CEPH Re-accreditation: Third-Party Comments invited!: The University of Memphis School of Public Health is scheduled for a re-accreditation review by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) on April 1-3, 2020. Third-party comments provide our stakeholders with the opportunity to submit feedback to CEPH on our school's practices, procedures, and policies.

CEPH is accepting written comments from students, alumni, faculty, staff, community partners, and members of the general public until March 1, 2020 (30 days before the site visit). All third party comments should be emailed or mailed directly to Alexandra DiOrio, MPH, Accreditation Specialist: adiorio@ceph.org; Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 220, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

World AIDS Day: The School of Public Health Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences participated in World AIDS Day observances in Memphis, TN. Photo exhibits addressing internalized stigma of people living with HIV were displayed at PEAS Inc., World AIDS Sunday at Christ Missionary Baptist Church and the Memphis Ryan White Program World AIDS Day Lighting of the Lanterns Ceremony at Beale Street Landing as part of Dr. Latrice Pichon's research collaborations with Connect 2 Protect Memphis and The Headliners. The exhibit features photographs and personal stories of HIV-related stigma for 6 early participants in the project. The work was funded by Gilead Sciences COMPASS (COMmitment to Partnership in Addressing HIV/AIDS in Southern States) Initiative®, Southern AIDS Coalition Transformative Grant. View photos >

EBE Colloquium: November 13th: The division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health's final colloquium of Fall 2019 was Wednesday, November 13th from 11am-12pm in 217 Robison Hall. The speakers for this month were students: Shadia Sunny, Bandar Shukr, and Rutu Patel. All three are PhD Epidemiology students in our EBE Division. View Announcement >

Epi PhD Student Publishes in the International Breastfeeding Journal: Joacy Gerard Mathias, a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology, has published a paper in the International Breastfeeding Journal, titled "The association of infant feeding patterns with food allergy symptoms and food allergy in early childhood." Her coauthors are Drs. Hongmei Zhang, Nelis Soto-Ramirez and Wilfried Karmaus. View paper >

UofM SPH @ APHA: The School of Public Health will have a presence at the American Public Health Association meeting in Philadelphia this November. SPH Faculty and students will give 19 research presentations at the national meeting, to be attended by nearly 13,000 public health professionals. View list of presentations >

SBS Brown Bag Series: October 18th: The division of Social and Behavioral Sciences hosted a Brown Bag Series on the topic "Effective Writing Techniques" on October 18, 2019 from 12-1pm in Robison Hall 217. The speaker was Mr. Thomas J. Walsh, Jr., a graduate of Yale University (B.A. English) and the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.). Tom specializes in appellate advocacy. He has written briefs for hundreds of appeals in state and federal courts, including several before the U.S. Supreme Court. (Read More)

EBE Colloquium: October 9th: The division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health's second colloquium of Fall 2019 was Wednesday, October 9th from 11am-12pm in the University Center Senate Chamber in room 261. The speaker this month was Dr. Saunak Sen, Chief of Biostatistics in the Department of Preventative Medicine at UTHSC. The topic was "Sparse matrix linear models for structured high-throughput data". View Announcement >

Sickle Cell Awareness Day: Tuesday, October 1st: Sickle Cell Awareness Day is an event hosted by the University of Memphis and The Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee. It is open free and open to the public. The event will take place at the University Center, October 1st from 10-1pm. There will be a local artist with SCD sharing some of his artwork, along with local warriors sharing their stories. The event will also host local sponsors available to share information and present their current research.

