PUBLIC HEALTH DISEASE DETECTIVES
College of Public Health graduates make a difference at the CDC
FROM THE DEAN I
’ve been reflecting on the significant events that have transpired since I became Dean of the UGA College of Public Health in 2019, and how they affirm our need for public health and its principles more than ever.
In the last five years, we’ve faced a global pandemic, witnessed deep divisiveness and saw the politicization of public health. There were times when we felt overwhelmed and inadequate to address events of such magnitude, torn in decision-making as we navigated uncharted paths, feeling a profound loss of control.
In reflecting and processing these events, I concluded that it’s crucial never to stray far from your unwavering beliefs. As Springsteen wrote, “at the end of every hard day, people find some reason to believe.” Here are my main two reasons.
First, I believe in the power of public health to create a healthier, more equitable world. Public health will always have the potential to address and mitigate some of the most pressing issues we face, from pandemics to environmental challenges to social injustices. It requires all of us to work together, harnessing our collective expertise, compassion and determination for the common good of all people.
Second, I believe in the need to remain optimistic, even in the face of daunting challenges. Optimism fuels our resolve and inspires us to keep striving for better solutions, more inclusive policies and stronger communities. It helps us envision a future where health and well-being are accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.
So for our future challenges both known and unforeseen…
Let’s engage in open dialogues, fostering a culture of transparency and mutual understanding. Through honest and
respectful conversations, we can bridge divides, learn from each other and develop more effective strategies to tackle the issues at hand.
Let’s support one another, recognizing that we are stronger together. By offering empathy, resources and encouragement, we can build a resilient community capable of facing any challenge.
And let’s continue fueling the power of public health through our training of the future public health workforce, the conduct and communication of science-driven research and robust community engagement that will improve health for all and for generations to come.
And we do it all with hope and optimism.
In this issue, you’ll learn how CPH faculty, students and alumni harness hope, optimism and knowledge to improve lives across the globe, whether they’re protecting those in long-term care facilities, monitoring the global tobacco epidemic or pursuing groundbreaking research.
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP
Marsha Davis, Ph.D. Dean
Charles Easley, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research
The University of Georgia College of Public Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of all within our home state and around the world through innovative research, exemplary education and engaged service. Founded in 2005 as a response to the state’s need to address important health concerns in Georgia, the College of Public Health is comprised of four academic departments and three research institutes. Our dedicated faculty and students are working in and with communities to address the issues that matter to them, including aging, disaster preparedness, environmental science, infectious disease prevention, maternal and child health, obesity and shaping policy. As a fully-accredited College of Public Health, we are training future change-makers in public health to lead and serve.
Erin Lipp, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Jessica Muilenburg, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Strategic Planning and Assessment
Travis Glenn, Ph.D.
Department Head, Environmental Health Science
Luke Naeher, Ph.D.
Associate Department Head, Environmental Health Science
José Cordero, Ph.D.
Department Head, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Ye Shen, Ph.D.
Associate Department Head, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Mahmud Khan, Ph.D.
Department Head, Health Policy and Management
Lucy Ingram, Ph.D. Department Head, Health Promotion and Behavior
Juliet Sekandi, Ph.D. Director, Global Health Institute
Curt Harris, Ph.D. Director, Institute for Disaster Management
Morgan Taylor, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Institute for Disaster Management
Lisa Renzi-Hammond, Ph.D. Director, Institute of Gerontology
Jenay Beer, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Institute of Gerontology
Janani Thapa, Ph.D. Director of Inclusive Excellence
Melissa Howard, Ph.D. Director of Online Learning and Professional Practice
Joseph Weatherford, MBA Director of Finance and Administration
Erica Techo Director of Marketing and Communications
Faith Perry
Development and Alumni Relations Coordinator
PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE STAFF
Editors: Lauren Baggett, Erica Techo
Contributors: Rebecca Ayer, Lauren Baggett, Carolyn Crist, Jonathan McGinty, Joe VanHoose
Photography: Rebecca Ayer, Lauren Baggett, Dorothy Kozlowski, Andy Tucker, Peter Frey
Design: mPrint Design Studio
Editorial Office: University of Georgia College of Public Health Health Sciences Campus Athens, GA 30602
Email: cphnews@uga.edu
Phone: (706) 542-2662
College Updates
2023 SOPH CENTERS COLLABORATION
Collaboration took focus at the 12th annual State of the Public’s Health conference, with over 200 Georgia public health professionals attending sessions covering homelessness, right to health care, mental health care access, maternal and child health, and violence prevention.
CPH CELEBRATES INAUGURAL RESEARCH DAY
In February, the College held its inaugural Research Day, highlighting the diversity of research going on across departments and institutes, with an emphasis on team science.
“One of the major motivators behind Research Day was to create more cross-departmental collaborations within the college and foster a team science approach to research. To that end, I think our first Research Day was a fantastic start,” said Chas Easley, associate dean for research.
PARTNERING WITH ATHENS PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE TO OFFER DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS & CARE CME
This Spring, physicians and scientists from UGA’s Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center led continuing education training. Topics included dementia screening, diagnoses and long-term care for over 65 medical professionals. The CARE Center’s mission is to connect all communities in the state of Georgia with high-quality, person-centered dementia education, support and clinical services. This is the first of many trainings the CARE Center hopes to deliver to physicians across the state.
CPH LAUNCHES NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS
CPH WELCOMES NEW LEADERSHIP
Associate Director of the Institute for Disaster Management, Morgan Taylor
Director of Finance and Administration, Joe Weatherford
Director of Marketing and Communications, Erica Techo
Development and Alumni Relations Coordinator, Faith Perry
PH.D. IN HEALTH SERVICES AND PRACTICE
This interdisciplinary program applies social and behavioral science to health policy and health services research. Curriculum is designed to nurture and expand on students’ area of interests, such as gerontology, disaster management, policy and program evaluation, and health management.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN CRISIS, RISK, AND DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS
This fall, CPH launched an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in crisis, risk, and disaster communications, in partnership with the Terry College of Business and the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The program will prepare students for the complex communication issues that physical and reputation crisis events present.
THREE FACULTY NAMED AS ENDOWED PROFESSORS
Lisa Renzi-Hammond, a leading expert in aging and cognition, has been named the Leonard W. Poon Professor for Innovation in Public Health and Aging. The professorship honors the legacy of Leonard W. Poon. During his tenure, Poon initiated and led university, state, national and international programs that placed the University of Georgia in the forefront of the field.
Erin Lipp has been named the Georgia Power Professor in Environmental Health Science, recognizing excellence in environmental health science research and mentorship. Lipp is internationally recognized for her work on climate change and waterborne disease.
Ye Shen was named the Ernest Corn Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, in recognition of his extensive work developing biostatistical methods and modeling that has contributed to a better understanding of infectious disease epidemiology.
A Round of Applause
Associate professor Juliet Sekandi was awarded the UGA Creative Research Medal for her innovative use of AI to increase medication adherence among Ugandans with TB.
Kerstin Emerson was named to UGA’s Teaching Academy, a forum to discuss, celebrate and promote teaching excellence.
Caleb Snead, a joint bachelor’s and MPH student studying health promotion, received the 2024 President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award for his work supporting mental health, dementia care and heart health.
