Student Spotlight: Paige Boyer

During high school Paige Boyer knew she wanted to pursue a career in a health related field, but wasn’t quite sure what options beyond medicine or physical therapy were available to her. With a desire to explore her options further she enrolled at IU because it “…offered lots of different health-related programs from which I could choose, plus the option to design my own major if I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for,” she said.

“When I discovered the community health program, I was immediately attracted to the wide variety of subjects I would be able to study, including chemistry, biology, psychology, epidemiology, statistics, and more. Even better, the list of careers I could pursue after graduation seemed almost endless. It was then that I really committed to a degree from the School of Public Health,” she noted.

Now a senior majoring in community health, with minors in mathematics, psychology, and nutrition, Paige also serves as medical brigade trip leader on the executive board of IU Timmy Global Health, as a student ambassador for the School of Public Health, and as a freshman mentor through the Hutton Honors College. Her future goals include employing her skills as a Health Communications Specialist, using various forms of media to educate and motive the general public about health and wellness.

“I love the school’s  holistic approach to understanding and addressing health challenges. All of my classes have emphasized that health status is the result of a complex interaction among biological, social, cultural, and environmental influences, and effective solutions take all of these factors into account,” she said.

Check out the New School of Public Health-Bloomington Video

 

The School of Public Health-Bloomington is excited to announce the recent release of a new video highlighting all the school has to offer. See what our alumni, students, faculty and staff have to say about the School of Public Health-Bloomington and the difference it makes in people's lives.

Click Here to learn more.

Support the IU School of Public Health

The School of Public Health depends on the generosity of alumni and friends to help us fully realize our mission of preventing disease, promoting wellness, and improving quality of life. Often, recipients of School of Public Health degrees reach back to us with gifts of their own. Those gifts help us to maintain our world-class reputation, ensuring that our programs stay as impressive as it was when you graduated.

There are many ways to give to the School of Public Health. Gifts can be made online to our Annual Fund to support critical needs for scholarships, modern technology and equipment, and research opportunities for students and faculty.

Endowed gifts are an investment in our future. These gifts, whether through cash, securities, life insurance, or charitable annuities and trusts, provide support in perpetuity. Professorships, a lecture series, undergraduate scholarships, and graduate fellowships are all made possible through gifts endowed by alumni and friends.

Naming the School of Public Health in a charitable bequest or will provision reduces estate taxes for your heirs and brings you the satisfaction of knowing your legacy to Indiana University will benefit future generations. You can choose how and where your gift will be used.

For more information about any of our giving options, including Charitable Remainder Unitrusts and Charitable Gift Annuities, contact the Office of Development and Communications for more information.

National Center on Accessibility Study: Correct installation, maintenance of playground surfaces key to accessibility

Results from a five-year Indiana University study of accessible play surfaces reveal the importance of proper installation and regular maintenance. Erring in either can create barriers to play, learning and development for a child with disabilities and can limit the assistance and involvement of parents with mobility impairments.

The National Center on Accessibility, part of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, evaluated the accessibility of various playground surfaces including poured-in-place rubber, engineered wood fiber, rubber tiles and hybrid surface systems. The U.S. Access Board, which is the federal designated agency that writes accessibility guidelines under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act, awarded the National Center on Accessibility $60,000 to complete the study to provide better guidance to public playground owners such as municipal parks departments and schools.

"The findings from this project, one of the most comprehensive studies of playground surfacing to date, clearly demonstrate that proper installation and maintenance are critical for accessibility," said Jennifer Skulski, principal investigator for the study. "Park and recreation agencies have long struggled with selection of surfacing that meets performance criteria for falls and is also accessible to children with disabilities. We are thrilled to be able to provide public playground owners with much more objective information on the different surface options. This will enable them to make purchasing and long-term maintenance decisions appropriate to their facilities, budgets, personnel resources and the expectations of their citizens."

Skulski said many of the findings were to be expected, especially the most notable, that even within 12 months of installation, each type of surface was found to have accessibility, safety or maintenance issues.

