Dean James W. CurranDean James W. Curran
Season of change

We began fall semester with a mixture of optimism and sadness. The school lost a beloved friend with the recent death of Grace Crum Rollins. She took great pride in our school and would be pleased with our progress of late. (See the story below.)

The downturn in the economy hasn’t kept the RSPH from growing. Our new Claudia Nance Rollins Building, on schedule and slightly under budget, will be ready for students next fall. During the past 18 months, the number of full-time faculty has grown by nearly 10%. In 2009, total funding for RSPH research grew to $60 million, a 12% increase over 2008. Gary Miller (EOH) now serves as associate dean for research, helping strengthen our scientific efforts. (See related story below). This semester, the RSPH enrolled the largest number of new students ever. The school has 442 new master's students, 24.2% more than last fall. Total enrollment stands at 1,003 students, with 876 master’s students (including 123 in our distance-learning program for working professionals and 39 non-degree students), 105 doctoral students, and 22 master of science in clinical research students.

In September, nearly 200 prospective students attended Destination Public Health. While the event served as our annual open house, we also welcomed pre-health profession advisers from other colleges and universities to introduce visitors to the public health field. Visitors enjoyed a day packed with presentations from Kathleen Miner, associate dean for applied public health; Sandra Thurman, AIDS policy expert and director of the Interfaith Health Program; Stanley Foster, smallpox eradication expert and professor of global health; Maureen Lichtveld, chair of environmental health sciences at Tulane; and myself. Prospective students mingled with advisers and local public health employers over a roundtable lunch and also learned about areas of study in the RSPH.

“Destination Public Health represents a tremendous effort that turned out great,” says Richard Levinson, executive associate dean for academic affairs. “Thanks to all who made it work.” My sentiments exactly.

Remembering Grace Crum Rollins

Grace Crum Rollins
Grace Crum Rollins

Everyone who enters our school knows the name of Grace Crum Rollins, 98, who passed away on August 8 following a long illness. Her late husband, O. Wayne Rollins, was a longtime Emory supporter and university trustee. Before Mr. Rollins died in 1991, he expressed interest in plans to construct a building to house our school. Following his death, Mrs. Rollins and her sons, Randall and Gary, made a $10 million lead gift toward construction of the building. It was the first of several generous gifts to our school. When the Claudia Nance Rollins Building opens next year, it will be linked by a glass corridor, now being constructed, to the Grace Crum Rollins Building. The new building is named for O. Wayne Rollins' mother.

While Mrs. Rollins’ husband was one the most successful businessmen in the country, she preferred family life to the spotlight. Her family is her greatest legacy—sons Randall and Gary (Emory trustee emeritus and trustee, respectively), 10 grandchildren (including her late granddaughter, for whom the school's Rita Anne Rollins Room is named), and 24 great-grandchildren. Her philanthropy and vision and that of the entire Rollins family are largely responsible for the success and rapid growth of our school.

To honor her memory, the RSPH Student Government Association organized a series of environmental service projects. In October, volunteers spent a Saturday morning weeding, mulching, and planting at Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farms, based in East Point. Volunteers helped out again in November at Oakhurst Community Garden in Decatur. What a great way to remember Mrs. Rollins, who was an avid gardener, for her commitment to our school.

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Miller appointed associate dean for research

The RSPH has a new advocate for scientific discovery with the appointment of Gary Miller as associate dean for research. Miller represents our school on the Executive Committee of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Research Advisory Committee. He has served as a member of this committee since 2008, providing a voice for RSPH research and potential collaborations throughout Emory. During the next few months, he also will lead the transition and expansion of laboratory-based research in the Claudia Nance Rollins (CNR) Building.

As Miller explains, "I want to help ensure that our new CNR laboratories function in a way that is collaborative, collegial, and exciting. They represent a major change in the RSPH research enterprise. But our research portfolio goes way beyond the lab bench. We need to identify ways to support the research endeavors of all the faculty. There are several untapped collaborations across departments and even more across campus. I hope to identify these opportunities and help provide the resources to take advantage of them."

