SPH Engage is a new leadership development and engagement program
within the School of Public Health that provides students coursework,
workshops, and twelve hours a week of drop in hours to provide a
connections to department, school, and university resources.
Our primary focus is to assist students transition into the school - so
we include mostly freshman and sophomores at the undergraduate level
and first year graduate students.
Your thoughts and reflections are important as we continue to
assist our students get a great start in our school. We would love to
hear from you about how you benefited from engagement and leadership
development while you were at IU. This information
will be captured and added to the new SPH Engage website this summer.
Dr. James Farmer, assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington was recently quoted in AgriNews, about shoppers' motivations and expectations about shopping at farmers markets.
Farmer recently conducted a survey of over 300 people who are regular farmers market shoppers as well as people who have never visited a farmers market in order to gauge their opinions on why individuals do (and don't) shop at the markets.
Shoppers attend for a number of reasons aside from fresh fruits and vegetables, including both recreation and leisure purposes. “They like the social interaction,” he noted. Still another draw is to eat local and to support farmers that are part of the community.
On the flip side, some people don't shop at farmers markets because they lack the time and the farmers markets "lack of infrastructure to support Women, Infant and Children checks, as well as electronic benefit transfers."
Read the full article.
As part of the Healthy IU initiative, the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington is proud to announce that the Wildermuth Intramural Center (WIC) track will be available for IU Bloomington employees for walking/running/moving during breaks, and/or having walking meetings on weekdays between 6am and 4pm. The pilot program will run from now through the end of the Spring Semester.
This opportunity is the result of collaborative efforts involving several campus and university partners, including the School of Public Health-Bloomington, the IUSPH Department of Kinesiology, the Division of Campus Recreational Sports, and the Healthy IU campus-wide wellness initiative.
How it works:
If you are an IU Bloomington employee and would like to participate in the program, but do not have a Recreational Sports membership, stop at the WIC member service station one time before beginning the program.
You must present your Staff ID Card and sign a waiver of liability.
Your ID will be activated immediately so that you can access the WIC track. Simply show your ID at the entrance to the track any time you wish to use it.
You will also be able to check out a lock and use day-use lockers in the main-level general locker rooms free of charge. Additionally, there are small lockers around the track where you can store personal items such as purses, small bags, wallets, etc.
You will also have the option to sign up for the “Step into Fitness” program (always free for all IU Bloomington faculty/staff). You’ll receive a free pedometer if you don't already have one.
See the Healthy IU website for more details.
Please note that this program involves only the WIC track and does not provide access to other programs of facility spaces.
We would like to hear from you!
With alumni moving to all parts of the world, it can be hard for our school to keep in touch with you. Please help us stay connected, so we can learn about your latest achievements, share school updates, and continue to serve you as alumni:
1) Update your contact information at: myiuaa.com/sph-update
2) Join your IU international alumni chapter. IU has over 40 chapters worldwide and the IU
Alumni Association provides benefits like exclusive job opportunities and career coaching,
unlimited access to the alumni directory, an IU alumni email account, and more. For
information, visit: alumni.indiana.edu/together/groups/international
3) Tell a friend: invite other international alumni to keep in touch as well.
With more than a half million graduates living worldwide, IU has an incredible global reach. In 2012-2013 alone, IU Bloomington was home to 6,015 international students, ranking eleventh in the nation. Although you have graduated, you are still part of our school’s family. Please keep in touch!
Contributed by Jennifer Pearl, Director of Global Health Partnerships
It may not seem like it, but spring is right around the corner. And at Bradford Woods (affectionately known as “The Woods” to staff and campers past and present), preparations for a new season are underway. While the coldest and snowiest winter in decades has created extra challenges to simply stay open on a day-to-day basis, our full-time staff members have also been busy interviewing and hiring for the 2014 season.
Outdoor Instructors, who run Environmental Education and Adventure Education programming, arrive for training at the end of the month – and by mid-March will hit the ground running with a variety of client groups. These instructors are a uniquely talented group, and spend most of their time at Bradford Woods facilitating group experiences, including conducting hands-on environmental education with fifth graders, running team-building initiatives, and belaying on our high elements. Because of the wide range of knowledge needed, training these instructors is a busy and important time at Bradford Woods. Once trained, the group of 12 Outdoor Instructors will stay at Bradford Woods for three months, after which a new group of instructors will take over for the summer months.