"Unfortunately, there is no perfect playground surface. They all have issues that the playground owner should be aware of in the selection process," she said.

For example, poured-in-place rubber installed at one site was not resilient enough to meet safety standards for impact attenuation. Surface tiles installed at another site had puncture holes, buckling and separating seams that created openings and changes in level on accessible routes.

"The important takeaway here is for public playground owners to understand what issues can exist between the different types of surfaces, from the point of design and installation all the way through to seasonal and weekly maintenance," Skulski said. "If the playground owner can better understand in advance what types of issues might come up, they can be better prepared during the installation process and for maintenance throughout the lifecycle of the playground."

The full report is available on the center's website.

Alumni @ Work: Barnett S. Frank MA, ATC

Barnett Frank is an educator, researcher, and clinician who’s career has been driven by an interest in athletics, medicine, and the opportunity to help others. In his pursuit of prioritizing evidenced-based healthcare he came to realize the need for not only quality educators, but also researchers and clinicians to ensure the best possible care.

“I find reciprocity in my responsibilities as a clinical sports medicine professional that provides healthcare to athletes and as a researcher and educator who strives to provide clinicians with the best possible evidence-based practice founded on rigorous research. Through my research role as an educator I aim to provide sports medicine professionals with an arsenal of clinical practices that will ensure the highest level of care for their athletes and patients,” he notes.

 

As an IU student in the School of Public Health, Frank considered his mentors and the faculty to be important components to his overall success. He noted that, “Ultimately, the mentors I had as I was an undergraduate student at IU have become my lifelong mentors and some have become my best friends. The tenure tract and clinical faculty, as well as clinical staff in sports medicine served as my role models, and as I progressed in my career, true friends. Till this day I still rely on many of them for advice and guidance.”
 

Since his days at IU, Frank has become an esteemed member of the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He enjoys his responsibilities as an educator teaching undergraduate exercise science students the basic principles of athletic injury management, as a researcher for laboratory and field data collection, data management, and data analysis, and as a clinician working with athletes with significant knee injuries.

 

IU SPH Faculty Member Receives 2013 Association for Experiential Education Distinguished Researcher Award

 Alan Ewert, Interim Department Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at the IU School of Public Health Bloomington and President of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, has received the 2013 Association for Experiential Education Distinguished Researcher Award.

 

The work of experiential educators is unique, inspiring and meaningful, and contributes greatly to the well-being and education of individuals, communities and work environments. There are many outstanding, often unsung, experiential practitioners whose high standards, commitment and contributions have inspired others to dream and to act. AEE Awards recognize individuals and organizations for their contributions to the theory of experiential education and their service to AEE. 

 

The mission of the Association for Experiential Education is to develop and promote experiential education. 

Indiana University recognizes outstanding alumnus and former U.S. Secretary of Education with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award

Each year Indiana University recognizes outstanding alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award (DASA), the highest accolade reserved solely for alumni. The awardees are leaders in their chosen fields. They also make significant contributions benefiting their community, state, nation, or university.

This year, yet another IU School of Public Health-Bloomington alumnus has been selected by Indiana University to receive the prestigious award.

On November 15, 2013, IU President Michael A. McRobbie presented the award to Roderick R. Paige (MS’62, physical education; PED.’70, physical education) in a ceremony in Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union.

The son of educators, Roderick R. Paige’s career was grounded on a belief that education equalizes opportunity. Starting as a classroom teacher, he ascended to a college dean and school superintendent to become the seventh U.S. secretary of education, serving from 2001 to 2005.

As a trustee and officer of the Houston Independent School District’s board of education, Paige co-authored a statement of purpose and goals for the troubled district that called for fundamental reform. The result was described as the “Houston Miracle.” He strengthened the school system both organizationally and academically by addressing school overcrowding, staffing, pay, performance-based instruction, and support services and programs.
In 1994, he became superintendent of the Houston schools, and his reforms laid the groundwork for his appointment by President George W. Bush as U.S. secretary of education. He was the first African American to serve in that position.