Suicide Prevention Training: September 30th:The School of Social Work hosted trainers from the Memphis VA for a Suicide Prevention Training, featuring a survivor story. This event was on Monday, September 30 from 8-11am in the UC Theater (room 145). This event was approved for 2.0 CEUs, and was free and open to the public. Space was limited to the first 200 people, and parking was not included. Registration was on Eventbrite. View flyer for more details >

EBE Colloquium: September 19th: The division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health's first colloquium of Fall 2019 was Thursday, September 19th at 12:15 pm in the University Center Senate Chamber in room 261. The speaker this month was Dr. Drew Westmoreland. She is an Epidemiologist at the Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health at City University of New York (CUNY). View Announcement >

Epi PhD student presents at the IASLC 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2019): Meghan Meadows-Taylor, MPH, an epi PhD student, recently had the opportunity to attend the IASLC 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2019) in Barcelona, Spain. World leaders in lung cancer research were in attendance including physicians, nurses, researchers, scientists, patients, and advocates. "I was able to present my research and receive valuable feedback on methodology and interpretation of my results in a real world context. The most meaningful aspect of this conference was enhancing my networking skills through meeting renowned experts in the lung cancer field." Congratulations Meghan!

Dr. Yong Yang Receives R03 Grant Award from NIH: Dr. Yong Yang, PhD, assistant professor in Social and Behavioral Science, recently received an R03 grant award from the National Institutes of Health for his project "Modeling the impact of flavor bans among young adult tobacco users using discrete choice experiments and agent-based modeling." Dr. Ken Ward, professor and director of the SPH Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, serves as co-investigator on the award.

Fall Student Town Hall Meeting: Monday, September 16th: PH students are encouraged to attend Town Hall Meetings with the Associate Dean to express ideas and share ways to enhance the student experience. The town hall took place Monday, September 16th from 4-5pm in the Collaboration Room (Robison Hall) regarding feedback on the CEPH self-study.

Congratulations to two of our EBE PhD students: Congratulations to Joacy Gerard Mathias for receiving the Outstanding Student Achievement Award for Community Engagement in Public Health Research and to Meghan Meadows Taylor for receiving the Outstanding Student Achievement Award for Scholastic Abilities in Public Health Research! Both students are PhD in Epidemiology students from our EBE division and were presented these awards at the EBE Colloquium last week.

Public Health Summer Institute 2019: The School of Public Health is offering one and two-day workshops in data analytics and population health this August. For more information, please view our flyer.

Students and Faculty Attend Methodist Faith & Health Research Colloquium: Several students and faculty attended the Methodist Faith & Health Research Colloquium on August 30, 2019 and had poster exhibits. Pictures from the event are on our flickr. View flyer >

Dr. Aram Dobalian appointed to the NASEM's Committee: Aram Dobalian, Ph.D., M.P.H., JD, Professor and Director of the Division of Health Systems Management and Policy at the University of Memphis School of Public Health, has been appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (the National Academies) Committee on Best Practices for Assessing Mortality and Morbidity Following Large-Scale Disasters. (Read More)

Epi Doctoral Student receives 2019 Presidential Leadership Award: Joacy Magdalene Gerard Mathias, a doctoral student in Epidemiology, will receive the 2019 Presidential Leadership Award. She receives the award "UofM 20 under 30," one of the President's leadership awards for her exemplary leadership and community service. (Read More)

Congratulations to Dr. Asos Mahmood, PhD Candidate for UofM Doctoral Fellowship Award: Dr. Asos Mahmood, a PhD candidate in Health Systems Management & Policy, has been awarded the University of Memphis Society Doctoral Fellowship. A committee of faculty across the University of Memphis chose Dr. Mahmood as the only doctoral student to receive this prestigious award as an honor for the "dedication" and "expertise" he has shown as a scholar, and for his contributions to research and "excellence" in his field of study. He will receive the award at the Honors Assembly on April 14, 2019 in the Michael D. Rose Theatre Auditorium.

NPHW 2019 Events: The Public Health Student Association planned the following events to celebrate National Public Health Week...

Join the Fight Against Child World Hunger: April 3, 2019: The Public Health Student Association encourages students to volunteer for this important effort to relieve child hunger. The event will be held from 10-11:30 AM and 12-1:30 Pm at the Elma Roane Field House Room 118. To register or donate, please click here.

