Health Science Graduate Newsletter

Transcription

1 Health Science Graduate Newsletter Fall 2014 Volume 44, No.2 October 2014 All: What happened to summer?? How could we already be weeks into the semester? Time is passing much too quickly. With the fast pace impacting all of us, life in Health Science has been extremely full and busy. Because of growing numbers at the graduate level, we welcomed new adjunct faculty. Among them, several are proud graduates of the Health Science Master s Program. All bring wonderful real world experience coupled with invaluable insight into the program and our students. The Department also has launched a search for an additional tenure track position. Our hope is to continue building the faculty as the program grows. Stay tuned for more information as the search progresses. To begin the New Year, the Department hosted a back-to-school night. Both undergraduate and graduate students were invited. Recognizing that graduate students often have long commutes and days filled with work and family responsibilities, we were pleased by the encouraging turnout of Master s candidates. Those who attended offered invaluable feedback regarding potential course expansions as well as certain departmental processes. It was particularly rewarding to hear the number of students who pursued and won positions which they discovered because of my graduate student distribution list. If you or anyone you know has a position (paid or volunteer) that seems well-sited to our students, please let me know. I m happy to circulate it among our current students as well as graduates. In terms of potential course expansions, I shared that part of my summer was spent in discussions with colleagues in computer science and information technology. Electronic medical records, hospital GPS, healthrelevant apps the list of overlapping interests continues to grow. I hope to continue the dialogue into the fall, with a goal of at least identifying courses across campus that might serve those of us in Health Science. Stay tuned. Finally, I hope you will join me in welcoming Joyce Olabisi as the new graduate assistant. After several semesters as my go-to person, Adrienne Thrasher completed her degree. It s always bittersweet to say good-by to someone who s become a part of the program s fabric. Adrienne,

2 however, not only completed her degree, she earned a well-deserved promotion in her real job. So a wonderful send-off indeed. To balance the bittersweet, I m extremely fortunate to have Joyce as the new go-to person. As you learn more about her, you too will recognize the strengths she brings to the position. Another year, another adventure. Take care. DrR NEIL E. GALLAGHER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Neil E. Gallagher was a guiding force to the Health Science Department and to Towson University. With over 30 years of service, Dr. Gallagher had unlimited enthusiasm for students, faculty, alumni and the university community. The intent of this scholarship is to honor Dr. Gallagher by acknowledging deserving Health Science students undergraduate and graduate. Eligible candidates are students with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 who (through letters of reference and a personal essay) demonstrate how the scholarship will enhance the student s academic experience and benefit the profession. The number of recipients and size of award will be determined at the discretion of the selection committee. Recipients who meet criteria will be eligible to reapply in successive years. In the first awarding of this scholarship, the Department received 23 applications! Awards went to three undergraduate and three Master s students in Health Science. The first ever graduate student recipients of the Neil E. Gallagher Scholarship are Junaed Siddiqui, Emilie Hunt and Melissa Szydlowski. Congratulations! Ask the Virtual Advisor I was admitted to the program but, because of things going on at home, I don t think I ll be able to start taking classes for at least a year. Is that a problem? Happily, students have the ability to defer registration after admission. University policy allows you to postpone taking classes for up to one year. If you don t enroll within that one year period, or if you don t inform University Admissions of another start date, your records will be removed from the program by the Registrar s Office. Once files are removed by the University, you would

3 be in the position of having to reapply for future enrollment. If there is no change to the program s admission requirements during the interim, readmission would not be a problem. It is possible, however, that a new requirement that you do not fulfill may be part of the admissions process. It s always a good idea to discuss deferrals with your advisor, to see whether any changes to admission requirements are in the works. Over the past two years, for example, the Department instituted the requirement that all incoming Master s students have a B or better in a prior statistics class. Anyone who reapplied for admission and who did not have the course, would not be eligible for admission under those more recent requirements. My plan is to graduate at the end of the spring 15 semester. Do I apply for graduation now? It depends The student is in control of when the graduation application process begins. To start that process, you would submit a request for graduation review to the Graduation Office. For instructions on how to apply for graduation as well as general graduation application information go to There you also will find the deadlines to file for graduation in each academic term. There is no guarantee that you will be allowed to graduate if your application is submitted after the dates listed there. Students who do not compete requirements for graduation have to submit a new application during the term in which graduation is intended. Remember also that in order to graduate, you have to follow Health Science requirements (i.e., submitting your portfolio and completed Program of study). For additional information on that note, see the Master s Student Handbook which you received at the time you were admitted to the program. the Handbook also is accessible online at the program s website. I ve taken all but three courses in my Program of Study. I took a new job, and had to take a semester break from classes. When I tried to register for next term, I found out that I couldn t register without paying for re-enrollment. What s that?? Once students begin taking courses, the University expects that they will continue to register for classes on a regular basis. Indeed, the University now requires that anyone who misses one fall or one spring term must apply for re-enrollment. You can obtain a re-enrollment form through the Registrar s Customer Service Center at Enrollment Services. If you prefer to do it online, go to and click on Reenrollment. And be prepared it s going to cost you a $25 processing fee. Deadlines for readmission are August 1 for the fall term, and December 1 for spring. If you haven t taken classes for two academic years, your records will be removed by the Registrar s Office. You would have to begin the application process as a new applicant via University Admissions.