Congratulations to Gibril Njie (MPH ’11, DrPH ’21), left, and Fadi Rammo (BSHP ’10) who were selected as two of UGA’s 40 Under 40 young alumni leading the pack in their industries and communities!
Expanding Our Impact
COLLABORATING TO REDUCE OBESITY
CPH was awarded multi-year funding by the CDC to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity in Georgia counties with high obesity rates, building on five years of CPH work with five rural counties, which saw improved food options, access to healthier foods and improved infrastructure for physical activity. The new project, led by associate professor Heather Padilla (middle right), will serve five new counties.
DISEASE MODELING EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE
CPH’s Spencer Fox (bottom right) is leading the development of online courses, tutorials and live game-based exercises to meet the needs of public health agencies as part of a network of academic institutions working alongside CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) to establish an outbreak response and disease modeling network that uses data to support decision-makers during public health emergencies.
AY23–24 CPH FACULTY & STAFF AWARDS
Excellence in Teaching Award
– Dr. Juliet Sekandi, Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Global Health Institute
Excellence in Research Award
– Dr. Curt Harris, Associate Professor, Institute for Disaster Management, Health Policy & Management
Excellence in Online Teaching Award
– Dr. Anne Marie Zimeri, Associate Professor, Environmental Health Science
Award for Inclusive Excellence
– Dr. Heather Padilla, Assistant Professor, Health Promotion & Behavior
Outstanding Staff Award –James Zerylnick, Clinical Operations Manager, Institute for Disaster Management
Excellence in Service Award – Dr. Sarah Saint Hamilton, Clinical Assistant Professor, Institute of Gerontology, Health Promotion & Behavior
TOOL TO PREDICT MEASLES
A team led by CPH’s Amy Winter (top left) has received a $583,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a new model to predict measles outbreaks worldwide. This funding is part of a global effort to restore progress toward measles elimination lost during the pandemic.
NEW VIRTUAL LEARNING SERIES
CPH hosted two virtual Engage Learning Seminars delivering high quality discussions on homelessness and how data modernization practices can reduce bias and build trust in public health. This new virtual seminar series expands on UGA’s goal of providing continuing professional education to Georgia’s public health workforce.
Remembering Dr. Joel Lee
It is with great sadness that we remember the passing of Dr. Joel Lee. Dr. Lee was a founding leader of the University of Georgia College of Public Health and served as the John A. Drew Professor Emeritus of Healthcare Administration in the Department of Health Policy and Management and as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. He passed away on January 16, 2024, after dedicating his life to public health service.
With a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Services Organization, Dr. Lee’s career spanned the globe and the academic spectrum. Dr. Lee was at the forefront of redesigning public health education in the U.S. and globally for more than four decades. He was highly involved with the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), serving as founding member and chair of the ASPPH DrPH Forum and was a valued contributor to the ASPPH Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Task Force.
Dr. Lee’s contributions were recognized through numerous accolades, including being named the 2015 recipient of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health/Pfizer Award for Teaching Excellence as well as receiving the prestigious “Golden Apple Award” from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, where he served as professor emeritus. UK’s College of Public Health further honored his legacy by naming an annual award for outstanding public health graduates after him, The Joel M. Lee Prize.
At our College of Public Health, he was instrumental in the formation of our Doctor of Public Health program and starting our chapter of Delta Omega. He continued to be a strong advocate for professionalization of public health discipline through public health certification, even offering a training session for our students just this past November.
He loved working with students, most of all. His passion for teaching and commitment to mentoring the next generation of public health professionals left a lasting impact.
In retirement, Dr. Lee was deeply involved in his local community of Telluride, Colorado, especially during the critical periods of the COVID-19 response. He founded an advisory group of local public health experts, leading efforts to educate the community with a blend of empathy and scientific rigor. His writings in the Daily Planet served as vital resources for understanding the pandemic’s complexities.
In addition, Dr. Lee served on the Montrose Memorial Hospital Board, where he worked to improve health outcomes on the Western Slope of Colorado. His passion for enhancing health for all and his ability to drive significant public health initiatives will be profoundly missed.
Dr. Lee’s legacy of service, education and leadership in public health will continue to inspire current and future generations.
Honor Joel Lee’s legacy with a gift to Health Policy & Management at https://bit.ly/givetoHPM
GOING DIGITAL T
Online MPH Program Celebrates First Year
he first cohort of the College of Public Health’s Online Master of Public Health (MPH) come from a variety of backgrounds, but they’re united on one front: Making a difference in the health of their communities.
From public health professionals seeking to expand their knowledge to individuals making a career change, the program welcomed an inaugural cohort of 21 difference makers in August 2023.
“Our students come from a diversity of professional and personal backgrounds, and our program will help them hone their own experiences and interests to solidify professional pathways in public health,” said Melissa Howard, the College’s Director of Online Learning and Professional Practice.
“We aim to provide an inclusive learning environment that accommodates the diverse needs of our students,” Howard said. “The online MPH program allows us to reach a wider audience and empower individuals who are passionate about making a difference in public health.”
SHIFTING GEARS
After four years as a high school science teacher, Rachel Gwaltney recognized an urgent need for better health and well-being services in public schools. She followed that call to public health.
“The mental and physical needs for both teachers and students were not being met. It was because of this that I decided to pursue my MPH,” Gwaltney said.
This year, instead of spending the last weeks of summer prepping for a new school year, Gwaltney was wrapping up her internship with the Public Health Infrastructure Center at the CDC in Atlanta.
“I hope to use my past teaching experience and newly acquired subject matter expertise in public health to improve health promotion services in schools across the nation,” Gwaltney said.
INSPIRED BY EXPERIENCE
The online MPH sets up graduates with the tools they need to excel in the field of public health while providing the flexibility of an online education.
Melanie Okorie from Covington is an overseas trained nurse currently sitting her boards to be licensed in the United States, while pursuing her MPH. She enrolled to better understand the stark health disparities she saw in the clinical setting, and she’s already exploring solutions.
Coursework prompted Okorie to critically examine differences in health outcomes, resources and access to care across various populations. And her assignments have real-world applications, including for systemic public health issues that directly impact her work as a nurse.
“I’m passionate about addressing the nursing shortage in the U.S.,” said Okorie. “My final project in the Public Health Surveillance course inspired me to delve into this critical issue by exploring how shortages affect access and quality of patient care, thereby placing stress on the public health system.”
Student Quintero Moore, an assistant professor of biology at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, is also seeking practical solutions. By integrating his passion for fragrances into the MPH program, he is delving into the science—and safety—behind the scent.
“One topic I have explored while pursuing my MPH is the safety of perfumes and other cosmetics which can sometimes present health risks to consumers. I’m interested in studying chemicals that were approved years ago, but may be considered carcinogenic now,” he said.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING AND PRACTICAL TOOLS
The program delivers the same rigorous curriculum as the on-campus program while providing students with an online, asynchronous, flexible schedule.
Students are exposed to a variety of public health topics in courses, preparing them to make a difference in research, community programing, policy, advocacy and more. They also complete a 200-hour applied practice experience (APE) in the second year of the program, obtaining real-world experience and professional networking opportunities.
