Spartan Pulse: Issue 3, April 2021

SPARTAN PULSE Presented by: MSU MPH Student Advisory Board

Term: SS21 | Issue 3 | Date: April 2, 2021 ABOUT THE MSU MPH STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD (SAB) The SAB is a student-led organization that offers members opportunities to serve on program committees with faculty, participate in volunteer opportunities and research, and build connections and communications between students, faculty, and alumni.

If you are interested in learning more…

View our page on the MSU website (here), check us out on D2L, and join our next meeting – contact Dr. Sharia Phillips (phill874@msu.edu) and mention our newsletter to receive an invite.

If you are interested in joining the SAB… Complete our brief, 7-question survey (be sure to have a recent copy of your resume or cv ready [.doc, .docx, or .pdf format]) and join our next meeting – contact Dr. Sharia Phillips (phill874@msu.edu) and mention our newsletter to receive an invite.

Follow MSU MPH:

PROGRAM UPDATES

by Jennifer Thompson, MPH

From the Accreditation Committee: The Accreditation Committee is continuing the process of reviewing the self-study materials and compiling the final report, which is slated to be submitted to the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), our accrediting body, on June 11, 2021. The self-study is a formal process of critical examination of the content and structure of the MPH Program that will assess compliance with the standards set forth by CEPH. The committee is also preparing for the CEPH Accreditation Site Visit in November 2021.

Follow SAB:

During the site visit, the accreditors will visit the program (either via zoom or in person) and speak with representatives of all program stakeholders - students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, MSU leadership and others - to discuss the report and program strengths, weaknesses and plans for improvement.

We will receive the final decision about the program's accreditation status from CEPH in March 2022.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please reach out to your representative: Pavneet Banga, MD, 2021 MPH Candidate Email: bangapav@msu.edu

It’s important for Americans to realize that it will take time for everyone to become vaccinated and respect that those who are most at risk take priority. According to the CDC, “80% of deaths caused by Covid-19 in the U.S. have been among people 65 and older”.3 Read more about how the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guide their decision-making regarding vaccination roll-out on the CDC’s website.1

PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE NEWS

by Amanda Moser, BS, 2022 MPH Candidate

As of Friday, March 12, the U.S. has administered over 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, accounting for 13.5% of the adult U.S. population, according to the CDC. In 2005, the Task Force on Community Preventative Services published a report regarding vaccination strategies for high-risk adults. Those that qualified as high risk were “adults aged 1864 with medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease; healthcare workers at high risk for occupational exposure; and people with high-risk behaviors for hepatitis B virus infection such as multiple sex partners or injection drug use”.2 As more and more vaccinations are being administered, goals are being put into place to not only get out vaccinations as quickly as possible, but also vaccinate those who are the most at risk. According to Noguchi, “the federal government will start supplying more vaccine to community health centers, whose patients tend to be minorities, homeless and the poor”.3

INTERVIEW WITH DR. KATHRINE WRIGHT, MSU MPH ALUM

by Bob Glandon, PhD, MS

Dr. Kathrine Wright (pictured below) is a 2016 graduate from the MSU MPH Program. She then went on to receive her PhD in Public Health, with a specialization in Social and Behavioral Health, from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The following interview, conducted by our very own Dr. Bob Glandon, provides an exclusive insight into the extraordinary work being done by Spartans in Public Health.

Dr. Glandon: How Kathrine, are you busy?

are

you,

Dr. Wright: Yes, I manage a SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) grant for the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone tribe in Northern Nevada. The grant aims to improve mental health outcomes and decrease substance abuse among Native youth. The work is somewhat related to my dissertation, which used anthropological theories and concepts through a public health lens to Term: SS21 | Issue 3 | Date: April 2, 2021 | Page 2

INTERVIEW WITH DR. KATHRINE WRIGHT, MSU MPH ALUM (cont.) understand the relationships between cultural food security, identity, and wellbeing in second-generation American and international students at UNR. I have experienced food insecurity and am aware of how that can influence physical and mental well-being. I utilized food pantries throughout my childhood and volunteered at food pantries as an adult, which helped me realize how important it is to have the kinds of food that promote physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. I worked with other food pantry volunteers to implement a simple change; ask food pantry clients what kinds of food they would like to see in the pantry. Staff and recipients were happy with the results.