4 Faculty/Alumni Profile: Mickey Jancewski Michele Jancewski is a new lecturer for the Department of Health Science. This semester she is teaching 2 sections of HLTH 430, 1 section of HLTH 315 and 1 section of HLTH 631. Professor Jancewski was born in Baltimore City, MD near Bayview Hospital. Around age 15 she moved to Essex County where she lived with her sister, her husband and their two sons. Growing up in Essex County allowed her to live right on the water, where she spent a lot of time water skiing, fishing, crabbing and swimming. She stayed in Essex from age 15 until she graduated with her Bachelor s degree. She currently resides in York, PA. Professor Jancewski attended Towson University for her Bachelor s and Master s degrees. She received her undergraduate degree in School and Community Health and her Master s degree in School Health. Before joining Towson, Professor Jancewski held various roles. She was the Director of Health and Human Services at the Community College of Baltimore County. She has directed a staff of 15 who all ran non-degreed health care trainings. She also served as a consultant to school systems in developing health curriculum. She was also assistant principal at a Baltimore County Public School which is just a few of her many accomplishments. Some of Professor Jancewski s professional goals include restarting her consulting business, finishing her doctoral pursuit, getting more involved with SOPHE and participating in various workshops and seminars about utilizing electronic media sources to promote student success. Professor Jancewski encourages students to love what they do as they will spend most of their time working. She also advises students to not hold looking for the perfect job because sometimes where you may envision yourself in ten years, may not be as good as where you will end up if you take the paths offered. Most importantly, she encourages students to network and gain as many experiences as they can-- even if it means volunteering. Alumnus Profile: Zakiya Bell Zakiya Bell is a recent graduate from the Health Science Department. She graduated with a dual concentration in Health Administration and Community Health. She is currently employed at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Women s Health where she works as a Public Health Educator. She is the assistant project manager for the FDA College Women s Campaign, web content manager as well as the exhibit coordinator for the office. She also holds a part-time retail position.

5 Zakiya describes her experience at Towson as evolutionary. She believes Towson helped take her expertise as a public health professional to the next level. Although she experienced some high and lows, she made sure she surrounded herself with a supportive cohort of students and faculty to help through those times. Zakiya advises current students to ensure they are getting their money s worth while at Towson. She encourages students to never be shy but to ensure they utilize all the services provided to them. She urges students to ask for help whenever they need it and encourages students to network and connect with each other. Lastly, she reminds students that dreams do not work unless you do and to ensure they set themselves apart from the competition. When not working hard, Zakiya spends her leisure time doing community service with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, and Young Government Leaders. Some of Zakiya s future plans include progressing as a leader within the federal government. She is also considering attaining a certification in Project Management. She looks forward to becoming a homeowner and beginning her own family some day. Student Spotlight: Joyce Olabisi Joyce Olabisi was born in Washington, DC but grew up in Prince Georges County, MD. She anticipates graduating at the end of Spring 2015 with a concentration in Health Administration. Prior to entering the Master s Program, she earned her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Delaware State University. Before settling in at Towson, she took a break from school after her undergraduate studies to explore which career path she would embark on. Joyce currently works at Washington Adventist Hospital for the Pathology Department where she works as a histologist. Joyce chose to complete her graduate study at Towson mainly because of the convenient scheduling of the classes. She enjoys the flexibility of being able to work in her respective field while still attending classes in the evening. Joyce currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Health Science Department and enjoys the overall experience of being able to interact with both students and faculty. Upon the completion of her degree Joyce looks forward to embarking upon a new career path in the Federal Government, where she anticipates working with officials to implement programs to help minority health disparities across the United States. One of Joyce s many long term goals is to one day open up a Non-Profit organization of her own in Nigeria to assist women in rural communities gain proper access to medical care. Joyce describes her experience at Towson thus far as a true learning experience. Not only has she developed skills that will assist her in her professional career, but all the skills she has learned

