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One of the oldest traditional Mexicanrestaurants in Monterrey juxtaposed withthe popular American restaurant chain,Burger King, located just 150 miles fromthe U.S. border. The photo was taken byMD/MPH student Carrie Neiman, who livedin Monterrey for one month to complete herinternational rotation for medical school.Neiman’s photo won 3rd place in the GlobalHealth Photo Contest during the 2010 UICSchool of Public Health International Night.HealthviewsEditorTina M. DanielArt Direction and DesignKristin Tomsits DunnNew Yardstick Strategic DesignPrintingM&G GraphicsHealthviews Advisory BoardPaul Brandt-Rauf, DrPH, MD, ScDSerap Erdal, PhDMichele Kelley, ScD, MSWWilliam Kling, JDSupriya Mehta, PhDKathleen Spiess, CFREThe UIC School of Public Health is committedto preserving the environment. This publicationis printed on post-consumer recycled paperusing biodegradable ink.Healthviews magazine is published by theOffice of Advancement in the UIC School ofPublic Health. The school is dedicated toprotecting and improving the health of peoplein Chicago, across the nation and aroundthe world. To this end, UIC SPH faculty, staff,students and alumni are reaching out to localcommunities, city and state officials, andinternational partners with cutting-edgeresearch, community-based health servicesand groundbreaking public health policy.

C ov er to Cov er59Sowing the Seeds of SafetyFar and WideComic Books Filled withLearning Opportunities^^FEATURESD EPARTMENTS23481112Dean’s DeskThe Pulse of Public HealthSPHereNational Scope / Global ReachAdvancing HealthClass Acts and Alumni Noteswww.facebook.com/uicsphwww.twitter.com/uicsphVisit the UIC School of Public Health Web site at www.uic.edu/sph.1

DE AN’S DESKThe UIC School of Public Health is an amazing place to serve bothpeople and science. Our changing world offers many public healthchallenges—some new and some more familiar—that we arecharged with facing, solving or improving. Though we walk the hallsof one Midwest university, we consider and impact the problems thatface so many others around the world.SCHool ADMINISTRATIonDeanPaul Brandt-Rauf, DrPH, MD, ScDSenior Associate DeanSylvia Furner, PhD, MPHAssociate Dean for ResearchFaith Davis, PhD, MPH, MPAAssociate Dean for Academic AffairsBabette J. Neuberger, JD, MPHAssociate Dean for Resource,Planning and OperationsCurtisteen StewardAssociate Dean for Urban Healthand Diversity ProgramsShaffdeen A. Amuwo, PhD, MPHAssistant Dean for Student AffairsAnn Shorrock, MPAOffice of AdvANCemeNTAssistant Dean for AdvancementKathleen Spiess, CFREDirector of CommunicationsTina M. Daniel, MAAssociate Director of DevelopmentCraig Hyland, MSWDivISIon DIReCToRSEnvironmental andOccupational Health SciencesLinda Forst, MD, MSOEpidemiology and BiostatisticsRonald Hershow, MD (Interim Director)Community Health SciencesBernard J. Turnock, MD, MPHHealth Policy and AdministrationJack Zwanziger, PhDFor this issue of Healthviews, we focuson the health and safety of our workers. Aperson’s safety is one of the most fundamentalbuilding blocks of their lives. Without it,we can achieve little else, and with it, we cancontribute to the world more fully, offeringour gifts and nurturing our families withthe greatest capacity.Here in Chicagoland, we are experimentingwith unique avenues of reachingthe diverse and multilingual service workerswho prepare and serve dishes in hundreds ofrestaurants. In collaboration with artistsand government agencies, Associate ProfessorMark Dworkin is teaching food safetythrough colorful, entertaining tools that areinteresting, attention grabbing and accessible.(Story, page 9)In other parts of the world, we are introducingworkplace safety procedures to thosewho will train a population unfamiliar withthe concepts. Professor Lorraine Conroyand Clinical Assistant Professor LeslieNickels, in collaboration with ProfessorLinda Forst, developed a course that is animportant step in filling a knowledge gap onoccupational health and safety. The course,being taught today by colleagues in SouthAfrica, is anchored by UIC SPH videotapedlectures on CD-ROM. (Story, page 8)From CD-ROMs and USBs to YouTubeand the Internet, technology has offered usthe ability to spread useful, relevant informationat a speed that can improve thehealth and safety of workers in the sugarcane fields of Costa Rica and on oil rigsin the Sahara, simultaneously. By trainingthose responsible for educating and protectingthese workers, Adjunct AssistantProfessor Norbert Wagner aims to changethe