Scarletter
November, 2018
|
|
Dear Readers,
As you take in Fall's beautiful seasonality, please take a moment to reflect on the events that unfold around us – whether they be political, personal, or other.
This month’s Scarletter will focus on looking back and planning ahead for things to come both at and with the Rutgers School of Public Health. We’ll address public health challenges, as well as explore solutions to some of today's most salient issues in the best way we know how – community engagement, meaningful scholarship, relevant education, and open dialogue.
I invite you to explore our latest research, new Center on Gun Violence, op-eds, and events. Scroll through this month’s issue to experience our first annual “Topics in Urban Public Health: New Findings and Approaches” conference and our signature 21
st Century Seminar Series. Join us as we uplift and celebrate diverse communities by standing up to hateful rhetoric, harassment, and discrimination.
We hope that the changing of seasons inspires you to impact change around you and for yourself. Please take a moment to vote on November 6.
Kindly,
Michelle Edelstein, MPH
Editor, Scarletter
Marketing & Communications
Rutgers School of Public Health
|
|
"Keeping the Public in Public Health"
|
|
Center on Gun Violence Research
|
|
The Center, directed by
Rutgers School of Public Health
faculty,
Bernadette Hohl, PhD
, will gather community-level data on gun violence and other public heath factors, conduct research on efforts to reduce gun violence across the nation and the world, consider innovative technologies to improve gun safety and create policy recommendations for gun violence prevention and public education.
It will draw on expertise from across the university, including
Rutgers University—New Brunswick
,
Rutgers University—Newark
,
Rutgers University—Camden
, and
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
in fields such as psychology, sociology, medicine, law, nursing, social work, public policy, engineering and others.
|
|
|
Topics in Urban Public Health
|
|
Rutgers School of Public Health Hosts First Annual Urban Public Health Conference
|
|
Rutgers School of Public Health
hosted its first annual Urban Public Health conference, “Topics in Urban Public Health: New Findings and Approaches,” on October 18, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey.
The Conference brought together researchers, community-based organizations, policy makers, advocates, students, and community members to foster conversations on some of the most important health issues facing urban areas in New Jersey.
If you were unable to join us or would like to join the conversation once more, checkout the panel/speaker videos below.
You can find speaker
bios
and other information by visiting our "Topics in Urban Public Health" page
here
.
|
Left to right:
Leslie M. Kantor, C
hair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health;
Shereef Elnahal
, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health;
Sheila Oliver
, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey;
Perry N. Halkitis, Rutgers School of Public Health Dean.
|
|
|
|
|
Brian Strom, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences Chancellor and
Perry N. Halkitis, Rutgers School of Public Health Dean, welcome participants.
|
|
|
|
|
What is Urban Public Health?
|
Sheila Oliver
, Lieutenant Governor,
Shereef Elnahal
, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health
Perry N. Halkitis
, Dean, Rutgers School of Public Health discuss the status of urban public health in New Jersey on a panel facilitated by
Leslie M. Kantor
, Chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health.
|
|
|
|
|
Marijuana Legalization: Public Health Advance or Set-Back?
|
Jeffrey Fagan, Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law, Columbia Law School,
Frank Ghinassi, President and CEO, University Behavioral Health Care and University Correctional Health Care,
Victoria Coleman-Cowger, Senior Clinical Research Manager, Emmes Corporation discuss marijuana legalization on a panel facilitated by
Ayman El-Mohandes, Dean, CUNY School of Public Health.
|
|
|
|
|
The Life and Health of African American Mothers and Babies
|
A conversation between
Linda Villarosa, NY Times Magazine Contributing Writer and
Qiana Brown, Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health and School of Social Work, about the health of African American mothers and babies.
|
|
|
|
|
Adolescent Health and Youth Activism Toward Healthier Communities
|
Chantel Fletcher, Co-Founder Sis and Bro Initiative and Rutgers School of Public Health alum,
Christian Martin, New Jersey March for Our Lives Organizer and activist, and
Isabella Gonzalez, Sex, Etc. Writer, discuss the role youth activism plays in community health on a panel facilitated by
Nicole Cushman, Executive Director, Answer, Rutgers University.
|
|
|
|
|
Violence in Our Homes and in Our Communities
|
Mark Wade, Director of the Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness,
Lisa Smith, Coordinator of the Rutgers University Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance and
Charlie Branas, Professor and Department Chair of the Epidemiology Department at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, discuss violence in our communities on a panel facilitated by
Bernadette Hohl, Rutgers School of Public Health faculty.