"As an active scientist, I struggle with the same challenges as my colleagues," he adds. "My experience with grant reviews, institutional committees, and proposal preparation lets me appreciate what other faculty are experiencing. Together we can work to streamline the process so that the faculty have more time and energy to perform actual research."

Gary Miller
Gary Miller

Miller's own body of research focuses on the environmental and genetic factors involved in neurological disease. He currently leads the NIH-funded Emory Parkinson’s Disease Collaborative Research Center, involving university and Georgia Tech researchers who study how pesticides and other agents influence the disease. Last year, his own research team established a mouse model that may lead to early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s. This year, Miller was promoted to the rank of professor (EOH) and holds a joint appointment in the School of Medicine as professor of neurology. Of the nearly 100 publications he has written, more than 60 have been published since he joined Emory in 2002. He also chairs Emory’s Institutional Health and Biosafety Committee and serves on the Emory Neuroscience Leadership Committee. And he is a graduate of the Woodruff Leadership Academy.

Please join me in welcoming Miller to his new role as associate dean for research.

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Leadership transition in biostatistics and bioinformatics

Lance Waller
Lance Waller

Lance Waller now leads the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics as Rollins Professor and Chair. He also serves as associate director of the Emory Center for Comprehensive Informatics (CCI), based in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC). Through the CCI, the RSPH collaborates with researchers in medicine, nursing, and other disciplines at Emory and those at institutions like Georgia Tech to capture and analyze biomedical data. Waller was selected as chair following a national search led by Richard Levinson, RSPH executive associate dean, and David Stephens, WHSC vice president for research.

Michael Kutner
Michael Kutner

I would also like to thank Michael Kutner for his outstanding service as Rollins Professor and Chair of a department that has thrived under his leadership. During the early 1990s, Mike served as director of the Division of Biostatistics and the first associate dean for academic affairs.

Although he has stepped down as chair, Mike continues to teach and conduct research. To recognize his career contributions, the school created the Michael H. Kutner Fund to support the professional development of students as they work on their thesis and dissertation research. (For more about Mike, see the APHA story below.)

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Research funding continues to rise

As mentioned previously, RSPH research funding for 2009 grew to $60 million, a 12% increase over $53.8 million in funding for 2008. The 2009 total includes funding awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. News about stimulus awards unfolds daily. The following faculty have received funds thus far for research and training:

Kimberly Jacob Arriola (BSHE) for "Enhancing the Effectiveness of a Culturally Sensitive Organ Donation Intervention."
Carlos del Rio (HDGH) for the Emory AIDS International Training and Research Program.
Ralph DiClemente (BSHE) for "A Multi-level HIV Prevention Strategy in High-Risk Youth."
Michelle Kegler (BSHE) for "Community-Based Organizations in Atlanta and Rural Southwest Georgia to Improve or Expand Health Promotion to Address Health Disparities."
Reynaldo Martorell and Deborah McFarland (both HDGH) for "Fostering Global Opportunities at Emory and Its Partners."
Bradley Pearce (EPI) for "Schizophrenia Biomarkers Discerned by Cellular Networks in DiGeorge Syndrome."
Barry Ryan and Anne Riederer (both EOH) for "Public Health Study of Breast Milk in Thailand."
Patrick Sullivan (EPI) for "Couples-oriented Approaches to Prevent HIV Transmission for Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States" and "HIV Prevention Programs that Work with African Americans."
Nancy Thompson (BSHE) for "Preventing Depression in People with Epilepsy: An Extension of Project Uplift."
Lance Waller (BIOS) for training in Biostatistics in Genetics Immunology and Neuroimaging.

