University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Job Interview: How a college stats teacher became the State Fair crop art superintendent One of the most popular attractions at the Minnesota State Fair is crop art. Last year, curators got 240 submissions from seed artists. This year, that number went up to more than 350. So the fair decided it was time to hire someone dedicated to the exhibit.

“You take a top-tier, Big 10 research university, add in the biggest state fair per capita in the United States, mix them together for 12 days, and what you get is enormous research opportunities.” —Professor Ellen Demerath

Research on a Stick: Driven to Discover Marks a Decade at the Minnesota State Fair For 10 years, Minnesota State Fair-goers have contributed to significant University of Minnesota research projects at the Driven to Discover building

Whether you're starting your public health journey or continuing, we're happy to welcome you to the University of Minnesota School of Public Health! 🤝

View all Orientation photos here: https://bit.ly/3AF8Y0F

10 years of research on a stick! 🌽

The Driven to Discover Building is celebrating 10 years at the Fair. Visitors of all ages are invited to participate in active research in a fun, innovative and convenient way as most studies take under 20 minutes. 🎡

Help researchers drive new discoveries — from preventing foodborne illnesses, to tracking wild animals, cannabis use, and driving health eating habits.

Find the full schedule of research projects here:

2024 Study Descriptions – D2D: The Driven to Discover Research Facility Stop by and join U of M researchers in the third year of projects at the Driven to Discover Building. Boasting more than 30 projects, there’s something for ever fairgoer to join in on, contribute to, or learn more about. Projects this year range from laughing and chatting to agriourism to bullying...

Meet Paige Nong––new SPH assistant professor, digital antiracism researcher, and Real Housewives fan. Her research on digital racism is uncovering hidden biases in the technology we use every day.
https://bit.ly/3YACqio

SPH Tianzhong Yang receives a grant to continue her work to detect and treat a common childhood cancer.
https://bit.ly/3Xbfs04

SPH researcher receives grant to continue work to uncover origins of childhood cancer School of Public Health’s Tianzhong Yang seeks to uncover the genetic origins of hepatoblastoma by compiling and analyzing the world’s largest dataset for this type of cancer.

Join us on September 10 for this year's David J. Fine Distinguished Visiting Professor in Health Care Administration Lecture.

We are thrilled to announce Sara Singer, PhD, MBA, Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Graduate School of Business Faculty Director of HELIO as a our speaker. Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3YcX2wW

"Governments and international organizations have done far too little to prepare for such a scenario, despite the lessons they should have learned from the global battle with COVID-19" writes SPH faculty Michael T. Osterholm and colleague Mark Oshalker

The World Is Not Ready for the Next Pandemic Governments need to invest far more in new and better vaccines.

86% of high school students said they had never used cannabis, while 8% of high school students reported using cannabis in the past 30 days according to data from 2022.

New report analyzes cannabis use among Minnesota high school students prior to legalization of adult-use cannabis The last decade has ushered in a dramatic shift in cannabis policy across the United States. Today, 24 states--comprising a majority of the U.S.

SPH hosts the National Tribal To***co Conference, which highlights traditional to***co practices while working to reduce the use of commercial to***co in Native American tribal communities.

Read more here:

Honoring Tradition: Tribal To***co Conference Celebrates Traditional To***co’s Role in Indigenous Communities In her keynote speech to open the 2024 National Tribal To***co Conference, ethnobotanist and educator Linda Black Elk related an anecdote that underscored

Register for the hybrid We Will Vote Minnesota launch, featuring a panel of top health professionals that includes SPH Dean Melinda Pettigrew! The discussion will center on the relationship between voting and population health, and we hope you join us.

Register here:
https://bit.ly/3xOy5x4

With Healthy Democracy Healthy People, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Advocates for Better Health, Minnesota Public Health Association, SOPHE Minnesota.

Are you looking for ways to be involved and give back to SPH?

Become an SPH Mentor! By giving your time and expertise to an SPH student, you get to make profound impact on their academics, career, and future.

Applications are open to all SPH alumni, even those outside of Minnesota!
Apply by September 12, 2024 before 11:59 PM (CT)
z.umn.edu/sph_mentor_2024

What do drones and public health have in common? Students from across the metro found out at a week-long public health drone camp! Read more.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/467kFch

Learning through play: Using drone technology to expose the next generation to public health - School of Public Health - University of Minnesota On a recent Friday morning, an enthusiastic crowd gathered in the lobby outside Mayo Memorial Auditorium to watch teenagers engage in a heated

Did you know the University of Minnesota School of Public Health offers a National Nutrition Intensive Course? The course is available live in-person or via Zoom on July 30-31 as well as fully online and self-led from September 1 - December 31. Want to learn more and attend? Register today at: https://www.sph.umn.edu/academics/ce/mnic/

Meet Tran Huynh occupational hygienist, associate professor, and ikebana artist. She is paving the way for small, immigrant-owned businesses to have the information they need to stay healthy at work.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4eIzGoQ

SPH’s Ruby Nguyen receives University of Minnesota Community-Engaged Scholar Award

The award honors a person with a longstanding academic career who has partnered with the community to advance their field in service of the public good.

