IOWA
College of Public Health
Global Public Health Initiative
FROM THE CHAIR
CONTENTS
This past academic year was filled with challenges, achievements, and changes as we continued to adjust to the "new normal" of living with COVID-19. It is my honor to succeed Diane Rohlman as the chair of the Global Public Health Committee and I look forward to working more closely with the college's global efforts. I would also like to congratulate Diane on her new role as the College of Public Health's Associate Dean of Research and know she will continue to be an active advocate for global education and research during her tenure. This year we said farewell to Cori Peek-Asa, who has served as a staunch advocate for global research. We thank her for the time and effort she took in establishing global research efforts in our college and know she will continue to do great things in her new position at the University of California - San Diego. While there are still many questions and hesitancies surrounding international travel, we are pleased that students and faculty alike are once again taking advantage of the global opportunities available to them by pursuing research, internships, and other experiences abroad. With the increase in accessible virtual learning technologies over the last several years, many faculty, staff, and students continue to find fulfilling ways of virtually connecting with international partners when travel is not an option. We were pleased this year to renew our partnership with Deakin University in Australia and established a new partnership with Ritsumeikan University in Japan. We hope these partnerships continue to grow and flourish and look forward to seeing more active engagement across our institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic put an unprecedented burden on the global P. blic health system, affecting practitioners and the public alike. As the world continues to recover from the heavy loss of life and the disruption to our routines, we begin to look ahead to developing the next generation of global public health professiona s. We kno their impact will have a positive impact on our global community.
Jeff Dawson Chair, Global Public Health Committee Associate Dean for Faculty, College of Public Health Professor, Biostatistics
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From the Chair Around the World Student Grants and Awards Student Research Feature Global Case Competition Faculty Research Feature Visiting Scholars and Speakers International Students Looking Forward Global Leadership & Support
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AROUND THE WORLD
As international travel became feasible again following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty and students from the College of Public Health traveled to and worked with partners from around the workd.
Argentina I Ireland I United Kingdom I Spain I Czechia I Italy I Nigeria I South Africa I Turkey I Kenya I Jordan I India I Indonesia I Philippines 3
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STUDENT AWARDS Students across all degree-levels and public health disciplines took advantage of the reopening of international borders to gain practical global experience in their fields. Several students traveled outside of the United States of the first time, while others leveraged their previous experience in global health to successfully compete for prestigious national awards.
STUDENT RESEARCH Throughout the past academic year, a number of students have participated in global research, both virtually and in-person. The following students received Global Public Health Student Travel Grants, offered by the UI College of Public Health, to conduct global research for their doctoral dissertations.
Priyanka Dubey Global Public Health Student Travel Grant Administered by University of Iowa College of Public Health
Josie Capesius, Undergraduate Public Health Program Natalie Doering, Undergraduate Public Health Program Priyanka Dubey, PhD Community and Behavioral Health Cynthia Maharani, PhD Occupational and Environmental Health Aseel Nasr, MPH Community and Behavioral Health Josh Ventling, MPH Occupational and Environmental Health
Fulbright Student Award
PhD Candidate, Community and Behavioral Health
Priyanka traveled to India during Summer 2022 to conduct research related to her dissertation topic: Lived experiences of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among persons of transgender and non-binary identities in India.
During her time overseas, Priyanka worked with NGOs and local communities to build rapport and trust with the individuals participating in the study, as well as conducted interviews and group discussions to gather data on this topic. This study is among the first of its kind to look at the lived experiences of transgender and non-binary populations related to MHM in India and one of only a handful of similar studies conducted globally.
Administered by United States Department of State
Anna Correa, MPH Community and Behavioral Health Anna, who received her MPH in May 2022, has received a Fulbright Research/Study Grant in Public Health to India for 2022-2023. Working with St. John's Medical College in Bangalore, India, Anna's research will 'explore the mental health landscape and needs of the migrant laborer community' in that region.
Boren Fellowship Administered by United States Department of Defense
Mary Rhodes, PhD Occupational and Environmental Health The Boren Fellowship is intended to provided an immersive learning experience for students to acquire languages identified as important to U.S. National Security. Mary will be studying Arabic in Jordan. Mary is a doctoral student studying the adverse effects of pesticide exposure in farming practices.
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Cynthia Maharani PhD Candidate, Occupational and Environmental Health
Cynthia traveled to her home country of Indonesia during Summer 2022 to conduct research on the topic of Occupational safety and health (OSH) among small and medium-sized businesses in Indonesia.
