IU is coming to Turkey!

Merhaba! Indiana University is coming to Turkey, and we want to see you!

You are cordially invited to join IU President Michael A. McRobbie;
IU First Lady Laurie Burns McRobbie; Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret;
and a delegation of IU leaders, alumni, and friends as you reconnect with IU and your fellow alumni. This will be an opportunity to hear about Indiana University’s bold strategic
vision, recent successes, and new initiatives.

We're making 2 stops!

Ankara
Thursday, Sept. 25
Alumni Reception
JW Marriott, Prusa room, 6–8 p.m.
Presidential remarks at 7 p.m.
JW Marriott Ankara Hotel
Kızılırmak Mah. Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu Cad. No: 1
Söğütözü 06520, Ankara

Istanbul
Saturday, Sept. 27
Alumni Reception
SALT, 4th floor, 6–8 p.m.
Presidential remarks at 7 p.m.
Bankalar Caddesi 11
Karaköy 34420, Istanbul

Event is complimentary. Dress is business casual.
Please RSVP by Sept. 19 to Jacquelyn Beane at jibeane@iu.edu

Visiting Faculty Profile: Meral Kucuk Yetgin

Meral Kucuk Yetgin

Meet Meral

With 15 years of experience in both nursing and physical education, Meral Kucuk Yetgin chose to continue her education earning both her Masters and PhD in Sports and Health through the Institute of Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sports, at Marmara University in Turkey in 2010. Bringing new and past experiences together, she began to focus on obesity and physical education, and began the development of a thesis entitled “Effects of resistance training on the basal metabolism rate and serum leptin levels in overweight and obese adolescents” to reflect this focus.  Currently, she is working as a faculty member at Marmara University’s School of Physical Education and Sports in Turkey where she has been since 2006.

With the sponsorship of TÜBİTAK  (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey), Meral opted to continue her research career and became a visiting scholar in the Department of Applied Health Science in the School of Public Health-Bloomington in December of 2013.

“My colleagues, who also worked as visiting scholars in past years, specifically recommended the Indiana University School of Public Health. Their positive experiences here were really appealing and they encouraged me to come,” she said.

Research Interests

Meral’s research interests specifically involve examining obesity and physical activity habits. She if focused on exploring the “…effects of obesity, obesity related diseases like diabetes and physical activity on public health, and exercising habits.”

Research at the School of Public Health-Bloomington
Meral’s research in the US is specifically focused on the effects of cross-cultural differences between the two countries (the US and Turkey) on obesity growth rates. She is currently participating in three projects, the first of which is entitled “Comparison of the Physical Activity Habits between American and Turkish College Students”, and is conducted under the advisement of Dr. Shahla Ray from the Department of Applied Health Science and Dr. Georgia Frey from the Department of Kinesiology.  Her second project, working in conjunction with Dr. Shahla Ray and Dr. David Lohrmann of the Department of Applied Health Science, focuses on the cross-cultural analysis of physical activity and nutritional habits of children from the US and Turkey through a collaboration with a local student health and wellness project called “Energize”. Her final project, working in conjunction with Dr. Shahla Ray and Dr. David Koceja of the Department of Kinesiology, is named “ Effects of Rapid Body Weight Loss and Balance in Obese Individuals Before and After Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding Operation”.

Moving to Bloomington

Meral has enjoyed living in Bloomington with her family, where she feels the university has successfully united with the city.  She appreciates the welcoming, friendly nature of those she’s met and all of the great cultural, artistic, recreational, educational, and fun experiences the city has to offer families with children. In addition to her research, Meral enjoys the opportunity to develop her English langauge skills and to make friends from different cultures through classes and conversation clubs common in the city. “Bloomington not only offers academic opportunities, but also helps you develop your social network to become a more global person. I consider myself really lucky to have this opportunity”.

SPH faculty attends Groundbreaking Fenway Institute Meeting on Bisexual Health Research

Brian Dodge

During a meeting hosted on June 26th by the Fenway Institute, leading bisexual health researchers and community activists from across the country agreed to form the Bisexual Research Collaborative on Health (BiRCH). BiRCH will not only provide opportunities for high-level discussions of bisexual health research, but will also look for ways to raise public awareness of bisexual health issues. 25 individuals including local, national and international researchers, as well as representatives from prominent organizations, including the School of Public Health-Bloomington, were in attendance.

 “For all of the remarkable progress that has been made in the field of LGBT health, we still simply do not know enough about the full range of health needs and health concerns facing bisexual people. Today’s meeting was an important step toward addressing this significant gap,” said Judith Bradford, PhD, Co-Chair of The Fenway Institute.

Attendees discussed area in need of further research, as well as how bisexuality was defined in their own individual pursuits. Topics it was agreed required more inquiry included the unique risk factors and stressors that influence bisexual health, the general health of bisexual men, how geographic and cultural contexts affect bisexual identities, and the pressing need for evidence-based interventions to address health inequities among bisexual groups.