“I’m passionate about addressing the nursing shortage in the U.S.”
—MELANIE OKORIE, ONLINE MPH STUDENT
“The format is perfect for allowing me to explore different public health careers by pursuing internships and simultaneously applying what I am learning in my classes,” Gwaltney said. “The classes are structured in a way that enables me to immediately put knowledge into practice instead of simply memorizing information.”
BUILDING COMMUNITY
In online education, fostering a sense of connection can be challenging, but Howard is committed to ensuring her students feel part of a close-knit community. By integrating team-based work into Slack, a cloud-based team communication platform, and UGA’s online learning management system, MPH students have easy pathways to connect with classmates, professors and staff.
“Slack has been instrumental in maintaining real-time engagement among students, who have responded positively to the collaborative and immediate opportunities for communication it provides,” Howard said.
From virtual office hours to chat-based weekly evaluations and feedback, the program has taken online education out of siloed video windows and into real-time communication.
“It’s a great experience,” Moore said. “For me, this program stands out because of the effort our instructors put forth when connecting with us. Our professors make us feel valued within the class and within the program.”
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
The program is also prepared to grow. In August, the college welcomed Magnolia Hernandez, who will teach public health practice coursework and coordinate career development initiatives for the program.
“It’s important to the College of Public Health that we provide our students with personalized support and resources to help them pursue impactful and meaningful careers in public health,” Howard said. “We aim to ensure that they not only secure internships but also build and leverage the skills and professional portfolios that will distinguish them in this competitive job market.”
Howard is excited for the future and acknowledges that this is only the beginning. Thanks to the college’s forward-thinking approach to public health education, one that emphasizes accessibility, flexibility and innovation, CPH is opening doors to a new generation of difference makers.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS set the PACE
By Lauren Baggett
On a sunny Monday afternoon in early April, the Grand Ballroom at the Classic Center in Athens was taken over by rows of poster boards, affixed with over 380 posters representing undergraduate research spanning 188 different majors.
This year marked the 25th anniversary of the CURO Symposium, the marquee event for the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO), which connects undergraduate students with research opportunities across campus.
Among the posters was one titled, “The Association Between Gym Frequency, Intensity and Daily Step Count” by senior health promotion major Bansari Shah.
“I was a little bit nervous about making the presentation because I never made a poster like that,” Shah said.
Putting together an academic poster was just one in a string of new experiences she’s had working in the Physical Activity & Community Environment (PACE) Lab, led by health promotion and behavior associate professor Jennifer Gay.
“I really didn’t know what I was doing when I first came into PACE Lab, but [Dr. Gay] walked
me through what I needed to do, and she gave me projects that I first thought I couldn’t handle. But then at the end of the day, I was able to create something really good,” said Shah.
For many students at UGA and the College of Public Health, getting involved with research is a first important step in their career journeys. Students who are interested in physical activity or community-based interventions often find their way to the PACE Lab, which studies how social and built environments influence physical activity.
In addition to having students work on funded projects, Gay pushes them to develop an independent research project of their own. The project offers a low-stakes environment to learn by doing, she said.
“Those skills of barrier identification and problem solving, critical thinking, all come from doing a research experience,” said Gay. “By allowing them to do it and engage, to make mistakes, to be successful, I feel like they learn more than if I just gave them really small tasks to do.”
This year, the lab received funding from CURO to conduct a study testing the impact of short exercise sessions on a variety of blood markers. Shah was
in charge of writing and submitting the study proposal to the IRB. Jasmine Udeshi, a fourth-year health promotion major was one of the project leaders and the team’s certified phlebotomist.
“I am thankful PACE Lab has unique tasks and challenges that do not get repetitive,” she said.
Udeshi, Shah and their six PACE Lab teammates worked to design the study, recruit participants, take blood samples and measure different biomarkers pre- and post- a short burst of exercise.
“I remember learning about all these different types of biomarkers, like glucose and cortisol, in our biology or biochemistry courses, but it’s all just textbook stuff. It was really interesting to see how the biomarker has changed firsthand with different types of physical activity,” Shah said.
Learning the ropes of conducting research and problem-solving on their own is a critical skill Gay wants her students to develop.
“I think that’s something that I’ve encountered with almost all of my undergrads, is this hesitation to do it on their own,” she said. “And that’s why I push them so much.”
Udeshi credits her experience in the lab with building her confidence to try new and challenging
“…barrier identification and problem solving, critical thinking, all come from doing a research experience.”
—JENNIFER GAY
things on campus. In March, she stepped out of her comfort zone again—this time as one of two undergraduate students presenting at the 2024 Southeast Regional Clinical & Translational Science Conference, along with senior health promotion major and lab mate, Meredith Wessel.
“It was so rewarding to just be in an environment of such highly skilled people, people with a lot of knowledge about the public health field. I think it solidified both of our interests in moving towards public health because—I guess I didn’t realize how many different routes there were,” said Udeshi.
This year, Shah was among 22 students from the College of Public Health to present at the CURO Symposium, and one of 632 total participants from across campus.
Engaging in some form of research as an undergrad is a no brainer for incoming public health students, she said.
“And it doesn’t have to be necessarily in biology or public health or chemistry, just something you’re interested in researching and expanding your knowledge. It’s also the whole process of how to get from start to finish; it’s really rewarding.”
(Above left) Associate professor Jennifer Gay, right, poses for a photo at the CURO symposium, at which several students presented research from the PACE Lab. (Right) Dr. Gay fosters a strong learning environment in the PACE Lab, pushing students to develop an independent research and build their own knowledge. It creates an environment that promotes camaraderie and personal growth.
QUESTIONING THE BENEFITS OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES FOR ALZHEIMER’S
Are the benefits of the newly approved monoclonal antibody drugs like Leqembi worth the risk and costs to patients? Maybe not, says epidemiology professor Mark Ebell, who led a systematic review of 19 publications evaluating patientcentered outcomes of eight monoclonal antibodies. “We found that even after 18 to 24 months of treatment, the differences in function and cognition between treated and untreated patients were so small that a patient or their caregiver generally wouldn’t notice the difference,” Ebell said.
LINGERING MEDICAL MISTRUST IMPACTS VACCINE UPTAKE
Health policy and management professor Adam Chen and Ph.D. student Chris Hou found that Black Americans living in or near Tuskegee, Alabama, the location of the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, were much slower to get their COVID-19 vaccines compared to white neighbors. This may be due to the role of government agencies played in both the syphilis study and the COVID vaccine roll out. Hou says it’s critical for public health leaders who are seeking to close gaps in health disparities to take historic medical harms into consideration.
FEMALE FARMERS ARE AT GREATER RISK FOR BINGE DRINKING
A CPH study on farmer stress found that female farmers reported significantly higher stress levels, compared to male counterparts. And while female participants were less likely to drink, when they did, they were more likely to binge drink. This pattern was most pronounced among female farmers who owned or managed farms. “We have to figure out a way to support our female farmers because they are a part of the future,” said lead author Chrissy Proctor, CPH clinical associate professor.
HOW CAN FAITH LEADERS HELP PREVENT DEMENTIA AND SUPPORT FAMILIES LIVING WITH DEMENTIA?