In addition to these stimulus awards, Emory received supplemental funding from the National Cancer Institute for HIV-associated malignancy research. This funding targets institutions with Centers for AIDS Research (CFARs) and cancer centers to promote multidisciplinary collaboration. Together, Robin Bostick (EPI) and I serve as co-investigators on the project, which will provide small grants to Emory CFAR and Winship Cancer Institute investigators.

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APHA honors faculty and students

Kathleen Miner
Kathleen Miner

The RSPH had much to celebrate during the November annual meeting of the Association of Schools of Public Health (APHA) in Philadelphia, where several of our faculty and students were recognized. Kathleen Miner, associate dean for applied public health, received the 2009 APHA/Pfizer Faculty Award for Excellence in Academic Public Health Practice. She is the third APHA member to receive this honor, which includes a $10,000 prize, for advancing and integrating public health practice with research, teaching, and service.

Professor Emeritus Eugene Gangarosa (HDGH) received the Wade Hampton Frost Lectureship Award, which recognizes the use of epidemiologic principles and methods to address a public health issue. Recipients are invited to present a lecture, and in Gangarosa’s case, he talked about the history of safe water and sanitation in honor of Frost, one of his public health heroes. Frost (1880–1938) was the first professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins in the nation’s first epidemiology department.

Eugene Gangarosa
Eugene Gangarosa

Gangarosa is also a hero in the eyes of his alma mater. In October, the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry presented him with its Humanitarian Award. This annual award honors an alumnus who has made a difference by serving those in need and who exemplifies how students can aspire to serve humanity.

Michael Kutner, professor emeritus (BIOS), is now the third Rollins faculty member in the ASPH/Pfizer Public Health Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He joins David Kleinbaum (EPI) and Rob Stephenson (HDGH) as members. Academy membership honors faculty for elevating excellence, visibility, scholarship, and the impact of learning and teaching in public health. Earlier this year, Kutner received the 2009 Education Award from Mu Sigma Rho, the national honorary society for statistics.

The APHA Environmental Section honored Howard Frumkin, adjunct professor (EOH), with the Homer N. Calver Award and Lecture for his contributions to the field. Formerly chair of EOH, Frumkin directs the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry with the CDC.

Two of our doctoral students received APHA honors for their research. Julia Painter (BSHE) received the 2009 Top Student Abstract in the School Health Education and Service Section for “Psychosocial Correlates of Rural Adolescents' Intention to Receive an Influenza Vaccination.” Lydia Ogden (HPM) was one of three students honored for outstanding abstracts in the Health Administration Section. Her winning abstract is titled “Public Health Funding Formulas in Political Context."

Several faculty and staff provide leadership to APHA. Lisa Carlson (BSHE) is chair-elect of the Intersectional Council and an ex-officio member of the APHA executive board. Johanna Hinman (BSHE) serves as chair-elect of the Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section and as APHA representative for the Georgia Public Health Association. Additionally, Cam Escoffery and Michelle Kegler (both BSHE) serve as Society of Public Health Education trustees for membership and leadership and for publications and communications, respectively.

Congratulations to all of our APHA winners and volunteer leaders!

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Thompson named Distinguished Teaching Scholar

How can faculty members become better teachers? Associate Professor Nancy Thompson (BSHE) is exploring that question as the RSPH Distinguished Teaching Scholar for 2009–2010. Thompson is among eight scholars representing Emory’s schools in a new yearlong seminar on teaching sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence (CFDE). Scholars meet monthly to share best practices and learn from one another. “We have the opportunity to talk about the creative methods that we use and how to resolve our greatest teaching difficulties,” says Thompson. “That is a great resource.”

Nancy Thompson
Nancy Thompson

By the end of the seminar, scholars will complete a special project to enhance the art and practice of teaching. “Much has been written about teaching in medicine, but very little has been written about teaching in public health,” says Thompson. “I plan to collect interview data from a range of professionals in public health, inquiring about their best public health teacher/mentor. Identifying the characteristics of teachers who inspire people to teach or work in public health will be a good starting point for learning about teaching in this area.”