lives of countless individuals and offersthe doctors, activists and engineers whoserve them a community of peers withwhich to exchange ideas. (Story, page 5)Also helping to change the health andlives of people everywhere are our outstandingalumni, who not only give back toUIC SPH, but also teach the importance ofcharity to their children and families. Onpage 11, we tell the story of Dr. MadelineMcCarren who makes it a point to remainconnected to her alma mater, while makingphilanthropy a fundamental part of herfamily’s daily routine.When the workday is done, we returnto those we love, and we work to build ourown lives, while continuing to turn thechallenges of the world over in our minds.We read a newspaper and see, more clearlyperhaps than others, the preventable natureof the salmonella outbreak in an egg manufacturingplant in Iowa, the tragedy of aninjured extra on the Transformers 3 movieset filmed in Chicago this summer, or thetremendous challenges facing the rescuedChilean miners and their families.We see clearly the work yet to be done,but we also see the new crop of questingminds that have joined the UIC SPH teamto learn and grow and teach others how tochange their corner of the world. It is inthem that we will rest our hope for thefuture and open our minds to their contributions,so that we might learn fromthem as well.Paul Brandt-Rauf, DrPH, MD, ScDDean, UIC School of Public Health2

THE PUL SE OF PUBL IC HE ALTHThe popular “five-second rule” maintains that if food falls to the ground,it may be safely eaten as long as it is picked up within five seconds. Weasked public health students, alumni, faculty and staff…When in doubt, do you throw it out?“If you’re a germaphobe, you may want tothrow the food away, because bacteriawill adhere to it regardless of how quicklyyou pick it up. What’s more important iswhere you dropped it. Believe it or not, ifyou drop food outdoors, as opposed to akitchen surface, the type of bacteria isnot as problematic, because it does notlast as long outdoors.”Bonnie Minsky MPH ’89, MA, LDN, CNSPresident, Nutritional Concepts“I don’t think it matters. I do it all the time.There’s airborne bacteria too, so anythingcan fall on it. So, unless it’s a disgusting,appalling floor that you’re picking thefood back up from, it really doesn’t matter.”Felipe Tendick-MatesanzMPH Student in Environmental andOccupational Health Sciences“Strangely enough, I was all for the 20-second situational rule, until I went toChina. It is culturally wrong to even touchthe floor in China, so to eat anything offthe floor was unthinkable. After threeweeks there, I always throw it out now.”Benjamin Ritter MBA/MPH ’10UIC SPH Alumni Association Board Member“I follow the five-second rule. You neverknow what’s on the floor…germs andmore germs. It only takes two seconds forgerms or toxins to become attached to thefood you dropped on the floor.”“It depends on two things: First, whosefloor it is, and second, what kind of food isit, because if it was a piece of cherry pie,there would be no time limit.”“Now that I lived in a small rural part ofAfrica for two years, I’ll eat anything. Ireally don’t care anymore, so even the5-second rule absolutely has no bearingon my life anymore.”Tio HardimanDirector, CeaseFire IllinoisChicago Project for Violence PreventionSylvia FurnerUIC SPH Senior Associate DeanJessyca Liles-DudleyMPH Student in Community Health Sciences3

SPHereUIC Partners with USA Beach Soccer Team,Chicago Fire to Raise Awareness of HIV/AIDSALTHoUGH moST AmeRICANS have not embracedsoccer as they have football, it was adifferent story in Chicago this summer.Nearly 10,000 fans showed up at MontroseBeach in July for the 9th annual ChicagoBeach Soccer Festival, including UICSchool of Public Health students and alumni,who joined former USA Beach Soccerteam member Benyam Astorga to helpspread the word about HIV/AIDS.The message was coming from a charitableorganization started by UIC SPH facultyand students three years ago, Healthand Empowerment for African Lives. Thegroup set up a booth, donated by theChicago Fire Major League Soccer Club andthe Illinois State Soccer Association, to sellT-shirts, teach game techniques and passout informational material about their missionto support people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya.For volunteer and native Kenyan RahabMwangi, becoming actively involved inHEAL was an easy decision.“When I first heard about HEAL and itsvision and mission for empoweringKenyans, I thought, how can I not be involvedwith that? I cannot sit on the sidelinesand watch other people help my country.I have to do what I can,” she said.