Scarletter
September 2020
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Keeping the 'Public' in Public Health |
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Challenged with one of our hardest academic years yet, Rutgers School of Public Health dean, Perry N. Halkitis, focuses on the power of individual and collective resilience in his Welcome Back message to students, faculty, and staff. Read his complete message here.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion |
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In addition to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we must simultaneously address the public health crisis of racism by continuing our ongoing vigilance to speak out and act against any form of discrimination. It is imperative that our research, education, and community engagement initiatives remain guided and informed by the principles of social justice and health equity to address the structural conditions that fuel health disparities, including the disproportionate number of COVID-19 related deaths and the endless violence experienced by Black and brown communities.
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Lead with the principles of social justice and health equity.
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Dismantle all forms of overt, covert, and structural racism, oppression, and discrimination.
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Create a culture where people regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and myriad other identities have an equal opportunity to succeed.
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Publicizing police killings of unarmed black people causes emotional trauma, with a majority of college students of color showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after watching videos of unarmed Black men being killed by police on social media, according to a new study led by Pamela Valera, assistant professor in the department of urban-global public health. Learn More
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Incarceration and police discrimination may contribute to HIV, depression, and anxiety among Black gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men, according to a new study led by Devin English, assistant professor in the department of urban-global public health. Learn More
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Gestational diabetes may accelerate a child’s biological age – with long-term health risks that include cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and higher weight – according to new research led by Stephanie Shiau, instructor the department of biostatistics and epidemiology. Learn More
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Physicians need to understand accurate nicotine risks better to assist patients addicted to the most harmful tobacco products, according to new Rutgers-led survey. "Correcting misperceptions in medicine should be a priority given the FDA's proposed nicotine-centered framework that includes reducing nicotine content in cigarettes to non-addictive levels while encouraging safer forms of nicotine like NRT, to help with smoking cessation or non-combustible tobacco, like smokeless tobacco for harm reduction," says Cristine Delnevo, director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies and professor in the department of health behavior, society, and policy. Learn More
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Student Spotlight: Fulbright Awardee
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Rohit Mukherjee, a student in the department of urban-global public health, has received a Fulbright Award to help establish an emergency dispatch center to improve maternal and child health outcomes in Ghana.
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PhocuseD on their PhDs: Meet our newest PhD students
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Tina Dharamdasani, MS, is a first year PhD student in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology where her research focuses on evaluating social determinants of breast cancer- related healthcare utilization among women of color. Prior to the doctoral program, she was a project coordinator at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, where she learned how social factors affect healthcare utilization and outcomes in chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and dementia.
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Fabrizio Drago, MPH, is a first year PhD student in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology, where his research explores the intersection of chronic and infectious diseases, with a focus on the risk of cardiovascular diseases in HIV+ populations. Prior to joining Rutgers, he received his MPH from the University of Virginia, where he studied the role that immune cells play in cardiovascular diseases and the development of personalized immunomodulation therapy approaches.
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Sean Stratton, is a first year PhD student in the department of environmental and occupational health and justice, who’s a New Jersey native that’s passionate about drinking water quality and empowering local communities through citizen science. Prior to enrolling at Rutgers School of Public Health, he worked as an environmental consultant and has been actively involved in lead contamination issues in drinking water around the state.
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Fantasia Williams, MPH, MS, is a first year PhD student in the department of environmental and occupational health and justice, whose broad research interests include investigating disease conditions that are known to be related to climate change and pose a significant burden in low socioeconomic and health disparate populations and understanding how different marginalized groups are exposed uniquely to environmental hazards.
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Weiyi Xia, MS, is a first year PhD student in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology, who’s passionate about causal inference, mediation analysis, clinical trials, and machine learning. She has a degree in clinical pharmacy, a multi-disciplinary background, and enjoys collaborating with researchers in the biomedical field.
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Chang Xu, MS, is a first year PhD student in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology, whose research interests include pharmacoepidemiology, causal inference, clinical nutrition, and innovative statistical methods. Her career goal is to bridge research-based knowledge and direct patient care.
