News Briefs

Applications for Spring Semester are Still Being Accepted.  Call 855-KSU-COPH M-F 8-5

New Online Concentration in Health Services Administration Announced for BSPH

Global Education Deadline Approaches. Immerse Yourself in the History, Culture and Public Health Systems of Latin America during the Summer Intersession Course in Colombia and Panama. Or Travel to Geneva for the Global Health Immersion Course, Focusing on Policy. Both are Two Weeks. Deadline is December 1 for Applications

Public Health Student Alliance Marches in Kent State Homecoming Parade October 20. Congratulations to Homecoming Court Attendants from PH: Shelby Barnes, Chelsea Furda and Laurie Ann Moennich

30+ Faculty and Students Raise Nearly $5,000 in 2012 Akron Heart Walk October 27

Dr. Thomas W. Brewer, Associate Dean, Named Chair of University’s Assistant and Associate Deans Council

Welcome to New Employees Karen Kichton, Administrative Assistant; Keith Nedved, Educational Technology Designer; Jamie Rhoads, Educational Technology Designer; and Olof Thoraradottir, Academic Advisor. Fond Farewell to Administrative Assistant Flo Fiehn, Retiring August 31

Recent MPH-EPI Grad Shane Brady Joins Arizona Dept. of Health as Influenza Epidemiologist

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Energy around our college this fall is infectious.  We’ve just returned from the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting, where faculty and students gave a dozen presentations and led a panel.  What an outstanding showing for a three-year-old college!

Just before taking off, we received terrific news: The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) approved our request to begin the accreditation process. Over the next three years, we’ll anticipate completing a self-study and hosting a team of peer reviewers. Read more about this exciting milestone below.

Fall enrollment numbers are vigorous. Undergraduate enrollment is up 88 percent to 641 students. Graduate student enrollment of 121 represents an increase of 39 percent over last year. This growth has enabled us to establish departments for the first time, organizing our faculty and programs into Environmental Health Sciences, chaired by Dr. Mark A. James; Epidemiology & Biostatistics, led by Dr. John R. “Jack” Graham; Health Policy & Management, chaired by Dr. Jonathan VanGeest; and Social & Behavioral Health, led by Dr. R. Scott Olds.

Our new MPH program for working health professionals launched this fall with 14 students representing AstraZeneca and GOJO; Cleveland Clinic and Summa; and the health departments of Cuyahoga, Summit and Trumbull counties and the City of Elyria, among other organizations. Students meet weekly on Tuesdays to study leadership and organizational change, taking single courses in five-week blocks. We’ve made arrangements to accommodate a few additional students in January. If interested in joining our inaugural cohort mid-year, contact us now.

Finally, I’d like to welcome the College of Podiatric Medicine to the Kent State family. Uniting with the former Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine promises significant synergies. It’s a fitting extension of Kent State’s current strengths in many areas of health care — and advances the university’s reputation as a key player in the human health research and education space.

Dr. Sonia Alemagno, Dean

Kent State faculty and students stormed the American Public Health Association annual meeting in San Francisco October 27-31, with two oral presentations, 10 poster sessions and a panel discussion. Topics ranged from hand hygiene to problem drinking, and 16 Golden Flashes were there to share findings of their work with the 10,000 delegates. 

Staffing the college's exhibit at the meeting are, left, doctoral student Laura Schuch; center, Dr. Maggie Stedman-Smith, assistant professor, Environmental Health Sciences; right, MPH student Sunita Shakya.

A new graduate certificate program in health care facilities has been developed by the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED), the College of Public Health, and the College of Nursing. Enrollment began this fall in the online program, which offers coursework from across the three colleges. With 20 required credit hours, the program can be completed in one year with full-time enrollment, and the flexible curriculum facilitates part-time enrollment as well.

Photo reprinted with permission, Cleveland Clinic Center for Medical Art & Photography © 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Teaching middle- and high-school students about sexually transmitted infections and contraception. Conducting West Nile virus surveillance activities. Kent State undergraduate and master’s students are getting exceptional real-world experience through summer and part-time school-year employment in jobs they describe as decidedly affirming their public health career choice.  (Left, Benjamin Villarreal; right, Olivia Hartman. Photo of Hartman © Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal.)

The college takes enormous pride in the pioneering work of our faculty and students who are constantly creating, discovering and leading the discourse in their disciplines.  Recent research has examined older adult emergency preparedness; water pollution policies; sports-related injuries in children and college athletes; pesticide exposure; homeless youth and incarceration; and trauma and opioid use in pregnant women.

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) has approved Kent State to begin its accreditation process, a significant milestone for the three-year old College of Public Health.  CEPH is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs.