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The Public Health Scarletter
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It is with great honor and a sense of awe that I write this first blog as the Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. And so to begin, I thought I’d share my vision for the school.
The vision is defined by three words—aspiration, achievement, and access, constituting the “AAA” principle:
- Aspiration-attracting and retaining top research faculty, enrolling skilled and dedicated students, developing opportunities for extensive funding and grant opportunities, and enhancing our pedagogical programs to address the learning needs of our student body;
- Achievement-working with faculty, administrators, staff, and other key stakeholders to develop achievement benchmarks, to track our efforts, and develop systems to ensure success; and
- Access-holding true to our identity as a public school focused on providing opportunity for all and enhancing the diversity of students, faculty, and staff to reflect the our population.
Our aspirations will be achieved by (1) creating a fertile, collaborative, supportive environment in which research programs are developed, nurtured, and undertaken and where knowledge is generated which challenges conventional modes of thinking and paradigms; (2); enhancing our educational offerings which will effectively prepare students to conduct public health research and practice work in the 21
st century while recognizing that the challenges for a new generation differ widely for those of us who came of age prior tot the 21
st century; and (3) conducting all of our research and pedagogical work on the hyphen of theory and practice.
This last point holds enormous power and significance for me as a researcher, educator, advocate, and activist, and speaks to the concept of access. By conducting public health work at these crossroads of theory and practice, we stay true to the realities of the lives of those whose health we are seeking to enhance with a vigilant recognition that there are myriad diverse life experiences that underscore the population of New Jersey, our country and the world. Quite simply, we are “keeping the public in public health.”
And in adhering to this vision, we also will be inspirational!
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Sincerely,
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH,
Dean & Professor
Rutgers School of Public Health
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"Keeping the Public in Public Health"
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Coal Miners & Lung Disease
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Dr. Judith Graber, assistant professor of epidemiology, leads study which confirms that former U.S. Coal miners face the ongoing burden of occupational lung disease. The study was the first to use data from the Black Lung Benefits Program (BLBP).
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Non-Cigarette Tobacco Products
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The Center for Tobacco Studies finds that tobacco point-of-sale advertisements and non-cigarette tobacco product availability (cigarettes, cigars/cigarillos, smokeless tobacco), in licensed tobacco retailers close to high schools in New Jersey, differs by student income level and race.
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Dr. Irina Grafova, assistant professor of health systems and policy, examined how unemployment impacts smoking behavior in her latest study published in
Review of Economics of the Household. She found that long-term unemployment can lead to harmful health behaviors such as smoking, especially in women.
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Indoor Air Pollution & Human Exposure
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Dr. Charles J. Weschler, adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health, along with a colleague form UC Berkeley, has developed a model to improve the estimates of human exposure to indoor air pollution. The model focuses on organic films, which develop on indoor surfaces, such as, windows and floors, and mirrors.
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Physicians & E-Cigarette Knowledge
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Binu Singh, PhD candidate, explores physicians' knowledge, perceptions, and communications on e-cigarette in her first study as first author, published in
Preventive Medicine Reports.
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Do e-cigarettes help smokers quit or glorify a potentially unhealthy habit? Rutgers School of Public Health and Columbia University researchers find evidence that e-cigs could help people quit smoking.
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Dean, Dr. Perry N. Halkitis, has been named Researcher of the Year for studies on men and masculinity by the American Psychological Association.
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Student Megha Shah empowers homeless women through a health education program she created a part of her Bridging the Gaps Internship program.
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Dean Perry N. Halkitis participates in the United Nation's Men's Health Panel ahead of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
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Hurricane Harvey Response
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The Rutgers School of Public Health is thinking of those who have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The destruction and devastation caused by the hurricane highlights the importance of developing and maintaining local resources to train volunteers and responders to rapidly assess and control the situation. The Rutgers School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice (OPHP) is prepared to offer assistance based on what we have learned from Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey. OPHP has training available for responders, homeowners, and others who will be called upon to clean-up the devastation caused by the storm.
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September 11
12:00PM-1:00PM
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21st Century Seminar Series:
"Interactive Smartphone Apps and Other Novel Interventions for Addressing HIV in the U.S. and China," presented by Kate Muessig.
Text Link
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September 25
12:00PM-1:00PM
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Perry's Power Hour:
Open forum for students to chat with Dean Perry N. Halkitis about education, student life, and more! Did we mention there will be pizza?
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September 15
10:30AM-11:30AM
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21st Century Seminar Series: "Framing the Future: Transforming Public Health Curricula to Improve Health," presented by Dona J. Peterson.
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October 10
12:00PM-1:00PM
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21st Century Semi
nar Series:
"
Spatial Epidemiology of Health Disparities in LGBT Populations: What Have We Learned So Far and What’s Next?" presented by Dustin Dunkin.
Text Link
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APHA Annual Meeting: Atlanta
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The Rutgers School of Public Health will be at the annual APHA Meeting & Expo in Atlanta, GA from November 4 - November 8.
We look forward to seeing our students, alumni, and valued partners and friends at this year's meeting. Stop by our booth and/or schedule a meeting with Dean Perry N. Halkitis by emailing Michelle Edelstein (mse46@sph.rugers.edu).
See you there!
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Getting Social @RutgersSPH
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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
The Public Health Scarletter.
Follow and interact with Dean Perry N. Halkitis (@DrPNHalkitis) on Twitter and Instagram.
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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?
Just publish?
We want to tell your story - email Michelle Edelstein (mse46@sph.rutgers.edu) to learn more.
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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.
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Rutgers School of Public Health
Rutgers School of Public Health
683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
(732) 235 - 9700
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