“Empowering people and giving them toolsto better their lives is the only thing thatworks. Especially in Kenya, I know that canA photo signed with gratitude to the HEAL teamby USA Beach Soccer Team member BenyamAstorga. (Left to Right) Stephanie Castellanos,Sebastien Nacher, Elena Navas-Nacher, BenyamAstorga, Nicolas Marin, Carolina Navas and FelipeMarin.go a long way. I guess that is why I’m inpublic health; it’s my passion.”HEAL was organized with much of thesame passion for public health and for helpingthe people of Kisumu, Kenya, a regionof west Africa that is disproportionately affectedby HIV/AIDS. The group has beentraining doctors and nurses to understandthe sensitive needs of HIV-positive patientswhile also addressing the need for financialsupport, improved health care andeducation.For Astorga, who flew to Chicago fromhis Miami hometown for the event, educatingyouth is a top priority. He organizeschildren’s beach soccer programs in Miamidesigned to teach children about leading ahealthy life style that includes regular exerciseand good eating habits.Astorga is also working together withTeam Evanston soccer club coach Jay Bulevand Chicago area stakeholders, communityleaders and epidemiologists to develop apilot beach soccer program that will targeteconomically disadvantaged youth inHumboldt Park, Pilsen, Little Village andthe South side of Chicago.“At this point in my career, I am interestedin doing charitable work and findingcreative ways to give back to underservedminority communities in the U.S. andabroad,” Astorga said. “While children inAfrica are highly affected by HIV/AIDS,American youth are overburdened withchildhood obesity. This event offers us theopportunity to raise awareness about bothpandemics and offer solutions on how toimprove these children’s quality of life.”Left: UIC School of Public Healthstudents Elena Navas-Nacher,left, and Stephanie Castellanosstaff the booth at MontroseBeach during the 9th annualChicago Beach Soccer Festival.Below: Gilberto Muñoz ’98, left,medical doctor for the ChicagoFire, donated a signed teamjersey to HEAL that was raffledoff at the Chicago Beach SoccerFestival.At the festival, Astorga, with the help ofBulev, conducted soccer clinics for childrenand signed autographs. Another HEAL volunteer,Gilberto Muñoz ’98, medical doctorfor the Chicago Fire team, donated aChicago Fire jersey, signed by the entire Fireteam, and raffled it off during the event.Dr. Muñoz said there is great value toparticipating in such events. “It is a realthrill to be part of an event of this magnitudeas an alum, as well as a physician, andto have the opportunity to promote HIV/AIDS awareness.”Other HEAL volunteers included UICSPH students Stephanie Castellanos, JaimeSlaughter and Elena Navas-Nacher. Thegroup was joined by Alfonso Mitchell, executiveboard member for the Illinois StateSoccer Association. Several family membersand friends helped as well. Proceedsfrom the event will go directly to benefitKenyan youth. —Elena L. Navas-NacherElena L. Navas-Nacher ’03 is a PhD candidatein community health sciences and aboard member and volunteer force coordinatorfor HEAL.4

NATIONAL SCOPE / GLO BAL RE ACHRipples of Impact Follow Course on Occupational HealthEach yeAR, an estimated 2.2 million womenand men die from occupational accidentsand work-related diseases. According to theInternational Labour Organization, hazardoussubstances kill over 400,000 workersannually. Asbestos alone claims about100,000 deaths every year, and the figure isrising.UIC School of Public Health ProfessorLorraine Conroy and Clinical AssistantProfessor Leslie Nickels are working to helpdecrease those numbers by advancing occupationalhealth and safety training acrossthe globe.“Only 15 percent of the workforce haveaccess to occupational safety and healthexpertise,” said Nickels, who is also thedirector of continuing education and outreachprograms for the Great Lakes Centersfor Occupational and Environmental Safetyand Health. “They don’t have people whothink about the health effects of work orhave access to knowledgeable people in occupationalhealth and safety.”What began 10 years ago as a project toaddress this challenge, has now grown intoa course benefiting health professionals,advocacy groups and organizers over 8,000miles away in South Africa.By using a building-block approach tolearning, Conroy and Nickels, both in theEnvironmental and Occupational HealthSciences Division, along with Linda Forst,director of the division, developed a coursethey say is an important first step in fillingan informational void on workplace safety.“It’s built on an adult education, participatorylearning model,” Dr. Conroy said.“It’s not as much us lecturing, but ratherthe participants problem-solving. It’s notthe traditional graduate kind of coursework. It’s much more applied and muchmore hands on. We built a field trip into thecourse, so they weren’t looking at a theoreticalwork place, so everybody has a sharedexperience.”The course, which was pilot tested in anumber of places including the U.S., CostaRica, Ukraine, Turkey and South Africa,is aimed at providing an introductionto hazards in the workplace and how tocontrol them. The program was createdunder a contract with the World HealthOrganization in collaboration with theIllinois Occupational and EnvironmentalHealth and Safety Education ResearchCenter at UIC.Conroy and Nickels taught the courselast year in South Africa to nearly 100participants including physicians, nurses,health and safety professionals, and publicservice employees. For many, this would betheir first experience discussing health andsafety in the work place.“Public sector workers in South Africaare newly covered by the federal or nationalenforcement agencies. This course providedgovernment workers an opportunity togain knowledge and skills in occupationalhealth and safety programming,” Nickelssaid.The hope is that after completing thecourse, participants will use the knowledgegained in their studies to train others inKey Statistics on Workplace Safety and HealthEach day, an average of 6,000 people die from work-related accidents ordiseases, totaling more than 2.2 million a year.Each year, workers suffer about 270 million occupational accidents thatlead to absences from work for three days or more.Hazardous substances kill about 438,000 workers annually. Ten percent of allskin cancers are estimated to be attributable to workplace exposure, and asbestosalone claims nearly 100,000 lives every year.Silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by exposure to silica dust, affects tens ofmillions of workers around the world. In Latin America, 37% of miners havesome degree of silicosis, rising to 50% among miners over age 50. In India,over 50% of slate pencil workers and 36% of stonecutters have silicosis.About 4% of the world’s gross domestic product is lost with the costof injury, death and disease through absence from work, sickness treatment,disability and survivor benefits.Data provided by the International Labour Organization.addressing health and safety issues in theworkplace.This train-the-trainer approach ismeant to expand the number of individualswho will be affected by the program.Videotaped lectures from UIC SPH anchorthe subsequent case studies, a method thatallows the course to be taught even if a contentexpert is not available.Topics in the course include identifyingand categorizing health exposure events,prioritizing hazards, recommendingcontrol and prevention strategies, as wellas discussions on how to write an incidentreport and how to use a health and safetycommittee to implement control strategies.A colleague in South Africa is nowdirecting the courses, and there is a moveto implement the training programwithin agencies of South Africa’s nationalgovernment.—Tina Daniel8

COMIC BOOKS FILLED WITHLEARNING OPPORTUNITIESBy Tina DanielCartoons often grab our attention. They can be entertainingor provocative. Now, thanks to one professor at the UIC Schoolof Public Health, cartoons are educating the region’s restaurantworkers.During the past year, Associate Professor Mark Dworkin andhis UIC SPH team have been developing and distributing comicbooks for over 1,000 restaurant workers in Chicagoland. The moveis one step in a multi-part study aimed at teaching food handlersabout critical mistakes that spread disease and illness.The team’s efforts to educate restaurant food handlers, includingcooks and managers, come after careful research and interviewsto determine what practices are unfamiliar to them andwhere knowledge gaps exist.