The summer instructors will largely work with our Recreation Therapy department, which provides unique, nationally-recognized camping experiences for youth with chronic illnesses and disabilities. In addition to the instructors, the Recreation Therapy department hires nearly 80 additional staff (some paid, some volunteer) to meet the rigorous needs of summer camp programming. The Recreation Therapy department has been busy getting the word out and filling these summer positions, which include Cabin Counselors, Cabin Heads, Cabin Life Coordinators, Lifeguards, Waterfront Directors, Media Specialists, and more. Hiring is well underway, but the Rec Therapy staff are still seeking qualified individuals to round out the staff, and have been advertising at various camp job fairs, including the School of Public Health’s Summer Camp Jobs Fair last week.
More information on positions and hiring can be found on the Bradford Woods website at www.bradwoods.org. Additionally, if you’re interested in learning more about Bradford Woods, the 2013 Annual Report is now available on the website as well.
Contributed by Tim Street, Bradford Woods Associate Director
Sarah Myers is a two-time Indiana University graduate, most recently with her Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Administration. Following graduation, Sarah assumed a role with the Indiana University Career Development Center before transitioning to the School of Public Health as the Career Services Coordinator for the Department of Kinesiology. In January, Sarah transitioned to a new role in the Dean’s Office as the Associate Director of Career Services. In her new position, Sarah will play key roles in the areas of employer relations and outreach, assessment and evaluation, marketing and communications, career development and career advising, event planning and execution, mentorship programming, and technology resource maintenance for the School of Public Health Office of Career Services.
Zelideh Martinez Hoy is also a two-time graduate of Indiana University, and brings extensive experience working with students on the Bloomington campus to her new role as the new Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion. Her experience with IU's Residential Programs, Groups Programs, and the Latino Cultural Center in addition to advising a variety of student organizations and participating on various campus committees dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive campus strongly support her new role. In her new position, Zelideh will provide leadership to the school on the recruitment, retention, outreach and success of under-represented groups.
Dr. Alan Ewert, Chair of the Department of Environmental Health, prepares student for careers in the continually growing field of outdoor education with his new books entitled Outdoor Adventure Education: Foundations, Theory, and Research and Natural Environments and Human Health.
Outdoor Adventure Education: Foundations, Theory, and Research
Based on Ewert’s first book, Outdoor Adventure Pursuits: Foundations, Models, and Theories, the new publication entitled Outdoor Adventure Education: Foundations, Theory, and Research explores the current state of the outdoor adventure field as well as highlights changes in the field since the first book’s publication. Co-authored by Dr. Jim Sibthorp, the book provides foundational, theoretical, and conceptual insights into the field of outdoor adventure education, as well as chapter based discussion questions to further understanding and insights from well-known international researchers.
Natural Environments and Human Health
Understanding the role natural environments play in human health and well-bring continues to attract significant attention, and is the central focus in Ewert’s new book entitled Natural Environments and Human Health. Co-authored by Denise Mitten and Jill Overholt, the book examines the history of the relationship between natural environments and human health and the theories underlying the importance of these interactions in improving mental health, increasing positive social relations, and providing emotional and spiritual benefits. A resources for researchers, policy makers, lecturers and students, Natural Environments and Human Health helps to further the exploration of the relationship between health and natural settings
Dr. Charles Beeker, Director of the Academic Diving Program and Underwater Science Program in the Department of Kinesiology, has been a dedicated diver and underwater researcher for over 40 years. When Beeker began diving in the early 1960’s the historic shipwrecks he explored and their artifacts were there for the taking. When legislation passed in the late 1980’s categorized ownership of such sites to the government, treasure hunters who had made a living in the states moved south to the Caribbean where fewer restrictions were in place.