STUDY UNDERSCORES NEED FOR BUILDING CULTURE OF BELONGING FOR MINORITY STUDENTS
“Our study adds to the evidence of how important the work around inclusivity and mental health is in the college environment,” said study author Janani Thapa, associate professor and CPH director of inclusive excellence. “It’s important to be mindful that not all students come with the same background, and we need to support them more.”
An interdisciplinary team of student researchers partnered with UGA’s Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center to learn how dementia care and prevention experts can work with faith communities to reach and help more people in need. Their work revealed a need to develop a paired approach to dementia care education where faith leaders offer a spiritual underpinning to the evidence-based prevention and treatment information the CARE team is best equipped to provide.
TELEMEDICINE IS CHANGING HOW DOCTORS DIAGNOSE FLU
Telehealth is providing more opportunities to access health care, but it also requires rewriting some of the rules clinicians depend on to make diagnoses. In a new study, epidemiology & biostatistics Ph.D. student Zane Billings and CPH co-authors tested the accuracy of existing clinical decision rules (CDR) for flu in a telehealth setting using only patient-reported symptoms. “We wanted to know if a patient goes to a telemedicine appointment, can the patient self-report their symptoms and we still get an accurate diagnosis with that CDR?” said Billings. “If patients and clinicians systematically disagree, we then wouldn’t expect those diagnostic rules to work anymore.”
from the SHELTERSTORM
How UGA’s Institute for Disaster Management is keeping Georgia’s nursing homes safe.
By Johnathan McGinty
CIn his mind, it is often a barrier to progress. “No” shuts down cooperation and stifles creative thought.
As the director of the University of Georgia College of Public Health’s Institute for Disaster Management (IDM), Harris has worked to build a culture that is grounded by a can-do attitude that motivates IDM’s faculty, staff and students to work to find a way.
“The worst thing we can be told is ‘no,’ but ‘no’ for me is never ‘no,’” Harris said. “‘No’ just means I’ll figure out another way, but we’ll get there eventually.”
This philosophy has served IDM well throughout the past decade as they’ve led a series of grants, projects and initiatives supporting Georgia’s long-term care facilities to prepare and respond to a variety of emergencies and disasters.
In many states, 2024 has brought record-breaking heat, massive storms and flooding events, and when these events cut out power, long-term care residents are particularly vulnerable.
In 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released Appendix Z, which required long-term care facilities (LTCs) to
The Institute for Disaster Management provides trainings and resources for long-term care facilities, helping prepare and respond to emergencies ranging from diseases to natural disasters.
develop a program showing how they will keep residents safe during a disaster and how their preparedness efforts will plug into community-level emergency response plans.
The change was meant to keep nursing home residents safe, but the change came with little support on how LTCs were to go about meeting these new requirements. The immediate aftermath of the policy change was dominated by confusion, concern and a little bit of chaos.
“They went from only having to have an evacuation plan and doing a fire drill to the floodgates opening,” Harris said. “When Appendix Z came out, these facilities received no education, no funding, and no personnel to help them do this.”
Since the 2010s, IDM had been slowly building relationships with LTCs in Georgia, working with facilities and organizations like the Georgia Health Care Association, the state’s largest association of long-term and post-acute health care providers, to align trainings, achieve regulatory compliance and drive better outcomes.
“When Appendix Z came out, these facilities received no education, no funding and no personnel to help them do this.”
—CURT HARRIS
So, the Institute was well poised to help facilities all over the state meet new regulatory requirements with regard to their emergency and disaster readiness. With funding from CMS Civil Money Penalty Funds, they developed a program to educate skilled nursing facilities in Georgia on how to comply with Appendix Z.
“They saw an opportunity to try and help these facilities get their arms around these unbelievable regulations that you had to have in place all of a sudden,” said Susie Fussell, vice president for resident safety and emergency management with Magnolia Manor.
“It outlined the components you needed to have, the drills you had to do and all of that. In 2016, people were really struggling with how to be compliant,” Fussell added.
The COVID-19 pandemic briefly paused these efforts, but the find-a-way spirit instilled in the culture of IDM allowed them to quickly adjust. In-person training shifted to virtual with 83 percent of Georgia’s nursing homes participating in the program, while a separate grant that supported a similar program in South Carolina reached 74 percent of its nursing homes.
Furthermore, the financial savings achieved from going online for these sessions were then repurposed to create 340 emergency preparedness “go kits” filled with various tools and supplies that could be used in a crisis which were then delivered to participating Georgia nursing homes.
“I care that these facilities are safe, and I care that they are protecting the residents, the staff and the families,” Harris said. “By satisfying their requirements and becoming compliant, that’s the cherry on top for us.”
ESTABLISHING TRUST
Crucial to the success of IDM’s initiatives is showing respect and listening to the needs of the LTCs they serve—that includes facility leaders and each staff member who has a role to play in carrying out the facility’s emergency plan.
“Often, a maintenance director at a nursing home has never been asked for their opinion on how the facility should respond to or prepare for a disaster,” said Alyssa Ragan, an emergency preparedness manager at IDM. “When they realize they have an important role to play, it’s a significant culture shift. It encourages everyone to get involved, and that involvement can save lives.”
Fussell says she can tell Harris and his team really internalize what they hear.
“They’ll think, ‘You know, what can we do to be a part of the solution?’ A lot of times they would call me just to ask, ‘Are we on the right track?’” she said.
So, it’s no surprise that when IDM team members kept hearing the frustrations voiced by colleagues in the long-term care community about the high turnover among Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), they sought to address it.
“They work in all kinds of settings all across the health care field, but they are especially important in longterm care and nursing homes in particular. They serve as really a backbone of that workforce,” said IDM emergency preparedness manager Austin Dobbs.
The Institute for Disaster
“You’re continuously improving the project you’re on. That’s one of the big benefits from all of our trainings.”
Up to 70 percent of the workforce in nursing homes are CNAs, and they can administer up to 90 percent of the direct resident care in these facilities. The work is physically demanding and stressful, and working with residents who are struggling with medical issues like cancer or dementia takes an emotional toll.
COVID-19 exacerbated another layer of pressure, with CNAs feeling responsible for keeping residents and themselves safe. These stresses and anxieties weighed across the workforce, impacting the mental health of countless personnel on the frontline of care. As such, turnover among CNAs, which was already widespread, accelerated, and recruitment proved challenging.
High staffing turnover also created a seemingly endless cycle of training and retraining for IDM’s programs. New LTC facility staff that joined in January could be gone by April, taking with them the effort and energy invested in preparing them for their role in case of an emergency.
So, IDM secured funding focused on recruitment and retention of CNAs, embarking on a comprehensive, integrated marketing campaign that outlined the career pathways that existed for CNAs and provided a series of cash stipends that were awarded to CNAs at various stages of training and certification as an incentive.
Harris pointed out that several facilities that piloted the program for them are now close to being fully staffed.
“They understood how we were being crippled by not having enough staff to take care of our people, and we do have a staffing mandate,” Fussell said. “They realized the urgency, and they did have to really think outside the box. They made it happen, and that was fantastic.”