Thompson, already a highly regarded educator, currently serves on the RSPH Committee on Teaching, formed this year to promote CFDE initiatives and enhance teaching.

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Our faculty numbers keep growing

Like our student body, the number of RSPH faculty keeps growing. In recent months, we’ve promoted or recruited key faculty. Lance Waller was named Rollins Professor and Chair of biostatistics and bioinformatics. Mary Kelley and Mourad Tighiourat now serve as research associate professors in the same department. Gary Miller was promoted to professor of environmental and occupational health. Kathleen Miner is professor of behavioral sciences and health education, and Michael Goodman is associate professor of epidemiology. In addition to these promotions, we've added 19 new faculty. They are:

Mohammed Kumali Ali, assistant professor, HDGH
Dana Boyd Barr, research professor, EOH
Carla Berg, assistant professor, BSHE, and Georgia Cancer Coalition
Distinguished Cancer Scientist
Gene Brody, research professor, BSHE
David Chae, assistant professor, BSHE
Zengjia (Nelson) Chen, research assistant professor, BIOS
Janet Cummings, assistant professor, HPM
Lyndsey Darrow, research assistant professor, EOH
Carlos del Rio, Hubert Professor and Chair, HDGH
Kristin Dunkle, assistant professor, BSHE
Roby Greenwald, research assistant professor, EOH
Karen Levy, assistant professor, EOH
Yang Lui, assistant professor, EOH
Ramkumar Menon, research associate professor, EPI
Claire Null, assistant professor, HDGH
Bradley Pearce, research associate professor, EPI
Stephanie Ebelt Sarnat, assistant professor, EOH
Frank Wong, associate professor, BSHE
Ying Zhou, research assistant professor, EOH

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Advancing Georgia cancer research

Michelle Kegler
Michelle Kegler

The Emory Prevention Research Center (EPRC) continues its mission to prevent cancer and reduce health disparities in rural Georgia, aided by a $6.2 million five-year (2009–2014) grant from the CDC. Established and first funded in 2004, the EPRC partners with the Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition and a Community Advisory Board to conduct research in 33 counties. The center also works with community organizations in those counties to provide training and technical assistance to promote health.

Currently, the EPRC and its partners are testing the project “Healthy Homes/Healthy Families” in Southwest Georgia. Partners train coaches from the community to help families assess their eating habits and physical activity. Families and coaches then work together to make changes at home.

“The study is designed to see if we can change the home environment to make it healthier and whether changing the home environment leads to improved behavior,” says Michelle Kegler, EPRC director and associate professor (BSHE).

Faculty continue to advance cancer research in Georgia in addition to the efforts of the EPRC. Earlier this fall, Professor Joseph Lipscomb (HPM) presented an overview of his new cancer data project at an Institute of Medicine workshop. In the first study of its kind, Lipscomb will link Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry (GCCR) data with a wider spectrum of data sources to better assess cancer care effectiveness and quality statewide.

Joseph Lipscomb
Joseph Lipscomb

Funded by the Association of Schools of Public Health, the CDC, and the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC), the project will look specifically at treatment patterns for breast cancer and colorectal cancer in Georgia from 1999–2005 to determine if they were consistent with national treatment recommendations.

Typically, cancer registries such as the GCCR include data on the cancer patient’s diagnosis, first course of treatment, and demographics but do not include details about treatment and health care resource use over time. Linking data from additional sources, in addition to Medicare files, Medicaid files, or private insurance claims, will create an enhanced “longitudinal picture” of the care each patient receives.

"Such an augmented data system could serve as a platform for research on the comparative effectiveness of alternative interventions,” says Lipscomb, who is a GCC Distinguished Cancer Scholar. “It also could include whether or not patients are receiving guideline-concordant care, the economic burden of cancer, or disparities in access to care or outcomes.”