During his career, Paige also wasan instructor at Texas Southern University, served as dean of its College of Education, and established the Texas Southern University Center for Excellence in Urban Education. He has been touted as a tireless worker for underprivileged segments of our society.

For his decorated career as an educator and for his public service to the nation, Indiana University and the IU School of Public-Health-Bloomington proudly celebrate the life and work of Dr. Roderick R. Paige as a Distinguished Alumnus.

Sport and food connection too strong -- and obvious -- to ignore

Spectator sports and food -- often high-calorie or low-nutrition -- have long gone hand-in-hand, yet FDA regulations geared toward calorie transparency at restaurant chains ignore this relationship. Popular fast-food restaurants soon will be required to post calorie counts, but concession stands at major sports facilities and many sports bars will not.

"The proposed menu labeling regulations, as part of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, overlook sport and sport spectatorship. Stadiums and arenas aren't included," said Antonio Williams, sport and fitness marketing expert at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. "Neither are sports bars or restaurants that are not part of a chain. It's a big mistake. It's no secret that a tremendous amount of food is consumed during sporting events and that fans often are exposed to numerous food-related ads and sponsorship. It's a symbiotic relationship."

During the Super Bowl, for example, typically one third of advertisements involve food. Williams said game day also represents the second heaviest day of the year for food consumption, according to the USDA.

The regulations may overlook the relationship between food and sport, but corporate America hasn't, Williams said, pointing to major sports venues and football bowl games named for food-related corporations.

"Some research shows that companies who sell unhealthy products have marketed them effectively by tying them to images or activities that are widely viewed as pure or healthy, like sport," he said.

Williams and co-author Crystal Williams note in a recent article in the Loyola Consumer Law Review that the National Restaurant Association has submitted letters to the FDA arguing that applying the new regulation to concession stands in sports arenas and stadiums would fall within the intent of Congress when it adopted the Affordable Care Act.

Their article, "Hitting calories out of the ballpark: An examination of the FDA's new menu labeling laws and their impact on sport spectatorship," appeared in the March, 2013, issue of the journal.

Shopping for an IU Alum this holiday season? Consider an IUAA Membership!

The only requirement for membership is loving IU.

Our alumni represent the best of the best. Thanks to them, our school has earned an enviable reputation for excellence both at home and abroad. As the school and its programs have grown to encompass a broad spectrum of academic interests and professional fields, so too, has the base of alumni and friends. Our school is known for one of the most active and influential alumni groups in the United States. The school's graduates continue to provide a loyal support network for current programs and students.

Become a member and get connected to a global network of IU alums. As an IUAA member, you’ll have unlimited access to IU’s Alumni Directory. Network with people in your industry. Meet new people in your community. Or simply check out where your classmates are working now.

A portion of the dues that you pay to join IUAA is used to fund the School of Public Health Alumni Association Board. The board uses these funds to organize special events, provide alumni activities, and promote the school.

Benefits to IUAA Membership

Get better seats for Hoosier basketball and football games with priority points. Annual IUAA members earn five points per year; life members get ten. Members also get discounts on tournament travel packages and pregame parties.

Get access to job opportunities, résumé and interview preparation, and mentoring. Advance your career as an IUAA member. We offer one-on-one career counseling through our alumni office.

Support IU and the next generation of IU students. The membership fee you pay to become a member makes it possible for IUAA to offer enrichment programs like Winter College. Your support also provides promising students with an IU education through alumni-funded scholarships.

Check out IUAA online today!

IU Alumnus Jesse Menachem Becomes the 7th Executive Director in the Massachusetts Golf Association's 110-Year History

Following a two-month search, the MGA has named Jesse Menachem as its new executive director.
Menachem, who previously served as the association's director of rules & competitions, becomes just the seventh executive director to hold that post in the MGA's 110-year history.

"There is no question that Jesse possesses the skills and passion to continue on what has been a history of strong leadership at the MGA," said Clarence Bennett, the MGA's president who served on the search committee. "We reviewed many applications, but we are confident that we found the best and right fit for this organization."