SPH Family Potluck Picnic: April 6, 2019: Students, faculty, staff, and alum are invited to join us for our annual Family Potluck Picnic. The event will be held April 6, 2019 at Marquette Park from 11am-1pm.

University of Memphis Master of Health Administration Program ranked 33rd by US News & World report for 2020: US News & World report released its 2020 rankings for Best Graduate Programs in Health Care Management on March 12. The University of Memphis Master of Health Administration Program is ranked 33rd. The MHA Program increased 14 spots from the last report in 2016. We are very proud of the work that our alumni, faculty, and students have accomplished that led to this increase in our national visibility!

UofM MPH in SBS ranked #1 for Top 10 MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences Degrees Online 2019

March EBE Colloquium: "Introduction to the Mixture Model and its Application" - March 14th: Our March EBE colloquium was held Thursday, March 14th in the UC Senate Chamber from 11:00 am -12:00 pm. Our speaker this month was be Dr. Jiajia Zhang, Professor of Biostatistics from the University of South Carolina.  Please view the flyer for more details.

2nd Annual Adversity and Resilience Symposium - March 15th: The 2nd Annual Adversity and Resilience Symposium took place on March 15th from 9-11:30 in the University Center Fountain View room at the University of Memphis. This year's symposium included speakers from the community who discussed maternal and child health equity, as well as interactive case discussions and workshops on research and clinically-relevant topics. Please see the flyer for additional details.

Dr. Paige Powell interviews with WMC Action News 5 about Concierge Medicine: Dr. Paige Powell, MHA Program Director and Assistant Professor of Health Systems and Policy, was interviewed as an expert recently on Channel 5 news regarding a growing healthcare trend: concierge medicine. View the interview online at WMC Action News 5.

2019 Women and Girls Health Awareness Conference and Hotel Information: The 2019 Women and Girls Health Awareness Conference is March 9, 2019 in Hernando, MS. Registration information can be found here or completed online. Hotel suggestions for the conference can be found here.

Professional Development Workshop: Job Search for Industry - February 14, 2019: The Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health would like to invite you to the first EBE Colloquium of 2019. This colloquium will be slightly different than previous colloquiums as EBE will sponsor a professional development workshop focusing on job searches for industry. RSVP to Dr. Meredith Ray by February 8th. For more information, please view the announcement.

Dr. SangNam Ahn receives 2018 Paper of the Year Award: Dr. SangNam Ahn and co-authors won the Editor in Chief 2018 Paper of the Year Award from the American Journal of Health Promotion for his paper titled "Evaluation of a Behavioral Intervention with Multiple Components among Low-Income and Uninsured Adults with Obesity and Diabetes". Congratulations to Dr. Ahn and colleagues! (Read More)

Five Public Health Community Scholars Named: The School of Public Health at the University of Memphis is pleased to announce the fifth cohort of Public Health Community Scholars. The following five first-year MPH students were named 2019 Public Health Community Scholars: Hawa Abdallah, Julie Bach, Collette Connor, Ashley Cooper, and Anna Gretz. These scholarships were made possible by a $500,000 gift from a generous, anonymous donor. (Read More)

MPH student co-authors editorial piece for AJPH: Cem Akkus, PhD, MS, an MPH candidate, served as member of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) Think Tank. As part of this group, he co-authored the editorial piece titled @AJPHThinkTank: Bringing #PublicHealth to a Device Near You.

REGISTER NOW FOR LEVEL II COURSE!: A new Level II Health Care Interpreter Course will be held during three weekends in March 2019. The dates are
March: 1, 2 ,3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16. Please contact course instructor, Espi Ralston, at espiralston@gmail.com for more information.

Clear the Air Tennessee Project - January 31, 2019: The Shelby County Health Department hosted an educational training on second-hand smoke and smoke-free environments at Benjamin L Hooks Library from 4-5pm. Community services hours were available for participants. Registration was available online.