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Immigration Policy & Its Impact on Child & Family Health
|
A conversation between
Hala Madanat, Director, San Diego State University School of Public Health,
Andrea Senteno, Legislative Attorney, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and
Tiffany Joseph, Associate Professor, Northeastern University.
|
|
|
|
|
Naa Oyo A. Kwate, Associate Professor, Rutgers University Department of Human Ecology and Department of Africana Studies—Racism Counter-Marketing
Mindy Fullilove, Professor of Urban Policy & Health, Parsons/The New School, 400 Years of Inequality Project
Deborah Levine, Director, LGBT YouthLink, Q-Space, LGBTQ Youth Digital Center, discuss the innovative interventions they have developed to address urban public health issues on a panel facilitated by
Spencer Kent, Reporter for the Newark Star Ledger.
|
|
|
|
|
Ryan Haygood, President and CEO, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice provided the closing keynote address.
|
|
|
The Rutgers School of Public Health would like to recognize and thank Investors Bank, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, and conference participants for a successful and meaningful event.
|
|
|
|
Phthalates Exposure Linked to Speech Delay
|
Emily Barrett, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and researcher at the Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Institute, finds that pregnant mothers’ exposure to phthalates – substances often used in personal care products, children’s toys and more – may be linked to delays in language development during early childhood. The study supports the growing body of work that suggests phthalates may be harmful to a developing fetus.
|
|
|
|
|
Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Women
|
Paul Duberstein, PhD, incoming Chair and Professor of the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy, has co-authored a study which found that interpersonal psychotherapy helps depressed women with histories of sexual trauma. The study, which included 162 women, found that Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Trauma reduced symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and improved social health when clinicians followed up 8 and 20 months later.
|
|
|
|
|
Paradigm for Managing HIV-Related Pain in Older Adults
|
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH
, Dean and Director of the Center for Health Identity Behavior & Prevention Studies, along with colleagues, has proposed a new biopsychosocial model for addressing the complex associations between substance use, mental health, psychosocial issues, and chronic pain among older adults living with HIV/AIDS. The framework should be used when considering treatment for a population susceptible magnified pain from to biological, psychological and social factors.
|
|
|
|
|
Elderly Housing Conditions and Costly Hospital Use
|
Michael K. Gusmano, PhD,
Associate Professor and Director of the Health Systems and Policy Concentration, along with colleagues, finds that elderly housing with supportive social services can reduce costly hospital use, in latest study. The researchers examine the impact housing conditions have on hospitalization and rates of medicare beneficiaries, evaluating whether programs reduced hospital use, including hospital discharges for ambulatory care–sensitive conditions.
|
|
|
|
|
Kids' Health Outcomes and Parental Education
|
Alan Monheit, PhD,
and
Irina Grafova, PhD, both faculty in the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy, find that parental education beyond twelve years is associated with increases in family health care spending and decreases in specific health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. The findings support the Grossman Model of Health Demand, which posits that a child’s health endowment is increased by investments in health.
|
|
|
|
|
Reaching Hidden Populations: Starfish Sampling
|
Henry F. Raymond, DrPH, MPH,
Associate Professor of Epidemiology, along with colleagues, has published a study on “Starfish Sampling” – a novel hybrid approach recruiting hidden populations. The approach entails random selection of venue-day-time units from a mapping of the locations where the population can be found, combined with short chains of peer referrals from their social networks at the venue or presenting to the study site later.
|
|
|
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, Dean and Director of the Center for Health Identity Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS), denounces the recent HHS memo on gender and examines the process of coming out in latest op-eds.
|
|
 |
Erasing Transgender People:
Dean Halkitis denounces the new HHS memo, which states the department's intent to solely define gender as either male or female based on biological traits defined by or prior to birth in a new oped with the
New Jersey Star Ledger.
|
|
|
|
Coming Out for Truth and Pride:
Dean Halkitis examines the process of coming out and living one's truth, ahead of his soon-to-be published book detailing the coming out stories of several generations of men in a new oped with
Out in New Jersey.
|
|
|
|
The Rutgers School of Public Health celebrated
International Pronouns Day
on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 and was a proud co-sponsor of the event.
International Pronouns Day seeks to make asking, sharing, and respecting personal pronouns commonplace. Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.
In a statement from
Teri Lassiter, PhD,
Assistant Dean for Public Health Practice, Diversity and Inclusion, the School stated its unequivocal support for the proper use of pronouns. Read her full statement
here
.
|
|
|
Pronouns: How Do You Ask?
|
|
ICYMI: 21st Century Seminar Series
|
|
|
"Are You the Hero or Victim of Your Life Story? Claim Your Resilience for Your Health’s Sake," presented by
John-Manuel Andriote
, a
uthor and journalist specializing in health and medicine, HIV-AIDS, and LGBT issues.
|
|
|
|
“Using Online and Digital Technology to Increase HIV Testing Among Young MSM in Thailand,” presented by
Thomas Guadamuz, PhD
, faculty in the
Department of Society and Health, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
|
|
|
|
|
“Bugs in the City: Controlling Chagas Disease in Arequipa, Peru,” presented by
Michael Levy, PhD
,
Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania.
