MPH Memos
A Newsletter for Graduate Students in the Master of Public Health Program
University of Tennessee Spring 2010, Issue 1
Important Dates Department of Public Health
to Remember Effective July 1, 2010, additional resources programs, respectively.
the Center for Public and growth. As a long term goal, the
March 1—Deadline to sign Health will merge with department will use its
As short term goals for
up with Dr. Hamilton for the MPH program to evolving progress as a
the Department of
Comprehensive Exam on form the Department basis for expansion
Public Health, Dr. Paul
April 9 of Public Health. This into a school of public
Erwin identifies filling
March 5 — Graduating Fee merger is a milestone vacant faculty positions health.
Payment Deadline in the journey to with individuals Despite the changes
establish a School of qualified to engage in that are underway, Dr.
March 8-12—Spring Break Public Health. In Erwin wants to assure
teaching, research, and
March 30 — Deadline to addition to increasing service; allocating students that the newly
register for Graduate Hood- the number of full-time assistantship positions formed department
ing Ceremony. For more in- faculty, the newly will continue to be
to meet the needs of
formation and to register, formed department committed to the same
visit http:// the department and
will provide greater values that have made
gradschool.utk.edu/hooding/ faculty and to assist
visibility of the public the nationally
hoodinginfo.shtml students with financial accredited MPH
health programs support; and revising program what it is
April 1 — National Public offered by the and stabilizing the today. Students are and
Health Week Recognition/ university. Department course sequence and will continue to be at
Seminar status will increase the program sequence the forefront of the
o p p or tu n i t i e s for for the MPH and PhD efforts of the faculty.
April 2—Spring Recess
April 9—MPH Comprehen-
sive Exam (Noon-5 p.m.)
April 24—CHES exam New Faces in the Public Health Office Suite
April 30—Deadline to regis- We are very pleased to welcome Center For Public Health staff to HPER
390. Debbie Butenko is an Administrative Support Specialist III. She
ter for 2010 Public Health
was Dr. Erwin’s Administrative Assistant for 5 years at the East
Certification Exam
Tennessee Regional Health Office, Tennessee Department of Health
May 4-11—Final Exams prior to coming to the University of Tennessee Center for Public Health.
May 13—Graduate Hooding Also joining Debbie are research assistant Tory Mills and graduate
assistant Laura Dotson, an MS-MPH student.
Ceremony
Appointment of Research Assistant Professor Faculty Searches
Dr. Jiangang Chen has been appointed Research During the last week of January, on-campus
Assistant Professor in the Programs in Public Health/ interviews of candidates for the assistant
Department of Nutrition, effective February 1. His professor of health administration position were
prior position was Assistant Project Scientist, Step IV, conducted. The search committee recruited
Center for Health and the Environment, University of applicants nationally during fall semester.
California, Davis. Dr. Chen will serve as course Three professionals selected as best meeting the
instructor for PH 510 (Environmental Health) during required position qualifications were invited to
summer 2010. On February 12, he presented a interview. Additional information has been
research seminar entitled “The Development of New requested from each candidate; and the
Tools to Address Environmental Health Concerns.” expectation is to make an offer for employment
The seminar was open to all faculty and students. to one of the candidates as soon as
administrative approvals are secured.
Update on MPH Students Beginning February 8 and extending until
For spring semester, we welcome 13 new students to February 18, four candidates for the assistant/
the MPH program. Six are in the community health associate professor of epidemiology position will
education concentration, three in health planning and be on campus for interviews. Their agendas for
administration and four in veterinary public health. the day-long visits will be distributed widely.
After graduating 11 students fall semester, the total Students in the MPH program are strongly
number of students enrolled in the MPH program is encouraged to attend the research presentations
currently 65. and to meet with as many of the four candidates
as possible.
D ON’ T FORGET TO News from the MPH-DVM Program
CHECK THE
G R A D UA T E F O R UM Drs. Matt Welborn and Marcy Souza of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine
ON B LACKBOARD! took 9 DVM students to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in
Atlanta, GA on January 24-25, 2010. The bi-annual CDC Veterinary Student Day
focused on career options for veterinarians in the field of public health. Three
University of hundred veterinary students from across the United States and Canada attended
Tennessee the conference.
On Saturday, January 23, twenty-one veterinary and wildlife students participated
in the annual bat identification lab. The Tennessee Department of Health rabies
Share your news in MPH labs provide bats that were submitted for rabies testing during the year. This
Memos! Let us know about project, started 15 years ago, has helped the Centers for Disease Control and
your internship, Prevention understand the reservoirs of the strains of rabies virus most often
presentations, conferences associated with human cases of rabies. Eight species of bats were identified; and
attended, and projects.
the positives were submitted to CDC for virus strain classification.
The next issue of MPH
Memos is already in
progress so contact me PHAPC Representatives
with your information at
lejike@utk.edu. CHE — Reginald Tooley; Jada Johnson (alternate)
HPA — John Arena; Jennifer Cornwell (alternate)
VPH — Bonnie Price
Lacreisha Ejike-King, MS Please see your reps if you have any issues that need to be brought before the
Graduate Teaching governance committee.
Associate
Editor, MPH Memos
lejike@utk.edu