Make your life healthy

Posts Tagged ‘Maryland’

Each semester, Gloria Friedgen, SPH’s graduate coordinator, works hard to put together our newsletter, which is coming out this week. The Healthy Turtle got an early peek at it, and this semester’s newsletter is chock-full of fun things. Among them:

* Glimpses back at our renovations progress;
* The Madieu Williams Center for Global Health Initiatives press conference;
* A notice about the spring’s Maryland Day;
* Information about the new student group, PHEAR;
* A piece on Dr. Rima Rudd’s visit to the Herschel S. Horowitz Health Literacy Center;
* And updates from Dean Gold and all of the department chairs.

One of The Healthy Turtle’s favorite features though, is the page of new faces at SPH. Each new faculty and staff member answered a whole bunch of fun questions about their hobbies, families and favorites. The only downside about the page is that each individual gave about 20 really interesting answers, and there was room enough for only two or three responses. So we are going to publish some of their interviews in their entirety on the blog.

So first up is Linda Vause, the new Faculty Research Assistant for Stress, Health and Addiction Research Program. She can be found in the Department of Public and Community Health. Here’s a bit about her:

Most recent job before UMD SPH: I wrote curriculum for an education management company in Tysons Corner. We designed and developed youth leadership programs…I retired from the Montgomery County Public School System after working many years as a school library media specialist and technology instructional specialist.
Education: BS, MLS University of Maryland….Go Terps!!
Your Public Health message for the World: There is no reason why people in our country, with its abundant resources, should be hungry. Proper nutrition is a key factor in promoting healthy, physical, social and intellectual growth.
Favorite part about being a part of UMD SPH: Being back on campus, rooting for the Terps and seeing how much has, and has not, changed since I was a student.
Hobbies: I enjoy golfing when the weather cooperates and I love art, both as a designer and as an appreciator.
Most exciting place you have visited/lived: Two places stand out, and they were both at the summit of mountains: Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and Ptarmigan Pass in the Rockies. Guess I like heights.
Favorite color: green
Food(s) you’d have a hard time living without: chocolate
Perfect weekend: Sightseeing with my husband, either locally or a bit farther away.
Something you’re good at: Organizing, although much of it is in my head.
Favorite season: Fall
Proudest of: Raising three wonderful children who tolerate my humor and love to come home for some good cooking.
Role model: Rosa Parks. I wish I could have met her. I admire her bravery and that she was part of the solution and didn’t sit back, watching. In the past, I wish I had been more assertive when the opportunity was there.
Goals: To embrace learning new things whenever I can. I also want to be more physically fit. I imagine that being a part of SPH will facilitate that!

Welcome to SPH! If you’d like to reach Linda, you can e-mail here at lvause@umd.edu.

Keep your eyes open for the newsletter coming out this week. In the meantime, take a look back at last semester’s.

Dr. Milton, chair of the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, was a guest on Destination Casa Blanca (The Latino Voice in Politics) last week, and the episode has now been made available online.

In the episode, “H1N1: The Vaccine Debate,” Dr. Milton shares his expertise regarding who is most at risk for catching the virus, and why. According to him, the risks of taking the vaccine to protect against H1N1 are much lower than risks associated with actually catching the virus. He especially encourages those born after 1957 to get vaccinated. He adds that it’s not just a matter of protecting ourselves, but our loved ones around us, because there are some for which the vaccine is not as effective, and others who can’t take the vaccine due to allergies.

Watch the whole episode by clicking here.

Faculty and students listened attentively as Mayor Grant discussed strategic health priorities for his City of Excellence and explained the importance of turning research into action in achieving them. Mayor Grant also enlightened the audience about how the university and the community may build a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.

Click here to watch the video and learn more!