Menachem takes over for Joe Sprague, who stepped down earlier this summer in order to join the USGA's Regional Affairs Department. In addition to Sprague – who held that post for nearly six years – Menachem joins an impressive list of former MGA executive directors in Fred Corcoran (1927-36), John Corcoran (1937-45), Bill Corcoran (1946-69), Dick Haskell (1969-1998) and Tom Landry (1998-2007).

"I am honored and humbled by the opportunity," said Menachem. "I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead, but the MGA is fortunate to have the best staff and board leadership of any other state and regional golf association."

Menachem's journey to the executive director office is a true golf success story.

Originally from Framingham, he was a Francis Ouimet Scholar who was accepted to Indiana University. He received that distinguished honor – named after the renowned 1913 U.S. Open Champion – due to his exceptional service to golf, academic excellence, school, community, activities and character.

During the summers of 2005, 2006 and 2007, Menachem was hired as the MGA's USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern. His unique talent was immediately realized by the MGA staff as Menachem became the first intern to be hired for consecutive summer terms.

Upon his graduation from Indiana University, Menachem became a member of the full-time MGA staff where he has grown through the MGA ranks. He has an advanced knowledge of the Rules of Golf and this past season was head of a department that secured, organized and oversaw the operations for 10 Championships, 40+ qualifying events, 16 Men's and Women's USGA Local/Sectional Qualifying events and three New England Golf Association Championships. He was also responsible for managing a corps of more than 100 volunteers from across the state.

"We have seen Jesse conduct himself in the utmost professional manner on the course, in the office and in the boardroom," said Bennett, who began his two-year service as MGA president earlier this month. "He will ensure the growth and prosperity of the MGA for years to come."

From Ouimet Scholar, to PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern and now to MGA executive director… Menachem has indeed followed in the footsteps of the game's greatest and most respected figures.

"I am eternally indebted to the game for what it has given to me," said Menachem. "My goal as executive director is to continue the great traditions of the MGA and expand its reach through our many services including handicapping, course rating, championships, Member Days and The First Tee of Massachusetts."

IU Bloomington public health researchers combining sport and health messages to help youth in Ghana

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington plan to use recreational sports, in the form of basketball, soccer and volleyball after-school programs, to help boys and girls in Ghana avoid problems associated with substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.

 

Funded with a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of State-Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the IU team will work with partners at the University of Cape Coast and local government officials in Apewosika Township, a rural area along the Gulf of Guinea, to train the coaches and sport personnel needed to conduct the after-school programs.

"Sports is the tool to reach youth and help them enjoy healthier lives," said Sarah Young, associate professor in the School of Public Health's Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies. "These are youth with average or below average sports skills. They are not elite athletes, but they just want to play sports and have fun."

'Time Out for Healthy Living'

Much will be expected from the youth sport coaches and staff, who like their American counterparts often are volunteers. Coaches will teach the youth, ages 10 to 16, skills for their sport, rules and leadership elements that so often come with youth sports. They also will convey health messages in brief, informal "Time Out for Healthy Living" sessions, a key component of Young's Youth Enrichment through Sports-Ghana initiative.

Young is teaming up with her colleague Craig Ross, professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies, as well as with Cecilia Obeng, associate professor in the Department of Applied Health Science, and Debby Herbenick, co-director of the school's Center for Sexual Health Promotion, for the health and wellness component of YES-Ghana. Samuel Obeng, director of the African Studies Program at IU Bloomington, also is a key part of the IU team.

When the 16 coaches and staff selected for the program visit Bloomington next summer, they will attend a two-week workshop on a range of topics, including sports program delivery, rules and strategies, sports officiating, injury prevention, and planning. The health education sessions will focus on substance abuse, reduction of HIV-related stigma, and prevention and management of sexually transmissible infections, such as HIV. In Ghana, as in many African countries, alcohol is easily accessible to youth, with many varieties of cheap and potent beverages. Concerning HIV and AIDS, safe sex behaviors have been slow to catch on despite the growing awareness of the disease.