SPH’s Ruby Nguyen receives University of Minnesota Community-Engaged Scholar Award University of Minnesota School of Public Health Morse-Alumni Distinguished University Teaching Professor Ruby Nguyen has received a Community-Engaged

We are grateful for the opportunity to host the National Tribal To***co Conference on June 27 and 28 in partnership with the American Indian Cancer Foundation.

This conference emphasized American Indian and Alaska Native persons returning to a healthy relationship with to***co, bringing communities together to share information, and the importance of creating health equity.

For more photos from the conference, see the link below.
https://bit.ly/4cXSRt7

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) in rural places were more likely than urban deaths to have incomplete death investigations, and American Indian/Alaska Native infants were more likely to have incomplete death investigations compared to other racial groups

New study finds geographic, racial imbalances in investigations of sudden unexpected infant death About 3,400 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly in the United States every year, but these tragic events do not fall evenly across populations.

Adam Moskowitz receives first place student poster award at ICOH Adam Moskowitz, a recent PhD graduate of the Occupational Health Services Research and Policy program, received first place in the student poster competition at the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) conference in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Congratulations to Drs Silvia Balbo, Jesse Berman, Dana Carroll, and Jonathan Oliver on your recent promotions! We are of our distinguished, expert faculty! 👏
University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Mary Kate Leloux, MPH '24, recently completed Global Health in Local Contexts, a course that explores community healthcare, the social determinants of health, and issues of equity and social justice.

"I would not know what I know about the Twin Cities without this course," she said. Her favorite session was a trip to Bdote/Fort Snelling State park to learn about Native Americans’ experiences in Minnesota

Read about her experience:

More Than Medicine: Global Health in Local Contexts Mary Kate Leloux, MPH '24, took Global Health in Local Contexts in the Fall of 2023. “I would not know what I know about the Twin Cities without this course," she said.

Fatal overdoses could be reduced by almost 25% if they are witnessed, instead of occurring alone, even without reversal drugs.

Greater availability of naloxone and increases in witnessed overdoses can reduce opioid-related deaths Opioid-related drug overdoses cause 130 deaths per day in the U.S. Access to treatment and prevention programs are key to addressing the opioid crisis, as

“I can tell you with complete confidence that ransomware attacks harm patients.”

Hannah Neprash, associate professor of health policy at the University of Minnesota, provides comment.

Red Tape Is Making Hospital Ransomware Attacks Worse With cyberattacks increasingly targeting health care providers, an arduous bureaucratic process meant to address legal risk is keeping hospitals offline longer, potentially risking lives.

We are committed to healthy aging, and improving health outcomes for older populations.
See photos from the past weeks' events:
Age Friendly University Day: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBwNq3

Caring for People with Memory Loss Conference: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBuSRP

Robert Kane Memorial lecture on Green homes: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBwSTA

Congratulations to SPH alum Matthew Wilkinson for qualifying for the Team USA Olympic Team!

He completed his Epidemiology MPH degree in the Summer of 2023!

FROM GREENWOOD, MINNESOTA TO PARIS! 🇺🇸

Matthew Wilkinson has qualified for the Team USA Olympic team by finishing second at the USA Olympic Trials in a time of 8:23.00!!

Join us at the U of M Twin Cities campus Farmers Market! Come for seasonal produce, flowers, events, live music, and more. Check out the schedule: https://bit.ly/4cfFOTF

2024 U of M Farmers Market | University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources The Twin Cities campus Farmers Market is back for the 2024 season!Dates: Wednesdays, July 10–September 25Time: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.Location: Gateway Plaza (outside McNamara Alumni Center)Come to the U of M Farmers Market for seasonal produce, flowers, and more from local vendors, as well as live ...

"Some of the areas with the highest infant mortality rates in Minnesota are right there."

Katy Kozhimannil provides comment on North Memorial Hospital's decision to close its special care nursery.

North Memorial Health closes special nursery as births decline Research has found more complications when fragile preemies are transferred to other hospitals, but leaders at the Robbinsdale hospital said they are equipped to prevent them.

Office of Academic Clinical Affairs (OACA) Interprofessional Interns Kandeija Bagurusi (DPT, '25) and Connor Oetzmann (MHA, '25) recently presented work on the future of Telehealth and of Mental and Behavioral Health to the Telehealth Committee of Wilderness Health in Northeast Minnesota & Northwest Wisconsin.

They found that the two states have innovated in different, often complementary ways that impact patients’ access to telehealth and mental and behavioral health care.

Read more here:

Telehealth Sustainability at Wilderness Health Kandeija Bagurusi and Connor Oetzmann are working to enhance access to quality health care.

Mental health care professionals who grew up in rural areas were significantly more likely to practice in rural settings.

Read Here: https://bit.ly/3Vpztha

Factors impacting mental health care providers’ decision to practice in rural communities While many Americans have experienced mental health challenges in recent years, the issue is especially acute among rural residents. Rural Americans, for