Dr. Glandon: How did the MSU MPH influence you?

Dr. Wright: I graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in the field of Kinesiology and knew that nutrition greatly influences health. The MPH program offered courses in public health nutrition, which interested me a lot. Meaning, food and nutrition are areas I am passionate about. My interest in food insecurity developed during these courses.

Even as someone who grew up foodinsecure, I never knew how severe food insecurity was in the United States until one of my public health nutrition classes in the MPH program. This created my passion for changing the current food

Kathrine Wright, PhD system into one that is socially, ethnically, and culturally inclusive. This passion kept me going throughout rough stretches, especially in my PhD work at UNR. In fact, this leads me to a point I like to make to MSU MPH students – “Find your voice. Focusing on what you are passionate about will carry you through tough times in graduate school. Sometimes people in academia may disagree with you, and often it is because they are far away from the experience. At one point, I felt embarrassed for upsetting people by being outspoken about the need for change in food security research, and my mentor told me, ‘Don’t ever feel embarrassed for speaking up and upsetting people. If you are doing it for the right reasons, you should never feel ashamed.’ And he was right.”

Dr. Glandon: Would you be willing to talk with students who have questions about pursuing a PhD? Dr. Wright: Of course! I would be more than happy to talk with students. I can be reached at kwright@nevada.unr.edu.

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humble beginnings working to support her family in the town of Schaal, Arkansas, a close-knit, rural community with very little access to health care. Throughout her upbringing, Elders tells about how education was the key to her success as it was heavily emphasized by her mother.

This was something that stayed with her as she grew professionally from a pediatrician, to the director of the Arkansas Department of Health, and eventually the position of United States Surgeon General. Elders made education and prevention central to her policy solutions as she tackled the extremely high rates of teenage pregnancy and STDs across the state all while fending off religious fundamentalists that opposed her at every turn. What makes Elders’ story especially unique is her commitment to truth and justice even in the face of the opposition calling into question her competence, qualifications, and morality.

BOOK REVIEW: JOYCELYN ELDERS, MD: From Sharecropper’s Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America

by Brenden Smith, BA, 2023 MPH Candidate

Joycelyn Elders, M.D.: From Sharecropper’s Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America is the autobiography of Dr. Elders, the first Black woman to serve as surgeon general of the United States. The book was published in 1997 after she was forced to resign at the request of President Bill Clinton. Elders tells her story from her

Dr. Elders’ story reminds us of the importance of comprehensive approaches to public health initiatives. Because of her upbringing, Elders was more familiar with the health issues most often facing Black, poor, and rural communities across her state.

Her approach emphasized prevention rather than finding a cure for these health outcomes. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about her story and the trials she faced coming into the public eye as an outspoken advocate for children’s health.

Her experiences with racism, sexism, and the media never prevented her from being an outstanding public health leader.

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CHOOSING YOUR SELECTIVE COURSE FOR YOUR MPH PROGRAM OF STUDY

by John Clements, PhD

The MPH Program provides several opportunities for students to prepare ahead of time for the Integrated Learning Experience (or capstone paper) that they complete at the end of their program. Of course, students should talk with their advisors, professional mentors, the Capstone and other instructors, employers, people you volunteer with, and even your Practicum supervisor, to help figure out a topic for your Capstone. There are many resources available for students, and the program offers three Selective courses to help students learn methodological skills to help them complete their Capstone. The great thing about the Selective courses is that whatever you learn in these courses can be expanded on for your Capstone.

review collects secondary data from already published peer-reviewed journals and analyzes it in different ways. In this course, students write a systematic review protocol with specific milestones required throughout the semester. Instruction includes topics in developing research questions, inclusion/exclusion criteria, search strategies, critical analysis, data collection design and methods, bias and error, and narrative and meta-analysis synthesis methods. The methods learned in this class, and the protocol you write, can be implemented in your Capstone if you choose to conduct a systematic review.