—ALYSSA RAGAN
SEEKING OUT NEW SOLUTIONS
Success with each new initiative tends to produce new challenges, and IDM’s recruitment and retention efforts for CNAs are no exception.
Before becoming a CNA, candidates who graduate from a technical college must pass a written exam and conduct a skills evaluation. The written exam is relatively easy to access and can be taken at any time. The skills evaluation, however, was done in person and, prior to 2023, was run by a single provider. Aspiring CNAs could face up to 6 months of delays before they could start working at a facility, potentially driving them to a new job.
Once again looking to fix problems rather than accept them as inconvenient truths, Harris said his staff began to explore ways to increase access to the skill evaluation by making it virtual.
After some initial conversations with the Georgia Department of Community Health, IDM turned around a proposal to launch a virtual skills evaluation program for CNAs in April 2023 and conducted its first pilot evaluation just three months later.
“It was clear the scheduling of those skills and the availability of who were doing the skills check off was bogging down the system,” Fussell said. “At Magnolia Manor, we piloted the virtual skills assessment for CNAs, and it has been a tremendous success. We worked very closely with the leadership there at IDM and had many calls and emails back and forth about how this could be done appropriately.”
By August, the program was rolled out to the entire state, free of charge.
“I think that’s what we all enjoy about working at IDM—every day is different and we’re always looking to the next thing,” Ragan said. “You’re continuously improving the project you’re on and that’s one of the big benefits from all of our trainings. It’s not something that is recorded, put online, and just sits there. We review feedback from every course and we’re updating things all the time.”
“Really, IDM’s culture of excellence is what makes all the programs we have so successful,” she said.
With disasters increasing in number and impact, the need to protect the health and safety of aging populations has never been more apparent. However, with a regulatory landscape in constant flux, providing the resources, trainings and planning needed for the facilities many older adults call home to thrive is paramount, and Harris knows his team will be ready.
“We’re in a constant state of flexibility—I don’t know what’s coming next, but I know IDM is in it, whatever it is,” Harris said.
MISSION: Change Rural Health Care
By Becky Ayer & Lauren Baggett
Chase Reece is on a mission to transform the health landscape of rural communities.
As a native of Hiawassee, a rural town located in northwest Georgia, Reece witnessed firsthand the health challenges that rural communities face. Working as a medical assistant at a local primary care clinic exposed him to the significant barriers to health care that rural populations encounter.
People living in rural areas typically have worse health outcomes, higher rates of chronic diseases and lower life expectancies.
“And this is due to not only physical access to care, but also underlying socioeconomic factors and social determinants of health,” said Reece. “Coming to UGA, I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in public health so that I could work on reducing these barriers and improving the health of rural and underserved communities in the future.”
Reece recently graduated with his bachelor’s of science in health promotion, and he was honored with the 2024 Presidential Award of Excellence. Recipients of this award represent the top 1 percent of UGA undergraduates who have excelled in academics, service to the community and leadership both on and off campus.
No one who knows Reece is surprised, said Christina Proctor, a clinical assistant professor in health promotion and behavior who has mentored Reece in the classroom and outside of it.
“I wanted to pursue a degree in public health so that I could work on reducing these barriers and improving the health of rural and underserved communities.”
“Chase has those intangible skills that are rare in undergrads. He is confident, self-aware and empathetic. When he speaks, he commands the room,” said Proctor. “He has this ease about him and the ability to connect with anyone in the classroom, which extends to people he serves in the community. The work I do with the farming population has improved since Chase joined our team.”
Reece is currently collaborating with Proctor on research concerning the mental health of rural farmers, exploring the unique challenges they face and barriers to care. In May, Reece presented findings from this work alongside Proctor and doctoral student Noah Hopkins at the National Rural Health Association Conference (hopping on a plane shortly after giving the student commencement speech on behalf of the Undergraduate Class of 2024).
“Even though I have only been working with her for a short period of time, I have already learned a tremendous amount,” said Reece. “It has been really interesting to actually be a part of the research process and witness the meaningful results that come out of it. Continuing to work with Dr. Proctor is probably what I am most looking forward to during the remainder of my time at UGA.”
“I believe that preventive medicine is one of the best solutions to improving the health outcomes for rural communities.”
As a Double Dawg student, Reece is working toward completing an MPH with a concentration in health policy and management.
“Understanding how policy shapes the health of communities,” said Reece, “gives me the opportunity to work towards creating lasting changes for the community that I am in.”
After completing his MPH, Chase plans to attend medical school with a focus on rural medicine. His ultimate goal is to practice as a primary care physician in a rural setting, using his public health background to implement preventive medicine strategies.
“I believe that preventive medicine is one of the best solutions to improving the health outcomes for rural communities and should be focused on more, and I hope to be a part of the solution as a future physician,” he said.
As an undergraduate, Chase
was able to collaborate with Christina Proctor, a clinical assistant professor in health promotion, on research concerning rural farmers and mental health.
Reece
Student Spotlight: Tzu-Chun Chu
What is your educational and professional background?
For doctoral student Tzu-Chun Chu, the impactful mentorship she has received at UGA College of Public Health has played a huge part in fueling and sustaining research passions that lie at the crossroads of cardiovascular health, infectious diseases and machine learning.
I initially earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from National Taiwan University and later transitioned into biostatistics while obtaining a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Before beginning my doctoral studies, I worked as senior biostatistician for two years at Brown University. My work there involved assisting clinical and translational investigators in supporting the creation of study designs and statistical analysis plans, as well as implementing advanced data modeling to enhance diagnostic and long-term clinical outcomes within the realms of infectious diseases, global health and personalized decision-support tools.
What particular area of public health are you passionate about?
My research passion lies at the crossroads of cardiovascular health, infectious diseases and machine learning. I have accumulated six years of professional experience focusing on
infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on HCV, Ebola, acute diarrhea and COVID-19. My work has revolved around strategies for prevention and early treatment initiation, as well as addressing intricate issues related to health disparities. During my time at Brown University, I also led the analysis of a N-of-1 trial study to test individualized triggers for atrial fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia that can lead to various heart-related complications, with the aim of improving quality of life. This marks my very first exposure to cardiovascular research. These experiences have fueled my growing interest in continuing my endeavors in these vital areas.
What exciting projects are you working on?
I am currently working on a project led by EPIBIO faculty members Jessica Knight and Allan Tate that employs wearable devices and mobile apps to gather health data, including heart rate variability, physical activity and sleep patterns. Our research focuses on identifying stress patterns and disparities, especially within low socioeconomic status families. This work aims to inform targeted interventions to enhance cardiovascular health outcomes among both teenagers and mothers. I am enthusiastic about advancing this project to explore how momentary stressors impact both parents and children within a real-world, non-laboratory setting, examining the cycle of stress and its effects on mental health.
What attracted you to getting your doctorate at the College of Public Health?
I was drawn to pursue my doctorate at the College of Public Health due to my deep passion for statistical methodologies, modeling and epidemiological research. The department of epidemiology and biostatistics provides a course curriculum, environment and research opportunities that specifically emphasize the comprehensive aspects of both disciplines. Another thing that really captivated me was its proven track record of being a truly supportive and diverse community. I’ve worked on various projects alongside dedicated faculty, fellow students and clinical researchers, and each experience was nothing short of remarkable.