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Global Health adds demography degree

Kathryn Yount
Kathryn Yount

The Hubert Department of Global Health now offers an MSPH in global demography. Beginning next fall, the department plans to enroll six to 10 students from next year's pool of new global health students.

Students will learn to conduct research using demographic field methods, both in high- and low-income settings. They will develop the expertise to manage four types of field projects: population-based demographic surveys, in-depth qualitative field studies, ongoing demographic surveillance systems such as censuses and registration systems, and formal program evaluations and needs assessments. Students will apply their skills in areas such as reproductive health, migration, morbidity and mortality, and community health and development.

As the number of global health faculty and students has grown, so has the capacity to provide training that meshes with faculty members’ expertise and with students’ desire to conduct field research professionally. “Our ability to teach has expanded, and we want to expand our degree offerings for students who seek a master’s as their terminal degree or who wish to go on to a PhD," says Kathryn Yount, program coordinator. "We will prepare them in both demographic field methods and analytic techniques.”

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Kudos

Janet Cummings (HPM) received the 2009 Chancellor’s Service Award from the University of California, Los Angeles, which recognizes graduating students who exemplify superior service to UCLA and the community. Cummings completed her doctorate at the UCLA School of Public Health prior to joining the RSPH this fall.

Carlos del Rio (HDGH) and Gina Wingood (BSHE) are among five Emory principal investigators taking part in the NIH-sponsored HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN). The worldwide clinical trials group develops and tests non-vaccine interventions to prevent HIV transmission. Del Rio serves as the HPTN site leader, while Wingood serves on the network's national leadership team.

The CDC designated the Emory Center for Injury Control as one of 11 funded Injury Research Control Centers in the United States. Led by Debra Houry, assistant professor of emergency medicine, the Center for Injury Control is based in the School of Medicine and the RSPH. Houry also holds a joint appointment (EOH and BSHE) at Rollins.

This fall, second-year student Christine Khosropour (EPI) joined students from Boston and Duke universities to speak at a Congressional briefing about the importance of supporting global health education. Khosropour was in Washington to attend the first annual meeting of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH). During the summer, she worked to prevent diarrheal disease in Accra, Ghana, as part of an interdisciplinary team supported by the Emory Global Health Institute. Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Global Health Institute, helped coordinate Emory's participation in the CUGH meeting. Along with Koplan, attendees included President James Wagner; RSPH faculty members Mohammad Kumali Ali, Reynaldo Martorell, and Christine Moe; Emory deputy general counsel Steve Sencer; and Stephanie Doan 07MPH. Koplan is a founding member of the CUGH board of directors and one of three directors who planned the organization's first annual meeting.

A project by Michael Kramer, visiting assistant professor (EPI), was named Best Student Poster by the American College of Epidemiology (ACE). Kramer received the award for his winning poster, "Residential Segregation and Very Preterm Birth in Black Women: A Test of the Weathering Hypothesis," at the ACE annual meeting in September.

President Obama appointed Richard Lehman, adjunct professor (EOH), to serve on the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. Lehman served 26 years with the U.S. Public Health Service.

Claire Sterk is president-elect of the Section on Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco of the American Sociological Association. Sterk is Emory senior provost for academic planning and faculty development and Charles Howard Candler Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education.

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Campaign Emory
Campaign Emory

RSPH support for Campaign Emory tops $121 million

To date, the RSPH has raised $121.5 million as part of Campaign Emory—81% of our $150 million goal. In addition to support for the Claudia Nance Rollins Building, these gifts help build our endowments for teaching and research, scholarships, programs, and facilities. As of late November, the university had raised $989 million toward its $1.6 billion goal.To learn more, visit Campaign Emory.

Campaign Emory
   


To view The Dean’s Letter online, visit our web page. To submit news items for future issues, please contact Pam Auchmutey in Health Sciences Publications at 712-9265 or pam.auchmutey@emory.edu.

 
       
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