“Everything that is in the comic books is targeted information,”Dr. Dworkin said. “If we found that in the interviews at least20 percent of the food handlers get it wrong, then the subjectmakes it in the comic books.”The topic of temperature control was one of the biggestconcerns, he said. “What are the temperatures that are mostdangerous for promoting germ growth? Almost everybodycouldn’t tell us what those temperatures were, including thecertified food safety managers for those restaurants. They mayhave known it when they were certified, but they’ve sinceforgotten it.”The 16-page comic book is made up of colorful illustrations onsubjects including ideal holding temperature, proper thawingtechniques for poultry, safe container sizes, and appropriaterefrigeration and storage of food.Once the study subjects read the comic books and the complementarybrochures, a follow-up interview will help determine iftheir knowledge grows and in what subject areas it rises.The importance of this work is clear. One ill, poorly knowledgeableor hurried food handler is capable of causing a diseaseoutbreak that can affect large numbers of people, Dworkin said.“Even a food handler who is recovered from a recent illness canshed pathogenic organisms that may be transferred through foodto patrons as a result of poor hygiene practices. Such mistakescan cause hospitalization and even death,” he said.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,food borne diseases account for approximately 76 million illnesses,325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.Many, but not all, of these cases will originate in restaurants, whereit is estimated 40 percent of the U.S. population will eat at leastone meal on any given day.Supported by United States Department of Agriculture funding,Dworkin’s study is made stronger by his diverse professionalexperiences, including a stint as the Illinois Department of PublicHealth State Epidemiologist and also as team leader for an outbreakinvestigation assistance team from 2000 to 2006.He has also supervised on-site restaurant investigations,including an outbreak of more than 70 cases of salmonellosisassociated with a popular diner in Kankakee County, where more >>>9

ADVANCIN G HE ALTHAll in the Family UIC School of Public Health alumna makes philanthropy a family affair.The McCarrenBeranek family(left to right)Liz, Steve,Carl, Rose andMadeline.Early IN THeIR MARRIAGe, MadelineMcCarren MPH ’92 and Steve Beranekcommitted to staying connected to thethings they care about most in theirlives—family and humanity.“I was 28 when Madeline suggested westart contributing a percentage of our salaryto charitable causes,” Beranek said. “At thatage, I was surprised by the idea, and a littlehesitant, but Madeline is very persuasive,and so we started making regulardonations.”Beranek and Dr. McCarren have alsosown the seeds of philanthropy andvolunteerism in their children. Collegejunior Liz, high school junior Carl, and8th-grader Rose have all been part of theconversations to give.“Everyone in the family has a voice whenwe discuss our annual philanthropicdonations to our colleges, but particularlywhen we consider special contributions tosupport communities or organizations thatare in great need due to tragedy or loss,”McCarren said.In fact, soon after Hurricane Katrina hit,the family began discussing ways they couldcut expenses to allow them to send moresupport to the communities affected in NewOrleans, since they had not planned for anyadditional contributions that year.Even the couple’s wedding anniversarycelebration at an upscale restaurant drew anunexpected reaction from their son Carl,who after noticing the high prices on themenu, decided not to order anything.“He wanted us to save the money andgive it to those who were hurting in NewOrleans,” McCarren said. “As a parent, Icouldn’t have been more proud of him, but Ialso wanted him to enjoy our familycelebration.”An alumna of the Epidemiology andBiostatistics Division in the UIC School ofPublic Health, McCarren also holds a PhDin pharmacology and now works as abiostatistician at Hines VA PharmacyBenefits Management Service with the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs. Here sheconducts studies in drug safety and qualityimprovement and supports investigators inthe use of data. She also teaches pharmacistsresearch methods and how to interpretimportant literature.Her husband graduated from IllinoisWesleyan University with a bachelor’s inbusiness and now owns a glass installationcompany. Though their professional livesseem worlds apart, their philosophy ongiving back is indistinguishable.“We are so fortunate that we are able tohelp students get a great education,” Beraneksaid. “The amount of the gift isn’t necessarilyas important as participating, but wehope to do more. It’s important to us that wesupport the schools and organizations thathave had such a positive effect on our livesand on our family.”Each year, the couple supports groupslike WINGS, Women in Need GrowingStronger, which provides transitionalservices for victims of domestic abuse andhomelessness. The family also backs severalCatholic charities and assists non-profitsthat help the homeless in Illinois, eradicatepoverty and hunger around the world oroffer children a safe haven in which to learnand grow.