“Connecting with dedicated professors and researchers who took a genuine interest in my academic journey has been transformative.”
These collaborations let me explore different aspects of public health, contributing to my personal and professional development. It’s been an incredible opportunity to apply and expand upon my background in such a dynamic and impactful environment.
What achievements or honors during your time at CPH are you most proud of?
I appreciate the opportunity to present our research findings at various national and international conferences. One achievement I value is the acknowledgment of our research project on the heterogeneity of childhood obesity in diverse households, featuring a machine learning-informed intervention. This collaborative effort involved our department and the Family Matters Georgia team from the University of Minnesota, and it received recognition at The Obesity Society. This acknowledgment underscored the importance of our work and facilitated valuable discussions and collaborations within the academic community.
Do you have any external activities that you are passionate about?
Outside of my research, I love hitting the road with my husband, friends and Leia, my 9-yearold lab retriever mix. She’s always up for a good adventure. I also love baking, painting, watching movies and stand-up comedy.
What are your career plans beyond graduation and what will you take with you from your time at CPH?
After graduation, I look forward to continuing my focus on cardiovascular and infectious disease research due to their significant global health impact in the biomedical industry. Connecting with dedicated professors and researchers who took a genuine interest in my academic journey has been transformative. Their guidance not only enhanced my understanding of epidemiological research but also fueled my resilience and passion for contributing to public health. I truly appreciate everything I have encountered during my time at the College of Public Health.
FROM DAWGS TO DISEASE DETECTIVES
Known affectionately as the “Disease Detectives,” participants in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s two-year post-doctoral Epidemic Intelligence Service serve on the front lines of public health, participating in investigative and emergency response efforts—locally, nationally and internationally.
In recent years, EIS officers have been involved with the highest-profile emergencies worldwide, including pandemic-level viral concerns such as SARS-CoV-2, Mpox and Ebola, as well as earthquakes in Haiti and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The Disease Detectives also hunt down the source of rare and unusual infections that lead to hospitalizations
By Carolyn Crist
and deaths among U.S. citizens. This can include the growth and expansion of fungal diseases due to climate change and soil disturbances, including notable increases in tuberculosis cases and invasive mold infections that have become more deadly among COVID-19 patients with weakened immune systems.
University of Georgia graduates have served on the public health front lines and worked on these cases in recent years, becoming EIS officers after earning degrees in epidemiology and biostatistics at the College of Public Health. Through faculty mentorship, training and scholarship support, students gain the experience and skills they need to apply to the CDC’s prestigious 70-year program, and upon completion, move into careers across the world to tackle today’s public health problems.
FINDING A MENTOR
Long before Mechelle Claridy earned her PhD in epidemiology at UGA in 2022, she knew she wanted to work in public health to help mothers and children. When Claridy was just six weeks old, her mother died from pregnancy-related complications. This became a driving force throughout her life to understand maternal morbidity and mortality.
During her doctoral program research, she found Dr. José Cordero, a leading maternal and infant health researcher at CPH who has received multiple honors for his contributions to the epidemiological study of preterm births, birth defects and maternal health in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Cordero was “living the research he was doing” around maternal and childhood health, said Claridy. For her dissertation, Claridy focused on predictors and correlates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S.
Cordero, who is an EIS alumnus himself, encouraged Claridy to pursue the program as she considered next steps. After stints in teaching and research, she wanted to gain experience in applied epidemiology —being out in the field and combating disease on the front lines—to become a well-rounded epidemiologist.
FULFILLING A DREAM
“The EIS program has been lifechanging and is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
—MECHELLE CLARIDY
Claridy’s assignment fit with her long-held interests, serving on the maternal and child health epidemiology team in the reproductive health division. Among her projects, Claridy investigated how an increase in birthing hospital closures has affected travel time for women, as well as how fetal and neonatal death reporting has varied over time in Mississippi.
Claridy enjoyed the work so much that she decided to stay in federal government, and as of July, transitioned to a full-time position with the CDC as a health scientist. She now works on cerebral palsy surveillance with the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. She also enjoyed being part of the largest cohort of Black women in EIS to date.
“The EIS program has been life-changing and is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she said. “It gave me the exposure I needed to see the ins and outs of working in federal government, and I love it here.”
While still in elementary school in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Yaribel Torres-Mendoza knew she wanted to be a veterinarian and follow in the footsteps of her cousin, who studied veterinary medicine and pathology at UGA. In high school, she attended the CDC Museum’s Disease Detective Camp, a competitive week-long summer program for juniors and seniors to learn about public health and emergency preparedness. When she visited UGA on a tour, she was drawn to the joint DVM/MPH degree.
“Although it may seem obvious for some why veterinarians should be involved with public health, some folks don’t see that yet, so it’s great to have that MPH component as a veterinarian when applying for jobs that may not be directly related to animal health,” she said.
Yaritbel Torres-Mendoza (center) pictured at the malaria vaccine introduction meeting in May 2024.
Black and African American EIS officers, including Mechelle Claridy, and Laboratory Leadership Service Fellows pictured at the 2023 EIS Conference. (Photo credit: CDC/ Lauren Bishop).
When Torres-Mendoza applied for the EIS program, Cordero and DVM professors created an interview panel to prepare students for the application process. She fondly remembers that moment, as well as their strong mentorship and student advocacy.
With EIS, Torres-Mendoza was assigned to the Florida Department of Health’s epidemiology bureau, where she worked on investigations of rabies in Miami and the spread of Candida auris, a type of yeast that can cause severe illness among hospitalized patients and is often drugresistant. She and colleagues responded to major outbreaks in Miami, Orlando and Tampa and gave recommendations to hospital administrators, which made a difference.
“We saw a decrease in infections at hospitals and reduction in costs,” she said. “It was a unique experience. Sometimes in public health you’re able to not only describe the problem but also implement a solution, which is refreshing.”
After that, Torres-Mendoza completed the CDC’s Preventive Medicine Fellowship with the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, which helped her to hone skills in policy and grant management. Now she’s the CDC President’s Malaria Initiative Advisor in Mozambique, where she oversees a $29 million malaria portfolio and focuses on vectoral control, social and behavioral change and One Health.
“There are multiple ways to be a veterinarian and serve public health,” she said. “If you get too caught up in a specific vision, you may miss the opportunities around you.”
BUILDING A FUTURE
An interest in One Health—how human health, animal health and environmental health connect —also spurred John Rossow to pursue a DVM/MPH dual degree and become a public health veterinarian. Seeing the value in international experience, he pursued funding opportunities to research abroad, including the CPH’s Ann and Tipton Golias International Travel Fund in Epidemiology to travel to Colombia, where he tested rodents, livestock and dogs for the Zika virus.
Epi
Frontline One Health Mentor Workshop in El Salvador. Sampling a mongoose for rabies and leptospirosis in the Virgin Islands. Sampling dogs for SARS-CoV-2 early in the COVID pandemic. Holding a live mongoose for sampling.
His experiences fueled Rossow’s drive to apply for the EIS program, the “holy grail” of public health and applied epidemiology. He matched with the fungal disease team in the CDC’s Foodborne, Waterborne and Water Environmental Disease Division, where he became an expert on a novel fungal disease in Brazil and investigated outbreaks of Candida ores in long-term health care facilities.