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Succeeding with Student Support Services |
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The Office of Student Support Services is here for YOU providing a supportive, connected, and engaged student experience by leading educational practices, community building initiatives, support services, and professional development opportunities throughout the semester.Check your Student Connect Canvas page for more information about all of those opportunities!
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Quick Connections:
Office of Student Support Services is here to ensure your success by addressing any concerns that you may have, hosting weekly peer support group sessions, and office hours.
Office of Career Services is here to help students on their journey to becoming agile public health professionals, developing resource guides, career talks, skills-based workshops, and a database for jobs, internships, and fellowships!
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Successful Habits:
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Remain informed: Check your Rutgers School of Public Health email and review your Student and Career Connect Canvas pages daily! Don’t forget to follow @rutgersSPH on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Stay connected: Reach out to fellow students, instructors, advisors, department chairs, and staff!
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Practice self-care: We’re all humans balancing multiple intersecting identities, roles, and responsibilities every day. You cannot be your best self in your academics, careers, and relationships, if you are not focusing on the things your mind, body, and soul need.
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Dean Perry N. Halkitis and Chancellor Brian Strom were ranked #1 in the 2020 NJBIZ Education Power 50 for their role in helping the state develop a robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Systemic Racism and COVID-19: The disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx communities is systemic racism, according to Devin English, assistant professor in the department of urban-global public health. “Government policies that promote segregation and undermine access to quality healthcare have fostered the spread of COVID-19 in these communities.” Read Daily Targum
What’s Up with States’ Different Indoor Dining Plans? According to Henry F. Raymond, epidemiologist and associate professor in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology, “every epidemic is local.” The dynamics, demographics, and vulnerabilities are so variable from place to place that it’s not surprising that there are — even in side-by-side jurisdictions — different policies around the things people can do. Read New York Magazine
Behind Newark’s Success: Strong leadership, quick mobilization, and a targeted test-treat-isolate infrastructure helped in the City of Newark's fight against COVID’19, according to Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers school of Public Health. Read Mother Jones
Trump Downplayed COVID - Here’s What We Should Have Done: If you compare what has happened in the U.S. to what has happened in many other countries - who took swift actions by rolling out large-scale testing, initiating contact tracing, or instilling widespread mask usage - there is no question that we could have dramatically reduced the spread of the disease, flattened the curve, and undoubtedly saved lots of lives, argues Michael K. Gusmano, bioethicist, health policy expert, and professor in the department of health behavior, society, and policy. Read Popular Science
How’d we Train 1,000 Contact Tracers in Three Months? Marian Passannante, associate dean for educational program development and global programs, and Colleen McKay Wharton and Mitchel A. Rosen, from the Center for Public Health Workforce Development, teamed up with Rutgers Teaching and Learning with Technology, to develop the state’s contact tracing course online that would be used by the Community Contact Tracing Crops. They built on what the university had learned since the spring when most classes made the pivot to remote instruction. Read Rutgers Today
Relationships During COVID-19: Among the many challenges people face during the pandemic is the strain placed on relationships by social distancing and quarantine guidelines. Leslie Kantor, professor and chair of the department of urban-global public health, explains how relationships have changed and how to cope. Read Philadelphia Inquirer
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is the new director of the epidemiology concentration.
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Focus on Vulnerable Populations |
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Show off your school pride by downloading our
Rutgers School of Public Health Zoom backgrounds.
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Remembering Tyler Clementi |
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The Rutgers Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community engagement will be hosting "Life After the Closet," a symposium to remember Tyler Clementi, that will help participants understand the role and complexities of the closet, both protective and oppressive. The symposium will contend with shame and the lives of gay men across generations, the consequences of the loss of privacy, and the way that intersectional, particularly minoritized identities, can shift experiences revealing the cost and utility of the closet. |
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Join Believe in a Healthy Newark to spread awareness about the severity of COVID-19 among young adults by sharing your anonymous stories. |
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Rutgers School of Public Health |
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683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-235-9700
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One Riverfront Plaza, Suite 1020
Newark, NJ 07102
973-972-7212
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Got 60 seconds? Tell us what you’re doing, seeing, or experiencing — and what people should know about the public health response to COVID-19. Your story can inspire and educate others and build support for public health professionals like you. |
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