“We support Catholic charities, becausethis is broadly based, and we have ourCatholic upbringing. We support places likeWINGS, because it seems a way to perhapsbreak the cycle of despair,” McCarren said.“Those are the main ones, but then Steve isa sucker for direct mail too, so we look atthose. We also give donations of materialgoods to Goodwill and my niece’s inner-cityschool, even mission trips for our relatives,a clinic in Honduras that a friend runs andthe Boy Scouts.”“One year, we got the extended family atChristmas to pool money to buy animals forHeifer International. My daughter, Rose,even bought animals in the names of hergodmothers,” she added.As for their alma maters, McCarren andBeranek have been making annual contributionsto each other’s schools since theywed in 1984. McCarren said it’s importantthat alumni give back, while also connectingwith current students.“Giving back is important. It’s also apart of networking,” McCarren explained.“Younger students may not know what theywant, or what they are getting into. It is socommon for people to switch fields, as I didin college. Alumni can help studentsperhaps take a more expeditious path. Ageand experience bring perspective, andstudents don’t always know how to make theright contacts.”During the past few years, the family hasdirected its leadership level gifts to UIC SPHto help build both the Dean’s Fund forExcellence and the Epidemiology andBiostatistics Student Support Fund. Bothfunds serve to enhance the educationalexperiences for students through scholarships,special programs, research facilities,technology upgrades and more.McCarren said she feels it’s her responsibilityas a public health professional to giveback to humanity and to the places that havecontributed so much to her life.“The top-notch education I received atthe School of Public Health was due to thegreat programs and research and theschool’s expert faculty; and this has helpeddefine my career and life,” she said. “I had agreat experience as a student here. I feel likeI owe a lot to UIC.” —Kathleen Spiess11

CL A S S ACT S1Alumni•1 Chris Barker PhD ’87 was elected presidentof the San Francisco Bay Area Chapterof the American Statistical Association. Dr.Barker will also serve as a statistician for theSociety of Nuclear Medicine.• Sharon Buchbinder PhD ’92, RN startedher own health care and higher educationconsulting firm, Buchbinder andBuchbinder, LLC.• Stephanie Christians MHA ’10 wasawarded the 2010 Patient Safety ScholarsAward for alumni from the UIC Institutefor Patient Safety Excellence.3• Noel Chavez, associate professor, presentedat the Nutrial 2010 Conference inColumbia, sponsored by Universidad deAntioquia.4• Linda Forst, division director, won agrant from The National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health to establisha comprehensive occupational safety andhealth surveillance program in Illinois.5• Daniel Hryhorczuk, professor, wasawarded an International ScholarsFellowship from the Open Society Instituteto work in the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine to helpdevelop a PhD program in public health.• Craig Hyland, associate director of development,received the David H. PorterYoung Alumni Service Award from his undergraduatealma mater, Skidmore College.HIV/AIDS Study Section, Center forScientific Review, National Institutes ofHealth.• Bernard Turnock, clinical professor, andLouis Rowitz, professor, received a five-yeargrant of more than $900,000 per year fromthe Centers for Disease Control andPrevention for the new Illinois Preparednessand Emergency Response Learning Center.The center will provide continuing educationservices to enhance the capacity andperformance of the public health workforce.Students• Lisa Aponte-Soto, PhD class of 2011,graduated from the American EvaluationAssociation’s Graduate Education DiversityInternship Program this summer during theAEA/CDC Summer Institute in Atlanta.• Saraswathy Ganapathy MPH ’88, MDfounded the Belaku Trust in India whichaddress nutrition, income generation, educationand legal awareness among women.2345• Jennifer Hebert-Beirne MPH ’95, PhD’08 accepted a community partnershipaward, on behalf of the UIC School of PublicHealth, from Pedro Albizu Campos HighSchool.