“You can’t get that type of experience anywhere else,” he said. “You have a support system to back you up, incredible mentorship and an opportunity for leadership with guidance.”
After that, Rossow continued to develop his love for crisis response, problem solving and global public health in the CDC’s Future Leaders in Infections and Global Health Threats (FLIGHT) program. He now serves as the One Health liaison for international work across the CDC’s Global Public Health Emergency Branch, where he remains involved with field epidemiology and develops new curriculum for humanitarian health worldwide. Rossow also guest lectures at multiple universities and aims to pay forward the support he received at UGA.
“The connections between the CDC and College of Public Health are invaluable, with Dr. Cordero and the alumni network able to share their experiences,” he said. “The Ann and Tipton Golias grant funded one of the most formative experiences of my life—these scholarships go a long way in creating hands-on opportunities that may not be possible otherwise.”
John Rossow’s work has spanned continents. (clockwise from top left) Rossow presents at a Field
Training Program
Torres-Mendoza speaks at a morning mobilization during an Indoor Residual Spraying Campaign in Mozambique.
CREATING A LEGACY
Florence Kanu felt a personal call to understand why Black women were experiencing such poor health outcomes and be part of the research team that would answer that question. As a Bill and Melinda Gates Millenium Scholar, she decided to pursue a PhD in epidemiology at UGA, where she researched preterm births alongside the Georgia Department of Public Health’s maternal and child health epidemiology section.
hepatitis B and tetanus, conducts serological surveys and works with countries toward eliminating, in particular, maternal and neonatal tetanus.
“We recently returned from Guinea, which is in the process of receiving its official letter of elimination from the World Health Organization,” she said. “It’s one of the more rewarding experiences of my career.”
After graduation in 2019, Kanu wanted to understand maternal and child health programs at the global level. Cordero encouraged her to join EIS.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanu was evaluating the nutritional surveillance system in Uganda and completed a polio deployment in Zambia. When the pandemic began taking hold, Kanu joined several crisis deployments.
After EIS, Kanu joined the CDC’s Global Immunization Division, where she now evaluates the disease burden of
Kanu passes along these experiences to younger professionals at the CDC, where she also supervises the current EIS officers. Reflecting on the broad range of mentorship she received at the College of Public Health and CDC, she wants to give back and continue the UGA-CDC legacy.
“Every path into and through public health is so different and unique,” she said. “As a student, it can seem so abstract, but public health is a field where you can think about how you want to invoke change and what you want your story to be—and make a conscious effort to choose each day to be one step closer to that story.”
(Left) Dr. Kanu trains state and local health care workers in Enugu, Nigeria on the importance of timely hepatitis B birth dose vaccinations for newborns. (Right) Dr. Kanu working with the Ghana National Public Health Reference Lab team.
Gibril Njie
“That’s the beauty of public health. Most of the skills you’re going to learn in public health are transferable.”
As a kid growing up outside of Atlanta, Gibril Njie (MPH ’11, DrPH ’21) was a lot of things—curious, bookish, a math lover, but also a talented athlete and sports geek. He aspired to be a dentist.
Then life took him down another path that led to where he is now, a senior epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leading the Atlanta-based Global Tobacco Surveillance System from Zimbabwe.
It’s enough to give anyone whiplash, but Gibril has always rolled with the punches. Flexibility, he says, is key to a successful career in public health. “That’s the beauty of public health. Most of the skills you’re going to learn in public health are transferable,” he said.
In his current role, Gibril needs to be ready to shift gears and respond to the agency priorities while supporting low- and middle-income countries to monitor the global tobacco epidemic. His team provides technical assistance in implementing surveys to assess global tobacco use prevalence and other tobacco use indicators among youth and adults.
“Our team plays a critical role in assisting Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control fulfill one of the key obligations of the treaty, which is establish and maintain a tobacco surveillance program,” he said.
SINKING TEETH INTO POPULATION HEALTH
Gibril got his first taste of public health as a senior biology major. He was drawn to the population-level study of health and decided to pursue an MPH at UGA. After graduating in 2011, he still pictured himself going on to dental school but began an ORISE Fellowship and has served at the CDC ever since.
Gibril entered UGA’s DrPH program in 2019, drawn back to the chance to work with economic evaluation expert Phaedra Corso. He had been working to update the CDC’s guidelines on tuberculosis screening, testing and treatment of U.S. health care workers. His dissertation focused on the costeffectiveness of that screening, testing and treatment.
In addition to the seasoned professionals who taught his courses, Gibril was struck by the diversity of the students in the cohort.
“Our cohort had folks that were in nonprofit leadership. We had people working at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We had folks working for the state health department. We had folks at CDC. And so it was quite a diverse group. And when you have that diversity, it allows you to see things from a different perspective,” he said.
African Field Epidemiology
was there to participate in a training of field staff who would be conducting the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.
Nije at the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centers for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. He was there to promote the integration of the Tobacco Questions for Surveys of Youth among member countries.
Shortly before graduating, the position Gibril holds now became available. The role was a welcome return to global health for Gibril and new flexibility afforded an opportunity for his family to fulfill a dream of living and working overseas when his wife, who is a HIV prevention expert, took a job at the CDC country office in Zimbabwe.
“The greatest joy has been seeing my daughter assimilate into the Zimbabwe culture. She’s learning the language. She goes to a school that’s diverse, with families from embassies all over the world. So seeing that has been an absolute joy. I think when we made the decision to go overseas, that’s what we envisioned. I think so far, so good,” he said.
MENTORSHIP, GIVEN AND RECEIVED
Gibril still keeps in touch with his DrPH cohort and program coordinator Adam Chen.
“I knew him prior to going to UGA, but I think having him as my advisor was one of the best things I did while I was at UGA,” he said. “He always checks in. He’s always offering me opportunities within the university. He’ll send me an email and say, ‘Hey, are you interested in potentially pursuing this opportunity? Are you interested in giving this talk?’ So, I appreciate that.”
He also credits the support he received from Juliet Sekandi, Jean O’Connor, Donald Llyod and the late Joel Lee for shaping him as a professional.
“Without some of these really amazing professors who are very passionate about public health, who really care about their students, I don’t think some of us will be where we are today,” he said.
He carries forward that desire to support public health students through the UGA Mentor Program. And what does he always tell his mentees? Be flexible.
“In life, things are not always going to go as planned. Students come into public health with this idea of a particular disease they want to work on, and things may not work out to where they’re able to work on that particular disease. But if they’re flexible, if they’re patient enough to learn new skills, they can leverage those skills to get to where they want to get to.”
Njie was named to the UGA Alumni Association’s 40 under 40 class of 2024, recognizing his outstanding accomplishments and career.
Dr. Njie contributed to this article in his personal capacity. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the United States government.
Clockwise: Njie and a local nurse participating in a polio outbreak response in Kenya. Njie at the
Network (AFENET) headquarters in Kampala, Uganda. He
Meet Sarah
Immonen Ward
“If you see a need, meet a need and use your skills the best way that you can.”
The indie publishing world was not where Sarah Ward expected her life and career would take her, but it’s where she’s supposed to be.
