes to a community’s resources and to the solution of a public health problem while developing personal confidence and leadership skills as a public health professional.

For more information about IFE, visit the IFE website or contact IFE Administrator Jesse Casanova at jcasanov@health.usf.edu.

Story by Tabassum Tasnim, USF College of Public Health

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USF’s Peace Corps Master’s International Program ranks 1^st in the Southeast.

Peace Corps Week celebrates President Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. During this annual event, Peace Corps communities, institutions and volunteers around the world celebrate how the Peace Corps continues to make a difference at home and abroad.

Peace Corps recruiter and interns displaying the Tree of Happiness. (Photo by Ellen Kent)

This year’s Peace Corps Week theme— “Highlighting Happiness: What does Joy Look Like in My Peace Corps Country?”—was celebrated the first week of March, coinciding with the 55^th birthday celebration of the Peace Corps.

The College of Public Health Master’s International Program concluded the week-long celebration with a Peace Corps Festival, which included COPH students, faculty and returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs) from USF and the Tampa Bay community.

Artifacts were displayed from different regions. (Photo by Ellen Kent)

The festival highlighted the four main regions of the Peace Corps: Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands. COPH students were engaged in the event and learned more about the regions and what USF Peace Corps Master’s International students are doing internationally.

COPH master’s student Jacqueline Demko is one of several attendees who found the event helpful, “The festival was great because the returned volunteer participants represented how diverse the Peace Corps program is.  As the returned volunteers engaged students one-on-one, showing priceless trinkets and telling stories, I was reminded how truly unique every Peace Corps experience is. The possibilities really are endless!”

Display boards showcased around the COPH atrium to illustrate how happiness to PCMI students can mean being with family, learning something new and making a difference in their community.

RPCVs also brought in their favorite dishes from the countries in which they volunteered and artifacts to share with the COPH community.

Cauchavius Watts (left), a RPCV and current master’s student, shared his insight about being a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia. (Photo by Ellen Kent)

Returned Peace Corps volunteers spent the evening talking with COPH students about their experiences abroad. (Photo by Ellen Kent)

Peace Corps volunteers are away from their home for 27 months, making a difference in the world and simultaneously learning what joy looks like in their Peace Corps country.

For students, happiness was commonly experienced during their time as volunteers:

“I’m happy to have helped organize Camp ScientiFille, a camp to promote science education and confidence among Togolese girls.” –COPH PCMI Student Anthony Nguyen, Togo

“Happiness is Family!” – COPH PCMI Student Rachel Orlowski, Peru

“My Peonga family keeps me laughing constantly, seem to know exactly what to do when I’m close to tears, and have made this tiny little corner of the world truly feel like home.” – COPH PCMI Student Sierra Petrosky, Benin

Relate media:
Festival celebration photo gallery on Facebook.

Story by Tabassum Tasnim, USF College of Public Health

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The College of Public Health will commemorate International Education Week Nov. 16-20. International Education Week celebrates the prospective opportunities and benefits of education abroad.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs encourages institutions to promote international education, exchange programs and community engagement abroad among their students.

Following suit, the COPH has established many opportunities for students who want to travel abroad. The COPH is leading the way by providing students the option to travel to one of four main collaborative international hubs in Ecuador, Malaysia, Panama and Uganda.

Phyllis Nowlan in Uganda.

One such program is the COPH Master’s International Peace Corps Program, a college-wide program open to all of public health students who are U.S. citizens. This program allows students to combine their master’s degree with Peace Corps service. Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) students have traveled to countries such as Peru, Cambodia, Fiji, Benin and Swaziland among others for the 27-month long Peace Corps service. For current updates, students should visit the PCMI Facebook page.

Danielle Rankin in Kuching, Malaysia.

Graduate students also have the opportunity to travel overseas for their international field experience, service learning, international research and international academic development. Both graduate and undergraduate students may also elect to register for faculty-led study abroad courses.

“Every year I will meet students returning from international field experiences telling me that their public health experience working on their projects overseas have changed their outlook on their lives forever,” said. Dr. Boo Kwa, associate dean for International Programs and professor in Global Health.

Ann Vitous in Belize providing lessons on the water cycle, health and environment at a primary school.

The COPH provides numerous other opportunities for students to travel the world. Other locations include, but are not limited to, China, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Czech Republic, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, India, Ethiopia and Morocco.

Allison Hansell in Penang, Malaysia at the Stepping Stone Work Centre.