• Jared Lane Maeda PhD ’10 started aposition as research leader in the Healthcare& Science Section at Thomson Reuters inWashington, DC.• Lorna Thorpe PhD ’00 received the 2010Jacob Brody Distinguished Alumni Awardfrom the UIC SPH Epidemiology andBiostatistics Division.Faculty & Staff•2 Shaffdeen Amuwo, associate dean, participatedin the White House HealthSummit: Faith and Public Health PartnersWorking Together to Reduce HealthDisparities.6• David Jacobs, adjunct associate professor,has been appointed to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency ScienceAdvisory Board Panel to conduct a consultationand peer review of the EPA’s lead dusttechnical analyses.• Julie Kong, director of research services,and Adela Peña, career services coordinator,participated in the UIC Women’sLeadership Symposium in June. Their interactiveworkshop introduced the healthbenefits and self-defense elements of Kung-Fu.• Patrick Lenihan, clinical associate professor,and Richard Warnecke, professoremeritus, received 2010 HMPRG Awardsfrom the Health & Medicine Policy ResearchGroup for Policy and Research respectively.• Judith Levy, associate professor, willserve as a member of the Behavioral andSocial Science Approaches to Preventing6• Samantha Gagni, MHA class of 2011,was named the American Public HealthAssociation Student Representative and waspresented with the 2010 Patient SafetyScholars Award for students by the UICInstitute for Patient Safety Excellence.• Kristin Little, MHA class of 2011, receivedthe Foster G. McGaw GraduateStudent Scholarship from the AmericanCollege of Healthcare Executives.• Janine Lewis, PhD class of 2011, wasnamed executive director of the IllinoisMaternal and Child Health Coalition.12

• Jennifer Pierce, PhD class of 2010, receivedthe John A. Leonowich Award forEducational Excellence in Non-IonizingRadiation from the American IndustrialHygiene Association.• Korry J. Schwanz, MHA class of 2011,accepted a position at the University ofChicago Medical Center for the UrbanHealth Initiative.• Renae Smith-Ray, PhD class of2012, has been selected as a 2010Grantmakers In Aging Fellow.ALUMNI NOTESUIC School of Public HealthAlumni Board WelcomesSix New MembersReginald Cantave MHA’07, Quality ImprovementCoordinator, Gottlieb/WestTowns PHO, Inc., LoyolaUniversity Health SystemEPI BIO Alumni Hold Mini Reunion in SeattleJack Goldberg PhD ’83 and Richard HerrellMS ’96, PhD ’01, alumni from the UIC SPHEpidemiology and Biostatistics Division,helped organize a gathering at Seattle’s B&OEspresso restaurant during the annual conferenceof the Society for EpidemiologicResearch, June 23-26.Sheri Cohen MPH ’91Senior Health PlanningAnalyst, Chicago Departmentof Public HealthMarina P. Isaac MHA ’08Manager of ContinualSurvey Readiness, MountSinai Hospital & SchwabRehabilitation HospitalBenjamin RitterMBA/MPH ’10Tracie L. Smith MPH ’03Epidemiologist,Children’s MemorialHospitalDerrick Tung MHA ’07Administrative Director,University of IllinoisMedical Center at ChicagoConnectDo we have your current e-mail?Stay current on school news and eventsthrough our bi-monthly SPHere e-news.Subscribe by sending an e-mail toalumnisph@uic.edu.EngageHealthy Spirits—Save the DatesYou provide the conversation, and we’ll providethe snacks for these informal networkinghappy hours, brought to you by the UIC SPHAlumni Association Board.When: Nov. 17, 2010Feb. 22, 2011Apr. 28, 20116 p.m. – 8 p.m.Where: Restaurants and lounges inChicago. Announcementsare made in SPHere e-news.(Left to right) Steven Jacobsen PhD ’90, MD; DianeLauderdale PhD ’96; Jack Goldberg PhD ’83; andRichard Herrell MS ’96, PhD ’01.VolunteerMCH Blog Shares Inspiring StoriesIn conjunction with the 75th Anniversary ofTitle V of the Social Security Act, the federalMaternal and Child Health Block Grant, theUIC Maternal and Child Health Program encouragesyou to share your MCH story. Sendyour story (500-800 words) to AmandaGiese, agiese2@uic.edu. Stories will be postedon the MCH blog and will be accepted untilDec. 20, 2010.(www.MCHatUIC.wordpress.com)HCOP Invites Alumni Guest SpeakersAlumni are invited to participate in the publichealth assemblies program of the HealthCareers Opportunity Program to build awarenessof public health among 6–8th gradersin Chicago Public Schools. Fall semester assembliesare from October through December2010. To volunteer, contact Craig Hylandat craigh@uic.edu or (312) 996-0760.For more information on these events:www.uic.edu/sph/alumni/alumni_calendar.

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