News & upcoming events

Grace Babb, Edith Ben-Eboh, Isabella Burr, Mitch Drost, Delanie Johnson, Lila Tully and Katie Wagoner, all Public Health and Community Health Education students, presented "Case Study Presentation" at National Case Study Competition in Health Education on March 1 online. Two UWL teams participated in the National Case Study Competition in Health Education. One team was Grace Babb, Isabella Burr and Lila Tully (who took 1st place) and the other team was Edith Ben-Eboh, Mitchell Drost and Delanie Johnson (who took 3rd place)! Katie Wagoner served as the faculty advisor for both teams. This national competition gives undergraduate (and graduate) students of health education the opportunity to display their developing expertise. Teams of students are challenged to solve a real-world health issue using the competencies required for a health education specialist. Case scenarios were provided three weeks before the competition. Students prepared a response to their assigned case scenario, and then presented their response to judges in a 25-minute closed forum. This year, teams were tasked with developing an evidence-based, culturally relevant approach to prevent a new hepatitis A outbreak in Wayne County, Indiana.

Submitted on: Mar. 3

Kathy A. DeBarr Ph. D., Department of Public Health, University of Illinois at Springfield and Michele Pettit, Public Health and Community Health Education, co-authored the article "SROs and School Violence: A Perspective on Roles and Training Needs" in Journal of School Health published on Nov. 14 by American School Health Association.

Submitted on: Nov. 30, 2022

Gary Gilmore, Public Health and Community Health Education, was reappointed as a member of the Public Health Council by Governor Tony Evers for the State of Wisconsin on Nov. 11. Dr. Gilmore has served as a continuing member of the council since its inception in 2006 with appointments by Governors Jim Doyle, Scott Walker, and Tony Evers. He also has served as the chairperson of the Council. The Council is charged to advise the Department of Health Services (DHS), the governor, the legislature and the public on the progress in implementing the DHS Public Health Plan and coordination of responses to public health emergencies. The vision of the Council is that Wisconsin will become the healthiest state, and its mission is to assure safe and healthy people through evidence-based and cost-effective practice and policy recommendations.

Submitted on: Nov. 15, 2022

KJ Newkirk, Mikka Nyarko, Anders Cedergren, Keely Rees and Emily Whitney, all Public Health and Community Health Education; Willem Vanroosenbeek, Pride Center; and Casey Tobin, Psychology; co-authored the book "Be the Change: Putting Health Advocacy, Policy, and Community Organization into Practice in Public Health Education" published on Oct. 14 by Oxford University Press . Advocacy has become a key part of public health degree programs across the country. Many programs have added policy and advocacy courses into curricula in response to new emphases in accreditation requirements, yet few public health textbooks comprehensively cover the advocacy skills that health professionals need to effect change. Be the Change is an affordable introductory resource on public health advocacy, policy, and community organizing for both undergraduate and graduate students within the health and social sciences. Using a conversational and reader-friendly style, the authors draw on their experience as diverse advocates and practitioners in the field to synthesize the purpose, strategies, and tactics used in successful advocacy campaigns in public health. In each chapter, they highlight case studies of actual advocacy campaigns alongside concrete strategic recommendations for implementing change at the local, state, and federal levels. Full of useful stories and advice, Be the Change amplifies the important advocacy work happening around the United States, from traditional health organizations to grassroots community activists, and provides readers with the tools and inspiration to put advocacy into practice every day. REVIEWS: "Few people truly understand how policy shapes our health. In simple language, Be The Change helps practitioners understand this critical connection and provides them with strategies from real world success stories to determine where they can act most effectively." -- Larry Cohen, Founder, Prevention Institute and author, Prevention Diaries "A timely and practical playbook, Be the Change offers students the how-to skills for change-making. An essential read for all students who want to make the world a better place." -- Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, Flint pediatrician and author of What the Eyes Don't See "As a public health researcher, I know that racism, not race, is a fundamental cause of racial health inequities. Structural racism is a fixable problem, and policy makers have the power to enact solutions. This book is a tool to educate and empower public health changemakers, providing them with context, wisdom, and inspiration to build our shared vision of an antiracist future." -- Rachel Hardeman, PhD, MPH, Founding Director, Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity, University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Submitted on: Nov. 11, 2022

Lauren Witt and Anders Cedergren, both Public Health and Community Health Education, presented "UWL MASKUP!: An academic and practice partnership to observe and report mask adherence on a college campus" at American Public Health Association 2022 Annual Meeting & Expo: on Nov. 8 in Boston, MA. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) collaborated with the La Crosse County Health Department and the CDC on a study to observe mask use on and around campus in the spring of 2021. Data were collected for 12 weeks for 3745 observations. Twelve on-campus locations were used by 17 student observers who loaded data into a CDC survey tool. UWL had about a 5% higher observed mask use rate (98%) as well as rate of correct mask use (96%) compared to overall finings among the 54 participating colleges/universities. There was a lower rate of mask wearing as well as correct mask usage outdoors than indoors. There were also some differences in rates of mask wearing and correct usage based on the observation site, time of day, and mask type. However, further inspection of descriptive data did not reveal proportional differences that were large enough to warrant recommendations for modified or more targeted disease mitigation. The most common reason reported by observers for how masks were not worn correctly was “nose out. The most common specific reason observed was “eating/drinking." However, though these data were collected, the online form that student observers used populated all observations with how masks were worn incorrectly and possible reasons, not just the subject or subjects specifically observed. One way to make these data more specific would be to explore notes entered by students relating to observations without masks or incorrect mask wearing. Student observers felt results may be different if there was more of an opportunity to collect data outdoors and in a community setting. There was also a sense that the online academic environment during spring 2021 hampered data collection and extent of collaboration. Going forward, the local Eta Sigma Gamma chapter is interested in exploring research that attempts to answer questions around students’ opinions on mask wearing and other mitigation mandates.

Submitted on: Nov. 11, 2022