Students also have the option to design their own field placement with the help of their academic advisors. Interested students should visit the Office of International Programs for more information or contact Jesse Casanova, international programs and PCMI coordinator, at jcasanov@health.usf.edu.

Story by Tabassum Tasnim, USF College of Public Health. Photos courtesy of students.

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Her passion in life has always been to be a voice for the voiceless, to develop community partnerships and to create equality across cultures.

Annastesia Mims, a USF College of Public Health global health master’s student, deployed to Swaziland, Africa in June 2014. She has been serving as a community volunteer for her 27-month long commitment through the Peace Corps Master’s International Program.

Annastesia Mims

Mims notes that half of the students at the Franson Christian Primary School where she is volunteering are considered orphans, the majority of which are girls. However, girls often face hardship while on their periods. One of Mims’ major projects during her time there has been to teach girls how to make leak-proof bags for sanitary pads.

“Due to a lack of funds, these girls do not always have access to disposable sanitary pads, and using tampons—inserting objects into the vagina—is a cultural taboo here for young girls,” Mims said. “Girls often use toilet paper and newspaper while on their periods at school. The teachers have also reported that some girls have also been known to skip school while on their periods due to this lack of access to feminine hygiene products.”

While many prior volunteers have conducted sanitary pad workshops, Mims said the girls have not been comfortable using them because they do not have a plastic bag to put soiled pads in during school. So, Mims set out to address this issue.

Mrs. L. Ndlangamandla, a teacher at Franson Christian, conducts a workshop instructing students how to make leak-proof bags to hold their sanitary pads. The workshop resulted as an initiative of COPH master’s student Annastesia Mims.

The bag resembles an envelope with two compartments. One is lined with a table cloth material, which is waterproof, and the other is lined with denim. A large snap button covers each compartment. Dry pads are held in the denim compartment and soiled pads are placed on the other side.

“With this bag, the girls are able to carry their pads discretely in their book bags, and are able to take them off and change them throughout the day,” Mims said.

Image of the leak-proof bag Mims is teaching her students to make. The right compartment is intended to hold used sanitary pads.

A grant approved by the Peace Corps Swaziland and funding from the national headquarters has made it possible for Mims to provide workshops for 30 high school and 30 primary school students. The workshops began in the last week of September.

“Helping these girls with this issue means that they will miss less days of school thereby increasing their education level, increasing their pass rates and increasing future opportunities they may be presented with in the future,” Mims said.

Annastesia Mims has shown more than 50 girls how to make their own discreet leak-proof sanitary pad bags.

Also among her many public health endeavors in Swaziland, Mims has developed a home-to-home gender-based violence education program in collaboration with the Nhlangano AIDS Training Information and Counseling Center’s (NATICC) monitoring and evaluation officer.

“There have been many door-to-door and home-based screening programs for tuberculosis, HIV, and other STIs, but there has never been one for gender-based violence which has been known to be a cause and consequence of HIV contraction,” Mims said.

The program will provide families in the Shiselweni region with couples counseling, family therapy, child counseling and more.

“It is unlike any other gender-based violence awareness program I have experienced, and I firmly think it will provide many families with the kind of communicative counseling that families and partners need in sustainable relationships,” Mims said. “The program not only provides education on concepts of gender, gender-related laws, civil rights and resources for survivors and perpetrators of gender-based violence, but it is a resource for those who witness violence regularly and don’t know what to do.”

The program pilot will be completed by December and Mims said it is expected to be transformed into a full-scale, five-year program by 2017.

“I would like to see this program become a success and be received whole-heartedly by the communities and families NATICC aims to service,” Mims said.

Mims (left) also served as a judge for a high school debate on gender equality and development in Swaziland.

Having lived in Swaziland for 12 months now, Mims said that her community members have been very welcoming and are eager to work with her.

“Upon meeting them on the way to and from town, they are eager to speak SiSwati with me and teach me new words,” Mims said.

In addition to working as a program developer at NATICC, she also acts as a monitoring and evaluation specialist providing assistance in reviewing and developing reports for donors, stakeholders and the media.

“I am grateful for these work opportunities, and I am grateful for the freedom in time and flexibility to do the work that my community and I find most fulfilling,” Mims said. “I can honestly say that my first two years of studying at the College of Public Health has prepared me for many of the challenges I would come across while in Swaziland. I have been able to build progressive and productive relations and develop innovative programs with very intelligent, humble, hardworking and generous people.”

