Shawn Gibbs named Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Shawn Gibbs

Shawn Gibbs has been appointed as the Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the School of Public Health – Bloomington. He joins us from the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska-Medical Center in Omaha, where he served as the College’s Associate Dean for Student Affairs. In his new role at IU, Gibbs hopes to help the school continue to establish itself as a partner to the IU system, which includes the Bloomington campus, the community, the state, and the nation as a whole. He also hopes to continue the school’s focus on undergraduate education. “I believe that undergraduate public health education, which is a new option for the field, is going to be at the forefront of public health workforce development,” he said. “IU’s School of Public Health has been doing it very well for a number of years, and I am looking forward to helping it further develop these capabilities so that we produce a highly sought after and employable student that is capable of immediately contributing to any organization who hires them.”

While at University of Nebraska-Medical Center, Dr. Gibbs’ research emphasis had been on studying environmental bio-aerosols (bacterial, antibiotic resistant bacteria, fungal, viral) from both the indoor and ambient environments--including source evaluation, source tracking, and methods to reduce exposure. He also has extensive involvements in ongoing projects in a wide range of environmental health topics, from decontamination, pesticide exposure, pregnancy outcomes, and health disparities. "As dean, one of my goals has been to recruit the best and brightest faculty and administrators to the School of Public Health-Bloomington,” said Mohammad R. Torabi, Dean and Chancellor's Professor of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. “With the selection of Shawn Gibbs as our Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, we have done just that.”

School of Public Health has Five Honorees for Beth Wood Distinguished Service-Learning Faculty Award

The Service Learning Program at IU's Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning recently announced the recipients of the Beth Wood Distinguished Service-Learning Faculty Award. This award is given each academic year to honor Beth Wood, who taught service-learning public relations courses in the School of Journalism until she lost her battle with cancer in November 2009. 

The award is given to faculty who demonstrate excellent service-learning practices in the areas of teaching pedagogically strong and mutually beneficial service-learning classes, participating in Service-Learning Program events, and raising visibility of service-learning on and off campus.

This year there were 11 recipients of the award across the campus. The School of Public Health is proud to be the most represented school with 5 recipients. The recipients from the School of Public Health include Jared Allsop, Janet Delong, Rasul Mowatt, Jennifer Piatt, and Krisha Thiagarajah. Additional recipients were from Apparel Merchandising and Design: Ashley Hasty, from Psychological and Brain Sciences: Linda Hoke Sinex, from School of Informatics and Computing: Matt Hottell and Charles Pope, from International Studies: Olga Kalentzidou, and from School of Business: Benjamin Schultz

Congratulations to all recipients!

Executive Development Program held at IU

For 47 years Indiana University’s Executive Development Program (EDP) has been training park and recreation professionals at all levels. The 2015 Executive Development Program took place from April 19-22 at Indiana University. The 2015 program was ‘sold out’ and was held at the historic Indiana Memorial Union Biddle Hotel and Conference Center which is located at the heart of the Indiana University Campus. This year’s program included more than 95 park and recreation professionals from 17 states including Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, Ohio, Delaware, Missouri, Tennessee, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, California, Wisconsin, North Carolina, New York and Kansas.

This two-year interactive continuing education program focused on current issues facing park and recreation professionals such as succession planning, programming analysis, employee selection and interviewing, bench- marking financial performance, leadership, ethics, risk management, social media, and customer service and more.

Alumni of Physical Education Teacher Education Program honored with National Health Education Teacher of the Year awards

For the second time in as many years, an Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington graduate has been awarded the National Health Education Teacher of the Year by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America). 

Andy Horne

Andy Horne, a graduate of the Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE)  Program who completed the cognate in Health Education, was selected as the 2015 as National Health Education Teacher of the Year.  He currently teaches at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.  

In 2014, Heidi Stan, a graduate of the PETE Program who also completed the cognate in Health Education, received the same award for her efforts in the health classroom. She currently teaches at Riverside Junior High School in Fishers, Indiana. 

