GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
FROM THE CHAIR This is not the year we expected. With the sudden chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the halt on international travel from the Iowa Board of Regents, none of our student scholars were able to travel internationally this year and many continue to have concerns about the safety of their family and friends.
This once-in-a-lifetime event has illustrated more than ever that global health IS public health and training public health professionals with a multicultural mindset is necessary for a complete public health education. Every country and culture is intertwined with others and epidemics do not respect borders. We mourn the loss of life and hardship this pandemic has caused and we hope that the College of Public Health, the State of Iowa, and the world are able to create a stronger sense of community and purpose.
Despite this barrier, we continue to see an ever-increasing interest among public health students in global opportunities. The Xicotepec, Mexico service-learning course received over 30 applications for the 10 available spots. Although these students were unable to travel abroad in March, they, under the leadership of instructor Dr. Jeff Dawson, turned their focus to the COVID-19 pandemic and are completing community interviews. The iCREATE injury training course in Romania, led by Dr. Corinne Peek-Asa, was scheduled to take place again in May and saw 4 Iowa students ready to join their peers from Moldova, Georgia, and Armenia abroad. This course has been postponed until May 2021 and these students will be invited to participate again without having to reapply for funding. The public health undergraduate program received a Curriculum Development Award from International Programs and will incorporate 5 new globally-focused case studies, written by doctoral student Jason Semprini, into their capstone course.
During the past year, we also hosted a number of high profile international scholars, including Dr. Iman Nuwayhid from the American University of Beirut, Dr. Nanda Kishore Kannuri from the Indian Institute of Public Health - Hyderabad, and Dr. Anil Kumar Shrestha from Kanti Children's Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. In addition, Dr. Rima Afifi in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health was awarded a Faculty Research Development Travel Grant for her project Extending Research on Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Lebanon.
Finally, Julia Reichart (BA Public Health) became the first undergraduate student in our college to receive a Boren Scholarship and the third public health student in five years to receive this prestigious award. She joins Maya Ramaswamy and Yanni Liang (both PhD Occupational and Environmental Health) as recipients of this grant presented by the U.S. Department of State. Although she is not able to travel this year, she plans to utilize her award to study in Brazil at the earliest available opportunity.
While this pandemic has certainly changed many aspects of the immediate future and we're still unsure when international experiences will be possible, the Global Public Health Initiative will continue to support the needs of faculty and students and provide the necessary resources to ensure a holistic and well-rounded public health education.
DIANE ROHLMAN Chair, Global Public Health Committee Endowed Chair, Rural Safety and Health Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health
Annual Report developed by Sophie Switzer, College of Public Health