Specifically, the study will use a qualitative methodology to study the existence of OSH program characterization perceptions about implementation and program feasibility. Manufacturing is one of the fastest growing industries for business of this size, which have also accounted for a large number of workplace injuries. The long term goal of this research is to reduce workplace injuries among small and medium sized businesses in Indonesia. Cynthia's overall objective is to determine feasible and effective ways to implement OSH programs that reduce injuries amongst manufacturers by conducting in-depth interviews and focus groups with employees, managers, and other business stakeholders. 6
GLOBALLY-ENGAGED FACULTY
GLOBAL CASE COMPETITION This year's case competition continued to be hosted virtually. Although we look forward to the competition returning to an in-person format, we are grateful that the virtual space allowed us to include expert judges from abroad. The Fall 2021 case topic was Institutional Racism as a Barrier to Health in Poland and examined healthcare access for the Roma, an historically marginalized community across Europe. We would like to thank our panel of expert judges for donating their time and expertise to evaluate the team interventions.
Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, our faculty remained committed to public health research that crossed borders. Although many shifted to working with overseas partners in a virtual format, many faculty welcomed the return to in-person work and utilized the Summer 2022 term to visit with long-time and new partners in various countries around the world. The following is a small sample of the work being conducted by our faculty on a global scale.
Brian Smith Our first-place team, the John Snow Fan Club, became our first repeat champions. Following their competition win at Iowa, they took their skills on the road, participating in the National Global Case Competition at Emory University during the Spring 2022 semester. At the national competition, their team expanded to include students from the UI Colleges of Public Health, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Science. This was the first time the University of Iowa has sent a team to the national competition.
Professor, Biostatistics
Since 2016, Dr. Smith has served as a biostatistics expert for the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). In his time with UNSCEAR, Dr. Smith has collaborated with experts from 31 participating countries to develop reports on the effects of occupational and residential radon exposure on lung cancer risk and on epidemiological studies of radiation exposure and cancer risk.
For the 2022-23 academic year, the case competition will return to being hosted during the spring semester to better facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration across colleges.
I Team John Snow Fan Club (left to right): Sofie Dollison, Anna Correa, Kaci Ginn, Kaleb Brooks
Brandi Janssen Undergraduate Program Director and Clinical Associate Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health
Dr. Janssen will travel to Slovenia in Fall 2022 to work with partners at the Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts on a study titled Managing Social Pressures and Personal Distress on Family Farms: Developing and Expanding Culturally Appropriate Approaches in Slovenia.
Dr. Janssen's project is funded in part thanks to the Faculty Global Research Development Grant, which is awarded by the Global Public Health lntiative in the College of Public Health (CPH). CPH faculty who are interested in developing international partnerships and research projects are encouraged to apply for this award to offset all or some of the costs related to international research development. For more information please visit cph.uiowa.edu/global-faculty.
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GLOBAL VISITORS Gift Udoh
Diane Chevalley & Mariana Ponce
Norina Farms
Medair
Gift Udoh first visited Iowa City as a U.S. Department of State Mandela Fellow in 2019. During this time, she connected with Dr. Diane Rohlman and the two have continued to work together on developing healthier agricultural resources for farmers in Nigeria.
Madhu Raghavendra Iowa Writers Workshop International Writing Fellow
Madhu Raghavendra 1s currently on campus as the international writing fellow representing India. Along with poetry, Madhu is also a public health and development practitioner and has worked for several decades specializing in tribal and indigenous populations.
Andrew M. Hebbler White House Office of Science and Technology
Andrew Hebbler was one of two virtual speakers during the 2021 Global Public Health Week. Andrew is a former life scientist with foreign affairs and global health policy experience. He currently works as the Assistant Director for Health and Life Science, WHOST.
Kristen Keteles EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center
Dr. Kristen Keteles is a toxicologist with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and spoke with students during Global Public Health Week 2021. She often serves as an expert witness during trials and as a consultant to foreign entities on ecological topics.
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Despite the barriers posed by COVID, the College of Public Health continued to welcome global visitors, both virtually and in-person, to enrich the research and education efforts of the college. The ability to invite and learn from guests outside of our college community remains a vital aspect of education and practice in public health. Each visitor opens up new possibilities for faculty, students, and staff in Iowa, across the U.S., and around the world.
Diane Chevalley and Mariana Ponce spoke with students during the spring semester about pursuing careers with multinational NGOs. Medair is an international NGO that provides global resources and assistance to people impacted by conflict and natural disasters.
Alfredo Vergara CDC Mozambique
Dr. Alfredo Vergara joined us virtually for a second year, this time as the guest of the Division of International Programs. Dr. Vergara was interviewed as part of the Global Alumni Spotlight Series and is a graduate of the UI Colleges of Public Health and Engineering.
Mandela Washington Fellows Sub Saharan Africa
The fellowship program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, is hosted by the Tippie College of Business. This year's cohort visited the College of Public Health for an introductory workshop and an opportunity to network with research centers and potential partners.
African Vice Chancellor Delegation Various Higher Education Institutions
The Tippie College of Business hosted Vice Chancellors from four African Institutions. The College of Public Health was able to meet with these individuals while they were on-campus to explore partnerships and potential future collaborations.
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