Mims will host a presentation highlighting her experiences on Tuesday, October 13 at 4 p.m. at the University of South Florida in the Interdisciplinary Research Building (IDRB) 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Room 302, Tampa, FL 33612.

Story by Anna Mayor and Tabassum Tasnim, USF College of Public Health. Photos courtesy of Annastesia Mims.

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The USF College of Public Health hosted a global panel discussion on Jan. 27 as part of a weeklong international endeavor associated with the College’s 30^th anniversary celebration. Four public health leaders came to COPH from various parts of the world for the event, the highlight of which was the panel discussion, Healthy populations in the 21^st century: international trends, in the Sam Bell III Auditorium.

Dr. Donna Petersen, COPH dean, delivered the opening remarks and extended a welcome to the esteemed guests.

Dr. Donna Petersen (left), College of Public Health dean, extended the college’s welcome to panelists and guests. To her right in photo are Emmanuel Ofumbi of Uganda, Dr. Boo Kwa of COPH and Dr. Nestor Sosa of Panama.

“When we look back over our 30 years,” Petersen said, “one of the things we are proudest of is our unflagging attempts to continue to reach across the globe, to make friends and create partnerships, to provide our students opportunities to learn and to grow professionally in communities around the globe, and to make sure our students understand that public health is global health.

“Public health is also community health, and we can’t be successful if we don’t engage the communities in that global spirit. We have placed students in many, many countries over the years all across the world, but in recent years, we have been very grateful to four particular partners. We are delighted to welcome them here today.”

Those four international guests were Emmanuel Ofumbi, executive director of the Papoli Community Development Foundation, Uganda; Dr. Fernando Ortega, dean of the School of Public Health at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador; Dr. Safii Razitasham, head of the community and public health unit at UNIMAS in Malaysia; and Dr. Nestor Sosa, director of the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Panama.

After setting the tone, Petersen turned the program over to its moderator and chief organizer, Dr. Boo Kwa, professor in the Department of Global Health and associate dean, Office of International Programs.

Kwa thanked the dean and acknowledged her “enthusiasm, energy and continuing support” for making the program possible. After recognizing the college’s “benefactors and champions,” former state Rep. Sam Bell III and his wife, former USF president and former state education commissioner Betty Castor, Kwa introduced the panel and opened the discussion by asking each panel member a question specifically related to a major public health trend in his or her country.

Chatting before the panel presentation, from left: Sosa, Kwa and Betty Castor, former Florida education commissioner and former USF president.

Ofumbi discussed Uganda’s war against malaria and the mosquitoes that carry it, and the effect of the disease disabling family wage earners in a poor country.

Sosa noted Panama’s position between North and South America and its resultant heavy international traffic via airlines, as well as cruise ships and international freight passing through the Panama Canal, all posing the threat of diseases introduced by people briefly passing through.

Ortega talked about the recent crash in oil prices threatening funding for public health education and planned projects such as installing safe drinking water systems for rural populations in the Andes. Ecuador is a major producer of oil, a major factor in its national economy.

Razitasham discussed Malaysia’s reduction of infectious diseases at the same time it is seeing an increase in the incidence of chronic diseases.

Discussing the state of the public health world, from left: Ofumbi, Sosa, Kwa, Dr. Fernando Ortega of Ecuador, and Dr. Safii Razitasham of Malaysia.

After a more general discussion about the Ebola outbreak and each panelist’s country’s response to it, the floor was opened to questions from the audience. A lively reception followed in the COPH lobby before the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to breakout sessions anchored by the individual panelists.

Rep. Bell was all smiles at the reception and expressed his appreciation for the program and what it meant in the bigger picture.

“This was just a wonderful example of what the College of Public Health is all about,” he said. “We had representatives from Malaysia, from Ecuador, from Panama and from Uganda talking about public health, and in all of those cases, students from here have gone to these countries through our programs. So, this truly is the essence of the College of Public Health. It’s just wonderful, and we’re just so proud of it.”

Some of the many distinguished guests at the global symposium and panel discussion Healthy Populations in the 21st Century: International Trends.

Graduate student Ryan Ortega (left in photo) and fellow COPH student researchers presented one of several posters in the lobby. Second from right is Ortega’s advisor, Dr. Robert Novak.

Before and after the panel presentation, guests and participants visited the numerous displays set up in the COPH lobby. Here, Ortega says hello to representatives of the USF Peace Corps program.

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Story by David Brothers, College of Public Health.  Photos courtesy of Natalie D. Preston and Marissa Williams.

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