“I really feel this day was a watershed moment in the history of bisexual health research,” reflected Brian Dodge, associate professor and associate director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. “I am so excited to move forward with this initiative and so grateful to have the opportunity to be involved.”

Recent IU graduate “hit the ground running”

Donisha Reed, recent IU MPH graduate, continues to receive positive publicity for her newly launched diabetes program at the YMCA of Wichita Falls, Texas. The program, designed and implemented by Donisha in her position as Health and Wellness Director, is an innovative lifestyle modification program that helps adults at high-risk of developing type 2 diabetes reduce their risk and take control of their health. 

The new program, scheduled to begin in September, focuses on preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes by educating participants on nutrition, physical activity, managing stress and creating a support system to sustain healthy lifestyle changes.

See Donisha’s recent appearance on her local news network to find out more about how she has “hit the ground running” in her local community.

Klaunig named “Highly Cited Researcher” in 2014

In an effort to spotlight standout researchers of the last decade, Thomson Reuters has launched Highly Cited Researchers, a list which represents some of the world’s leading scientific minds. These individuals have earned the distinction by writing the greatest number of reports officially designated by Essential Science Indicators℠ as Highly Cited Papers-- ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication.  Thus, those listed include authors whose published work in their areas of expertise has consistently been judged by peers to be of particular significance and utility.

Three investigators from Indiana University recently received this distinction including James E Klaunig, Professor from the Department of Environmental Health for his outstanding contributions to the field. Dr. Klaunig's research interests are dedicated to understanding the mechanisms of chemically induced toxicology and carcinogenesis with emphasis on human health and genetic and environmental factors affection human risk. His research has been supported by the NIH, USEPA, DOD, ACS, and non-federal sources.

IPRC Relationships Committee helps students understand Indiana Lifeline Law

As the fall semester approaches members of the Indiana Prevention Resource Center are helping to educate students and ensure their safety, and the safety of others, during their transition into college life.  One topic of focus this upcoming semester will be the recently modified Indiana Lifeline Law, designed to protect both students in need of medical assistance and those seeking the assistance on their behalf in an emergency. 

Understanding the Modifications
On July 1st, modifications to the Indiana Lifeline Law broadened the original law’s intent to increase the effectiveness of the policy and those it’s designed to assist in an emergency.  The Lifeline Law, which first took effect in 2012, provided protection from arrest for some alcohol related offenses (intoxication, minor possession, minor consumption, and minor transportation of alcohol) for those under 21 who sought emergency assistance for someone with them who had been drinking and required medical attention. While the original law’s parameters only granted immunity for the individual requesting assistance when assisting “an individual who reasonably appeared to be in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption” the new law extended protection to other health related emergencies including falls, concussions, and sexual assault.  In order to receive immunity when reporting an emergency the individual must demonstrate they are acting in good faith by providing their full name and any other relevant information to law enforcement officers, remain on the scene until emergency medical assistance arrives, and cooperate with authorities on the scene.

About the IRPC
The Indiana Prevention Resource Center (IPRC) was established in 1987 to assist Indiana based alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) prevention practitioners to improve the quality of their services. In recent years our purview has expanded to include problem gambling prevention and ATOD treatment. The IPRC, located in Bloomington, is part of the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University. Our primary target audience is the community of prevention professionals and volunteers, and government officials who are providing or monitoring delivery of ATOD and problem gambling prevention and treatment services to Indiana residents. We enable prevention and treatment professionals to deliver evidence based programs, policies and practices to the general public.

Bradford Woods Adds Fully Accessible Zip Line

On Monday, June 23, 2014 representatives from the Finish Line Youth Foundation and CHAMP Camp participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling a new, fully accessible zip line at Bradford Woods in Martinsville, Indiana.  The 370-foot zip line, funded by a grant from the Finish Line Youth Foundation, was designed to allow campers of all ability levels participating in the therapeutic summer camps at Bradford Woods to enjoy the unique experience. CHAMP Camp, which provides an overnight week-long summer camp experience for kids who have tracheostomies and those who require respiratory assistance, including the use of ventilators, was excited to unveil the new amenity which will serve an estimated 800 campers throughout the summer.


"At CHAMP Camp we are a can-do camp, and we listen to our kids throughout the years, and hear what they want to be able to do. And you know, this is just something that five to ten years ago we never thought we'd be able to do, either. But we just listen to the kids, hearing their desires and their heart in terms of what they want to be able to experience what other people are able to experience as well. We said, you know what this is something we can do. And we put our brains together and figured out a way to get this done for them," said Jennifer Kobylarz, executive director, CHAMP Camp.


See the new zip line in action >>