6 will assist her in life beyond just work. She credits this program for helping her develop proper time management skills, which has significantly impacted her life positively. She advises newly admitted students to ensure they take full advantage of all the opportunities presented to them. Never be afraid to ask for help and ensure that you properly network. Also she encourages students to take a step back and breathe sometimes, especially if feeling overwhelmed. **Tentative course schedule for the upcoming minimester and spring semesters** Minimester 2014 Graduate Course Schedule- Tentative Course Location Day Time Instructor HLTH 619 LIO117 T/R 6:00 pm- 9:00 pm Mary McSweeney HLTH 653 LIO 107 M/W 5:00pm-9:00pm Patricia Alt HLTH 656 LIO 119 SA 9:00am-1:40pm Wayne Nelson

7 Spring 2015 Graduate Course Schedule TENTATIVE Course Location Day Time Instructor HLTH 505 LI 111 Thursday 4:00 PM 6:40PM Donna Cox HLTH 551 LI 104 Wednesday 4:00 PM- 6:40 PM Andrea Brace HLTH 601 LI 102 Thursday 7:00 PM-9:40 PM Deitra Wengert HLTH 603 Online TBA TBA Aquilla Maxwell HLTH 615 LIO 107 Tuesday 7:00PM 9:00 PM Donna Cox HLTH 618 LIO 107 Monday 6:00 PM 8:40 PM Meghan Bailey

8 HLTH 625 LIO 105 Monday 7:00 PM 9:40 PM Jean Gaines HLTH 637 LIO 119 Wednesday 7:00 PM- 9:40 PM Hubert Nelson HLTH 639 TBA TBA TBA TBA HLTH 645 LIO 117 Wednesday 7:00 PM 9:40 PM Patricia Alt HLTH 649 LIO 104 Thursday 6:00 PM 8:40 pm Michele Jancewski HLTH 651 LI 104 Wednesday 7:00 PM 9:40 PM Lewis Lebrun HLTH 785 LIO 104 Tuesday 7:00 PM 9:40 PM Susan Radius

9 ATTENTION EVERYONE! DID YOU MOVE? CHANGE YOUR LAST NAME? CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS OR CONTACT INFORMATION? If you answered YES to any of these questions, you may be missing out on important information regarding your graduate education including: Employment Opportunities Permit Availability Graduation Requirements Program of Study Forms The Graduate Program in Health Science relies primarily on for communication with students. If your information is not up to date, you may be missing out. Updating your information with the University is not enough. Please send your updated contact information to the Health Science Department via to Joyce Olabisi, Health Science Graduate Assistant, at Public Health Job Opportunities on the Internet John Hopkins University City of Baltimore Department of Human Resources State of Maryland

10 University of Maryland Medical Center St. Agnes Hospital Jhpiego American Red Cross Edaptive Bon Secours Health Systems jobs.bonsecours.com/job Fall Career and Internship Fair Tuesday October 21, :00-3:00pm Senior and Graduate Student Conference Friday October 24 8:45 AM-1:00 PM Autism Speaks Walk Saturday October 25 8:30 AM M&T Stadium

11 Racial stereotypes fuel low self-esteem that leads to weight gain, study says. Natalie McGill Low self-esteem that stems from negative racial and ethnic stereotypes may contribute to the expanding waistlines of U.S. minorities, a recent study said. Hispanics who associated themselves with stereotypes, such as being lazy, were nearly four times more likely to be overweight or obese compared to Hispanics who did not relate to those stereotypes, according to a study published online in June in the Journal of Social Issues. From a psychological perspective, self-esteem is very important because literature shows people with low self-esteem have difficulty engaging in motivated health behavior that promotes good physical health, said study co-author Luis Rivera, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey. The lack of motivation could be a contributing factor to obesity disparities in the U.S. The obesity rate in the U.S. is about 43 percent for Hispanics and about 48 percent for blacks, compared to nearly 33 percent for whites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers looked at 108 people 62 Hispanics and 46 whites who completed a self-evaluation on 14 characteristics. Half of the characteristics were negative stereotypes about Hispanics such as being violent or lazy while the other half listed positive qualities such as being ambitious and peaceful. Participants were asked to a scale from one to six on how little or much they identified with each characteristic. Researchers also recorded each participant s body mass index. The results showed Hispanic participants chose to identify more with the negative stereotypes compared to white participants. Additionally, 53 percent of the Hispanic participants were more likely to be overweight and obese compared to 36 percent of whites, the study said. Those who identified with the stereotypes were 3.78 times more likely to be overweight or obese, the study said. Helping people affected by stereotypes overcome them can help guide them to making healthier life choices, Rivera said. Reminding a person of what characteristics make her or him valuable may help protect against stereotypes that may lower self-esteem, he said. *Copyright The Nation s Health, American Public Health Association