.
|
|
|
|
"
Developmental Considerations for Minority Stress Research with Sexual Minority Adolescents," presented by
Jeremy Goldbach, PhD, MSW
, Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Associate Professor of Social Work, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work,
University of Southern California.
|
|
|
|
|
Koshy Koshy, PhD
, Assistant Professor in environmental and health science along with colleagues at the Center for Public Health Workforce Development, has received the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration Susan Harwood Training Program Grant for the ninth consecutive year. The grant will help develop and provide training on the control of respirable crystalline silica hazards in construction.
|
|
|
|
Marian Passannante, PhD
, Associate Dean for Educational Program Development, has received a travel grant to Athens, Greece to work with colleagues at the National School of Public Health and Horokopio University to finalize a 2019 summer short course on "Migration in the European Context: Challenges for Public Health" and develop a second course on "Global Food, Nutrition and Culture."
|
|
|
|
|
Mitchel Rosen, PhD
, Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Public Health Workforce Development has received a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant, “Ebola Biosafety and Infectious Disease Response Training.” The one-year $50,000 supplemental award will continue to support biohazard and infectious disease training at the Center for Public Health Workforce Development
.
|
|
|
|
Jennah Sontag, PhD,
post-doctoral fellow, has received a fellowship for "Using Digital Media to Increase Effectiveness of Communication about Tobacco Cessation and Harm-reduction Strategies for Adult Smokers Living with Children" with mentor,
Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH
, co-leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute; and Director, Center for Tobacco Studies and Professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.
|
|
|
|
Dear Rutgers School of Public Health,
On Saturday, we all learned about the brutal, senseless, and horrific act of anti-Semitic terrorism, which took the lives of 11 members of Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. One of those 11 killed, whose life intersected with mine, was Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, a doctor who treated people with AIDS when no one else would.
We join in mourning the loss of these innocent people, who gave their families and communities so much. Our hearts are with their loved ones and those whose lives will forever be marked by this disgusting and cowardly act of violence.
I echo the message from our University President, Robert Barchi: “I want all our students, faculty, and staff to know that Rutgers is and will always be a safe place in which to practice one’s faith. Rutgers has long been committed to promoting tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. We are a community that celebrates our differences, and our vibrant student faith communities are a point of pride for our University.”
Anti-Semitism, or any form of discrimination, has no place within our University. We will not tolerate acts of violence, discrimination, harassment, or victimization toward any group, and as a School remain steadfast in our commitment to the well-being of all, particularly those who are marginalized by society because of their religion, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, nation of birth, disability, or social class.
Tragic events such as the one, are directly related to the vitriol that spews from the mouths of our leaders, which enables such hatred and discrimination. This is why we must all lead by example with honor, dignity, and respect.
This event tragically points to inadequate gun-policy, which allow individuals to obtain weapons to commit acts of terror.
In our commitment to stopping acts of violence, we stay true to our values as a School rooted in social justice and directed by meaningful science, with our newly formed
Center on Gun Violence Research
, directed by Dr. Bernadette Hohl and colleagues, which will address such issues.
My deepest condolences,
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH
Dean
Professor, Biostatistics & Social and Behavioral Health Sciences
Rutgers School of Public Health
Director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS)
|
|
|
|
Congratulations to the New Jersey State Cancer Registry in celebrating 40 years of excellence!
The registry, an effort managed by Rutgers Cancer Institute and the New Jersey Department of Health, is led by Antoinette Stroup, PhD, Rutgers School of Public Health faculty, is the state's
leading resource for cancer data.
|
|
|
APHA Annual Meeting: Catch Us in San Diego
|
|
|
|
The Rutgers School of Public Health will be at the annual APHA Meeting & Expo in San Diego, CA, from November 10 - 14, 2018.
Join us for our annual APHA Reception on
Sunday, November 11, 2018.
We look forward to seeing our faculty, students, alumni, valued partners, and friends in San Diego, CA.
|
|
|
|
Annual APHA Reception: San Diego, CA
|
|
|
LOCATION
Hilton San Diego Bay Front (One Park Blvd. Sapphire Room 400A, San Diego, CA)
DATE AND TIME
11/11/18
6:30pm -
11/11/18
8:30pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Center for Tobacco Studies
|
|
|
|
The Center for Public Health Workforce Development brought awareness to occupational safety and health, via this ghoulish scarecrow!
|
|
|
|
Checkout these tobacco control superheroes, who rolled up ready to stomp out tobacco!
|
|
|
|
|
Getting Social @RutgersSPH
|
Follow and interact with the Rutgers School of Public Health (@RutgersSPH) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tag us in your posts and show us how you're "keeping the public in public health," for a chance to be featured on our social media accounts and in t
he
Scarletter
.
Follow and interact with Dean Perry N. Halkitis (@DrPNHalkitis) on Twitter and Instagram.
|
|
|
|
Have an idea for an editorial?
Do you want to tell your story?
Did you just win an award?
Have a cool job in public health?
Did you just publish?
|
|
|
|
Donating to the Rutgers School of Public Health supports scholarships for students to be engaged in discovery-based learning through research and practice activities working with populations who experiencing health disparities here in New Jersey, in our country, and globally. By giving, you are helping us further our mission – we thank you. To donate, follow the URL and type “School of Public Health” in the search box.
|
|
|
Rutgers School of Public Health
Rutgers School of Public Health
683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-235-9700
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
