USF Health had a strong presence in the USF World’s inaugural Global Achievement Awards, held Nov. 13 in the USF Gibbons Alumni Center.

Leading USF Health’s winning tally was the USF Health Panama for the group category. Watching through Skype was the team earning the award and included Cristienn Joudaane (director, Panama initiatives), Aracely Quintero, Gladys Bernett, Jeannette Galvez, and Dr. Arlene Calvo. Accepting the award was College of Public Health alumna Lynette Menezes, PhD, assistant vice president for USF Health International and the associate dean for International Programs for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The new event was coupled with honoring USF’s newest Fulbright scholars, a morning of recognition of the depth of efforts bridging USF with the communities around the globe, said USF System President Judy Genshaft.

“We currently have more than 4,000 international students and are the second largest university in Florida for international students,” she said. “And we have doubled the number of American students traveling internationally. I believe that what makes a difference in a person’s life, whether they are young or old, is international travel. It is so fascinating to learn about other cultures and it is making a difference in our students. I speak with employers and they tell me they look for employees with global experience because, as things change in their businesses and in the world, they are the one who are most adaptable to change.”

“This award not only recognizes the outstanding efforts and global vision of the USF Health Panama staff but inspires us to continue our expansion of opportunities within USF as well as other U.S. and Panamanian institutions,” said Dr. Lynette Menezes, assistant vice president for USF Health International and the associate dean for International Programs for the Morsani College of Medicine.

Cristienn Joudaane, director of Panama Initiatives, said having an office and staff in Panama puts COPH researchers in direct contact with key members of the community.

“USF Health’s vision is to make life better globally. As we live in a global society, it is critical that health professionals have the knowledge and tools, as well as the cultural sensitivity and empathy to work with diverse populations,” Joudaane said. “USF Health Panama develops study abroad programs that offer students hands on experiences of working with diverse populations, health practices, health care systems, and a new understanding of how culture influences their practice. The skills our students gain by participating in our programs are key to becoming better practitioners in a global world and accomplishing our vision.”

Dr. Arlene Calvo, assistant professor in the Department of Community and Family Health, has been working onsite in Panama, where they recently hosted a social marketing event for women’s health issues.

Calvo said the event was part of a larger project funded by the United Kingdom’s Science and Innovation Fund and included more than 50 local Panamanian participants, both lay and professionals, involved in women’s health issues.

“The training was on the application of social marketing processes on women’s issues to address real Panamanian gender-related issues,” Calvo said. “The participants are currently developing their own projects with some seed money provided through our project and in early spring they will present their results. Some of their projects include HIV in adolescent populations, teen pregnancy, indigenous women’s health and intimate partner violence among others.”

Visit the USF Health Panama’s Facebook page to view photos from the event.

In Jan. 2016, USF Health Panama will also host the third Vaccinology in the Tropics Conference, led by international researchers, clinicians and public health professionals showcasing innovations in new vaccines, immunization programs and research.

“The conference presents exciting new information on vaccines and the implications for public health and clinical aspects of immunization,” Calvo said. “We will have speakers from many different countries in the Americas. The conference is completely bilingual and it is a great forum to participate and exchange experiences and knowledge with international colleagues.”

Abstracts are being accepted. For more information, including registration information, visit: http://health.usf.edu/intprog/panama/vaccinology-conference

USF Health Panama will also be organizing a number of new international certificate programs in public health.

“For the students interested in international and global health, the International Health Education class is coming up in the spring 2016 semester,” Calvo said. “In this class, students get an opportunity to learn about public health at an international setting. We will be actively be exchanging activities at a community-based health center in the outskirts of Panama. During the summer semester, Dr. Cheryl Vamos and I co-teach the International Perspectives in Women’s Health Issues class. This is more of a seminar-style class where students have the opportunity to learn about different aspects and institutions that conduct programs related to women’s issues. Both classes are exciting and provide great learning experiences for our students.”

Other USF Health recipients of the USF World Global Health Achievement Awards include:

Administrator Category

2015 Honorable Mention for Global Engagement – Administrator Award: Dr. Lynette Menezes, the Assistant Vice President for USF Health International and the Associate Dean for International Programs for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Staff Category

2015 Outstanding Global Engagement Award for Contributions by a Staff member: Linman Li, Assistant Program Director for USF Medicine International.

Group or Office Category

2015 Outstanding Global Engagement Award for Contributions by an Office: USF Health Panama Office.

2015 Honorable Mention for Global Engagement Group Award: USF Health Nicaragua.

2015 Honorable Mention for Global Engagement: Faculty Awards

Dr. Tiffany Chenneville, Associate Professor of Psychology at USF St. Petersburg with a joint appointment in Pediatrics with USF Health.

USF’s 10 new Fulbright faculty include

 

Written by Sarah Worth, USF Health Communications. Additional reporting by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health.