Dr. Robey Champine is the instructor for the HM 853 Selective Robey Champine, PhD, MS, MPH

Dr. John Clements is the instructor for the HM 807 Selective John Clements, PhD HM 807: Practical Application and Critical Thinking Synthesis in Public Health teaches techniques to complete a systematic literature review. A systematic

HM 853: Public Health Program and Intervention Evaluation requires students to complete different components of an evaluation proposal. Over the course of the semester, students design various components of a public health program or policy evaluation culminating in a voiceover PowerPoint presentation about various components of the proposal.

Instruction includes ethics, SMART objectives, working with stakeholders, program theory, and process, outcome, and impact evaluations, among others.

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CHOOSING YOUR SELECTIVE COURSE FOR YOUR MPH PROGRAM OF STUDY (cont.)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERISM: MPHI

by Abhishek Sharma, MD, 2021 MPH Candidate

The evaluation components that you develop in this course can be revised and expanded upon if you choose to complete an evaluation proposal for your Capstone.

Dr. Bob Wahl is the instructor for the HM 880 Selective Robert (Bob) Wahl, DVM, MS HM 880: Student Design and Research Methods for Public Health Practice is centered around research design for primary and secondary data collection and analysis. During the semester, students develop components of a proposed research study (primary or secondary data collection). Instruction includes study design, inferences and sources of bias, community participation, ethics, concept maps, research questions, hypothesis testing, surveys, measurement, sampling, and writing proposals. The research proposal you write in the class can be implemented for your Capstone or you can choose to use the methods you learn in this class to write a different research proposal.

Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) is a Michigan-based and nationally engaged, non-profit public health institute with over 30 years of Public Health Service.

The organization has a commitment to health equity and social justice and works to support federal, state, and local government entities, as well as nonprofits, higher education and other foundations in its effort to work with community members to make tomorrow healthier than today. Their mission is to:

“advance population health through public health innovation and collaboration”.

MPHI has been involved in over 300 projects with lasting impact. To better understand the history and depth of the organization, please visit their 2015 Annual Report below celebrating 25-years in public health along with their YouTube video depicting their rich heritage.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERISM: MPHI (cont.)

CAREER CORNER

by Alec Bennett, BA, 2022 MPH Candidate

MPHI 2015 Annual Report: https://annualreport.mphi.org/2015/ MPHI Our Story:

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Job Seeking Resources: https://jobs.cste.org/jobseeker/resources/

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8acraHO9hg) More recently, MPHI has been involved in newer community projects that are presented in their most recent 2019 annual report: https://annualreport.mphi.org Students interested in volunteer and community engagement opportunities with MPHI can explore paid and unpaid career positions on their website, https://www.mphi.org, or can contact the Student Advisory Board to be connected with MPHI’s Chief Program Officer, Dr. May Darwish-Yassine.

CSTE is a non-profit organization devoted to advancing public health and epidemiology through the provision of information, education, and developmental support for public health professionals. The CSTE website is an external resource which provides many important job seeking tools that are particularly useful for graduating students and individuals looking for practicum opportunities. The available resources include:  Epidemiology

and

related

public

health area job search  Resume writing tips  Interview preparation  Career advancement advice  Networking guidance  Public health career planning

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CAREER CORNER (cont.)

Before you go…

American Public Health Association (APHA) Student Assembly Membership Benefits:

Follow MSU MPH:

https://www.apha.org/ The APHA student assembly aims to improve the future of public health through providing young public health professionals and students, professional development opportunities, career advice, and information regarding the latest public health topics. Every student admitted into the Michigan State MPH program automatically becomes a member of the APHA and receives these benefits, including:

Follow SAB:

 Access to the American Journal of Public Health  APHA press briefings/ bookstore  APHA’s annual meeting & expo  Networking opportunities with public health professionals  Career development center

…and look for us in the Master of Public Health Student Community on D2L!

 Public health job postings

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