In addition, this year, Heidi was selected as the Midwest Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year.  

Heidi Stan

SHAPE America is the largest organization of professionals involved in school-based health, physical education and physical activity, who are dedicated to teaching and promoting active, healthy lifestyles. Founded in 1885, it provides a comprehensive array of resources, leadership in the development of standards and guidelines, professional development and advocacy for its members as well as the general public. 

The Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program is committed to preparing students as successful teachers of physical education for all-grade (K-12) licensing in Indiana. (Reciprocal license agreements allow students to teach in most other states). Through their training in this program, graduates make a valuable contribution by promoting healthy lifestyles and vigorous physical activity.

Lecture: Growing Power and the Good Food Revolution

Will Allen

Join us April 17, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. in the Mobley Audiorium (PH C100) for a talk by Will Allen as part of the Public Health Lecture Series Reynold E. Carlson Lecture.

Mr. Allen is a farmer and the founder of Growing Power, Inc. an urban farming project in Milwaukee, that aims for sustainable food production as well as the growth of communities through the creation of local gardens and community food systems by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach, and technical assistance. A former professional basketball player, Allen grew up on a farm in Maryland. In 2008, he was awarded a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" for his work on urban farming, sustainable food production, and with Growing Power.

Meyerson discusses needle exchange program to stop HIV outbreak in Scott County

Beth Meyerson

Beth Meyerson, Co-Director of the Rural Center for AIDS and STD Prevention at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, joined Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC recently to discuss the HIV outbreak in Indiana, which Governor Mike Pence has declared a public health emergency.

Watch the video >>

Society for Public Health Education recognizes Torabi and Lohrmann

Mohammad Torabi

The Society for Public Health Education will bestow its highest honor to a member, the Distinguished Fellow Award, to Dean Mohammad R. Torabi, at its upcoming April Annual Meeting. 

His research in the area of tobacco as a gateway drug and tobacco policy has made an impact at the national and international levels.  

David Lohrmann

At the same event, the society will award its Health Education Mentor Award, for mentoring students in their preparation, performance, and practice, and bridging the gap between practice and research, to David Lohrmann, Professor and Chair of the Department of Applied Health Science.

His career has encompassed public school teaching and administrative experience, and service as a national school health evaluator.

Link coming soon. 

IU students take a first-hand look at public health advocacy and policy-making

Earlier this semester a group of of IU Master of Public Health students gathered at the Indiana Statehouse for the American Cancer Society’s “Day at the Capitol.”

The day was organized by the society’s Cancer Action Network to communicate with Indiana lawmakers about making cancer prevention a public policy priority. IU students travelled to the Indiana Statehouse (made easier by the new Campus Commute shuttle) to experience advocacy coalition building and legislative engagement first-hand.

Read more >>

Student named IU Big of the Year

Alyssa Gurreri, Courtesy IDS

Every year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana awards an IU student volunteer the IU Big of the Year award. This year’s recipient is Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington senior Alyssa Gurreri.

Gurreri became involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters more than two years ago when she was matched with Cheyenne Carroll, now a freshman in high school.

Read more >>

New research: Endorphins may not explain ‘exercise high’

John Raglin

Feeling better from exercise may not be directly related to endorphins. Professor John Raglin at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington says the release of those feel-good chemicals only comes after extreme exercise, such as running a marathon, not the kind of everyday gym sessions most people are used to. Fortunately, Raglin says they’ve seen that it doesn’t take a marathon – or the endorphins it produces – to feel good. People who exercise moderately – 20 to 45 minutes a day – likely aren’t experiencing the effects of endorphins. 

However, Raglin says even low-impact exercise can give them a mood boost. “We found in our own studies that low doses of exercise which are insufficient to produce endorphin make you feel just as good as high doses,” he says. Raglin says a few things are at play when it comes to experiencing a “gym high.” “Very likely, it’s a cascade of hormones that are involved in mood changes that contribute to this feeling-better sensation,” says Raglin. “That’s most likely dopamine and serotonin.”

Read more >>