Dedicated to preserving the history of underwater shipwrecks and artifacts, Beeker has been a leader in the development of underwater museums over the past 20 years. His involvement began in 1989 when he played a key role in establishing the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park in the Florida Keys, but he’s since shifted his focus to encouraging Caribbean countries where treasure hunting has become more popular to follow suit. While typically shipwrecks are valued for their historical significance and have been raised with the intent of display in local museums, Beeker believes in preserving the history where it is found. Such Living Museums are designed to allow snorkelers and divers to not only view the wrecks and artifacts, but to understand their historical significance within their current environment.
In December of 2012, Beeker conducted an underwater field school in the Dominican Republic, educating SPH students to the importance of preserving the shipwrecks and artifacts. Exploring an area of the coast of a small beach known as La Caleta, Beeker led the students in excavating an area near a site believed to be from the Nuestra Sedonia Begoñ, a Spanish ship that was enroute to Venezuela at the time of its sinking. In addition to gaining technical skills related to recovering and preserving artifacts, students walked away with a better understanding of how local communities, culture, and government are all intertwined in the conservation of such historical sites.
While combatting the treasure hunters is a never-ending battle for Beeker, he’s ensuring that another generation of professionals will be ready to continue to fight to preserve history both domestically and abroad in the future.
As the owner of Urban Fitness Studio in Bloomington, Indiana and an industry veteran of over 10 years, Allison Chopra has achieved both local and national recognition for her dedication to health and fitness. A graduate of the School of Public Health’s Department of Kinesiology, Chopra is a nationally certified Personal Trainer, Health Fitness Specialist, and Wellness Coach.
Chopra initially selected her career path because she liked the “…idea of working in a healthy environment where everyone encouraged healthy choices.” As a fitness professional, she strives to inspire others to live an active lifestyle. “Each individual is different,” she said, “…you have to work hard to find a method of changing behavior that works for them.”
During her years at the IU School of Public Health her roles as a Personal Trainer and as an Interim Assistant Director at Recreational Sports helped her prepare to own and effectively manage her business, giving her real life experience in both managing and collaborating with other coworkers as well as departments. She also notes that the emphasis put on continuing to educate herself outside of class has been imperative for her to stay up to date on changes in research and trends in the field and in finding her niche. “While a degree program prepares you well to be technically ready for a career in the fitness industry, the industry is constantly changing. Reading about different training methods, types of facilities and fitness philosophies can prepare an individual to understand in what capacity they would like to work in the field,” she said.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, the admission of British Olympic diver Tom Daley that he was dating a man but that he still likes women reignited a long-time debate within the gay community about bisexuality. Is it possible for a gay man or woman to also be attracted to a member of the opposite sex? And is being bisexual a cop-out for a man or woman who simply is afraid to admit that he or she is gay? Is it “easier” for a woman to be bi-sexual than it is for a man?
On January 14, 2014, Dr. Brian Dodge, Associate Professor in the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington and Associate Director of the IU Center for Sexual Health Promotion recently discussed his current research on Radio Times, a Delaware based station tackling issues concerning listeners around the nation. Dr. Dodge presented his research focusing on sexual health among bisexual men and women, as well as a recent study examining heterosexual and gay/lesbian individuals' attitudes toward bisexual men and women in the United States.
The full interview can be heard online.
An Exercise Science major originally from South Bend, John Nguyen chose to come to Indiana University because he wanted “…an experience, not just a college.” With an interest in pursuing either medical school or a degree in physical therapy following his undergraduate years, John wanted a degree that left his options open so that he wouldn’t have the make a final decision his freshman year, so he elected to major in Exercise Science. “Choosing a degree from the School of Public Health-Bloomington gave me the trust and confidence to know that I will be able to go where I wanted to go after my time here,” he said.
John was inspired to pursue a career in health care after seeing a friend’s parents operate their own practice providing physical therapy services. “The clinic wasn't just a clinic, but a home, and the patients were not just patients, but family,” he said. He notes that he feels the School of Public Health will prepare him academically to meet his current goal of obtaining a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, but also provides a community in which he can grow. “Given the resources, alumni, and faculty, the SPH gives every student a myriad of opportunities in which to grow and learn from. It is more than just a building, but rather a place to learn, teach, help, exercise, and grow. The SPH is both an institution, and a community.”