Now as an author and publisher, Ward is lending her public health training to advocate for reading programs in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and family literacy.
Sarah was working as a dental hygienist in Birmingham, Alabama, when she got pregnant with her twin daughters.
Toward the end of her second trimester, Sarah’s family and friends threw her a baby shower. In lieu of cards, Sarah and her husband asked that guests help build their daughters’ library by bringing books.
A few days later, Sarah was in the hospital delivering her twin daughters at 28 weeks. Sarah and her husband would soon take up residence for 2 ½ months within University of Alabama at Birmingham’s regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Sarah and her husband felt totally unprepared and out of their element.
“I had thought, I might spend a couple of weeks in the NICU if they came a little early. But no one expects them to come three months early,” said Sarah.
That first day in the NICU, Sarah remembers how she and her husband sat in shock. She asked her husband to go pick up some things from home for the night ahead. When he returned, his arms were full of books selected from the large collection friends and family had helped build for their girls.
“That first night, he started reading to them,” she said.
Sarah and her husband learned from the attending nurses and their own research that reading to newborns in the NICU improves neurological development, soothes and reduces stress, while strengthening bonds between babies and parents, something “which is very difficult to do when your baby is in a box.”
So, every day, the Wards read to their daughters in the NICU. Years later, when the birth of her son found them in the NICU once again, Sarah and her husband read to him during his week-long stay.
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
After their experience, the Wards discussed how they could give back to the people who had helped them through their time in the NICU. Making a gift to help build the hospital’s NICU reading library seemed like a good start.
The Wards hoped to donate a NICU-themed children’s book, but they couldn’t find one. Sarah’s husband suggested that
maybe they should write their own. The idea seemed crazy to Sarah at first.
“But I had actually written this poem,” she said. “I don’t know if it was just postpartum therapy or what, because I don’t sit around writing poetry. I had written it after our girls came home, and then stuck it in my nightstand and forgot about it for a couple of years.”
She pulled it out and handed it over to him to read.
“He’s like, ‘This is really good. We should turn it into a book.’ That’s how we stumbled into publishing it,” she said.
Sarah was “clueless” about where to begin, but she was determined to tell their story in the hopes that it could help other parents.
“No one talks about [their NICU experiences]. You don’t get those precious pictures of leaving the hospital with your baby,” she said. “Instead, it’s ‘My baby didn’t come home. I went home empty-handed. Now I’m sad because I have to keep going back to the hospital to visit them.’ It’s a roller coaster of emotions, for sure.”
During her son’s stint at the NICU, Sarah struggled to help her young daughters understand what was happening.
“‘You can’t visit your baby brother. He’s in a box with a bunch of tubes around him.’ Trying to communicate with them was so hard,” she said. “The book became a way for me to teach them what they went through and what their brother went through in the NICU.”
Sarah hired an illustrator and a book designer to help bring together her words and vision into a final product—as well as design a logo for her new business, Little Ward Books.
On November 17, 2021, Sarah’s book, Our NICU Journey, became a reality.
AUTHOR TO ADVOCATE
To help promote the book, Sarah reached out to organizations that had helped her own family through their NICU journeys, including Beads of Courage, a national non-profit organization that helps children cope with serious illness and treatment challenges by awarding a colorful bead for each milestone of their treatment journey.
Each bead represents a single step in a child’s medical journey —an Xray, a therapy session or a needle poke. A string of these beads features prominently in Sarah’s book.
“When my girls left the hospital, they each had this strand of beads. Even now they look at it and they say, ‘Oh, what was that bead for?’ And I say, ‘That’s for when you had to have an eye exam or that was for when you had to get a blood transfusion.’ Each bead just reminds them of how strong and courageous that they were.”
Sarah and Little Ward Books also launched the “Reading through the NICU” program in 2022, focused on helping hospitals create their own reading programs aimed at providing support and comfort to NICU patients and their families.
Sarah has published two children’s books that are inspired by her family’s journey in the NICU. She hopes the stories inspire and educate other families, while helping them find community.
“Not every hospital has a literacy program and it’s an easy thing to make available. Books are great for kids even when they don’t go through the NICU,” said Sarah.
Every September during NICU Awareness Month, Little Ward Books hosts a virtual NICU Read-A-Thon in partnership with Babies with Books, a student-led organization focused on building NICU literacy programs in the U.S. around the globe. The event features books authored by NICU parents, e-book giveaways and provides a space for people to share their own NICU experiences.
“We try to educate people on why it’s important to read to their kids. Someone told me a very long time ago, ‘You see a need and you meet a need.’ That’s what we’ve done with the NICU program. There wasn’t one, and now we’re making one,” she said.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
In September 2023, Sarah published her second book, One Step Behind, inspired by their youngest child’s struggle to find his place among his siblings. She wants to keep writing books that grow with her family and explore the challenges that come with each stage of life.
“I feel like I’ve come full circle now,” she said. “I feel like I’m making a difference,
NICU BABIES
Left: Sarah held onto her daughters’ “Beads of Courage,” which represent the procedures and treatments they went through in the NICU.
Above: Sarah’s husband, fellow UGA graduate Dr. Alex Ward, read to their daughters every day in the NICU.
Bottom: Sarah’s three children pose for a photo outside of the UAB Medicine Women and Infants Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
and I’m there for my kids. I don’t know where I’m supposed to be five years from now, but I’m where I’m supposed to be right now.”
As a UGA undergraduate, Sarah found a “perfect fit” in public health and health promotion.
According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 10 babies born in the U.S. are admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) because they were delivered preterm, or at 32 weeks of gestation or less. Full term babies can also be admitted to the NICU for any number of issues requiring advanced medical care.
“What I loved about the public health program was that they push a lot of externships and internships on the students,” Sarah said. “You actually get your hands dirty and find out what it is that you do and don’t want to do.”
Looking back, these experiences not only opened her eyes to new possibilities but armed her with the skills and confidence to find her passion and purpose.
“My advice to current students is to learn to adapt what you’ve learned into whatever it is that you have a passion for and make it awesome,” Sarah said. “Never stop learning. If you see a need, meet a need and use your skills the best way that you can.”
Any baby born under 5.5 pounds is considered “low birth weight.” Some small babies who are otherwise healthy may only need a short stay to help them gain some weight before going home. Premature babies are at a higher risk for complications than full-term babies. Some of these complications include heart and lung issues, brain bleeds, low blood sugar, feeding difficulties, jaundice and infections.
There’s No Cure for Dementia. But There is CARE.
Dementia On The Rise
TheUGA College of Public Health CARE Center helpsfamiliesnavigatedementia.
A Holistic Approach
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, that number is expected to double, and an additional 11 million people will provide unpaid care for loved ones with all types of dementia. UGA is planning for the future
Education & Outreach
On our Health Sciences Campus, the Cognitive Aging Research & Education (CARE) Center is where researchers and healthcare providers educate families about dementia, provide diagnoses, and deliver support to patients and families, while training the next generation of gerontological workers.
We’re giving Extension Agents tools to teach people how to prevent cognitive decline and we’re implementing telehealth services in rural communities. Dementia knows no geography or socioeconomic status. We’ll continue to
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