Kellogg Community of Scholars E-Newsletter

October 2008, Vol. 6, No. 10
 
CONTENTS
Scholar/Fellow Sounding Board
Announcements/Program Updates
Spotlight on Kellogg Scholars Network
Archived KHSP E-Workshops 
Funding
Call for Submissions
Career Development
Conferences/Events
Resources

Send your ideas and comments to scholars@cfah.org.
To contribute information, resources or announcements to Kellogg Connection, e-mail kconnection@cfah.org.
 
SCHOLAR/FELLOW SOUNDING BOARD
Have you moved?
Have you found a new job?
Is there a research question you would like feedback on?
Any recent publications?
Do you have any experiences or advice to share?
Let us know! Email: scholars@cfah.org

Congratulations to Kellogg Scholars and Fellows

Dr. Ilana Mittman, Kellogg Fellows in Health Policy Research Program alumna, has recently accepted the position of Scientist Consultant for the Sullivan Alliance to Transform America’s Health Professions at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.  The Alliance, co-chaired by Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Lonnie R. Bristow, former president of the American Medical Association, aims to increase diversity in the health professions in order to help reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.  Dr. Mittman starts her new position on November 3, 2008.

Dr. Kevin Robinson, Community Health Scholars Program alumnus, is the Co-PI of Evaluation of Connections:  A New HIV Prevention Intervention for Black MSMW, a theory-based 6-session individual-level intervention to assist Black MSM/W to reduce their risk for acquiring and transmitting HIV infection.  The project was funded by CDC and his team was awarded approximately $1 million dollars over 4 years to conduct this research.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Kellogg Health Scholars Program 2009-2011 Call for Applications has been issued.  The deadline for submitting an application is Wednesday, December 3, 2008 (11:59 p.m. Eastern).  For more information on the program and how to apply, visit www.kellogghealthscholars.org.  Please share this information to qualified and interested individuals!

SAVE THE DATE!  Kellogg Health Scholars Program 2009 Networking Meetingwill be held onJune 3-5, 2009in Washington, DC.  Meeting details will be sent as soon as it is available.

As part of the 2008 APHA Annual Meeting, Kellogg Health Scholars and alums will be presenting on Tuesday, October 28th, at 4:30 p.m. (4342.0 Kellogg Health Scholars Program http://apha.confex.com/apha/136am/webprogram/Session23635.html)  sponsored by the Community-Based Public Health (CBPH) Caucus.  The 2008 Session Planners for the CBPH Caucus were Kellogg scholar-alums Drs. Cheryl Brewster and Shevon Harvey. For more information about the Caucus, see the Spring 2008 Newsletter  at http://www.cbphcaucus.org.

 

Do We Have Your Most Updated Contact Information?
Please update our files if your email or mailing address has changed or will change. We want to keep our Scholars network as up-to-date and well-connected as possible! Please send any changes to dtorresen@cfah.org or mbjones@cfah.org.

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SPOTLIGHT ON KELLOGG SCHOLARS NETWORK
Meet Community Health Scholars Program alumna, Simona C. Kwon, DrPH, MPH…

Dr. Simona Kwon is a Research Scientist at the New York University School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Asian American Health. As the Program Manager for the CDC-funded B Free National Center for Excellence in the Elimination of Health Disparities (B Free CEED), Dr. Kwon directs the development of this national resource and expert center on hepatitis B to provide for the evaluation and dissemination of multi-level, evidence-based best practices and activities to promote the elimination of hepatitis B-related disparities affecting Asian Pacific Islanders. Prior to her move back to New York City, Dr. Kwon completed the 2-year W.K. Kellogg Community Scholars Post-doctoral Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Health Behavior & Society. During her post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Kwon was engaged in several community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects with ethnic minority populations in Baltimore, MD. These projects included working collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to develop intervention strategies to address the underserved health needs of the Korean immigrant population in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. metropolitan area, and assessing the environmental as well as the socio-cultural factors influencing tobacco use among non-college attending, urban African American young adults living in Baltimore. She earned her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at Yale University and her doctorate in the Division of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. While at the Mailman School of Public Health, Dr. Kwon oversaw the creation of a collaborative network with local community leaders and community-based organizations to design outreach, interventions and research projects to address the cancer health needs of the Korean and South Asian immigrant populations in New York City. 

When asked what contribution has Dr. Kwon’s KHSP experience made to her academic career, she responded: “The CHSP fellowship allowed me to fully explore CBPR from a methodological and academic viewpoint. Moreover, it afforded me the opportunity to experience first-hand how CBPR research and researchers can co-exist and thrive in an academic environment. I credit the requirement of having an academic and a community mentor with helping me become a more knowledgeable and well-rounded researcher. I gained invaluable insight into the community perspective on research as well as how to negotiate and balance the time commitment necessary to doing CBPR and the need to produce timely academia-approved outcomes.”
        
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ARCHIVED KHSP E-WORKSHOPS

The archived KHSP e-workshops are taped from the live e-workshops of the Kellogg Health Scholars.  These live electronic workshops are intended to bring Kellogg Health Scholars together between face-to-face networking meetings to explore topics of mutual interest.  Its purpose is to form closer networks between the Kellogg Health Scholars and to provide to them and the Kellogg Community of Scholars support and resources for career development.

Access to archived e-workshops is STRICTLY LIMITED to Kellogg Health Scholars, Kellogg Fellows in Health Policy Research (current and alumni), Scholars in Health Disparities and Community Health Scholars program alumni and H. Jack Geiger Congressional Health Policy Fellows program alumni.  The contents of these e-workshops are confidential.  These archived presentations should not be accessed, copied or forwarded by/to any individuals other than group of scholars, fellows and scholar/fellow alumni that have been identified. 

An e-workshop on Navigating the Promotion and Tenure Track was held on Tuesday, September 23, 2008.  Dr. Stephen Thomas, Philip Hallen Professor of Community Health and Social Justice and Director Center for Minority Health Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh KHSP-Multidisciplinary Track Training Site Director, served as the session moderator and presenter.  Dr. Cathy Jordan, Director, Children, Family and Youth Consortium and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University Minnesota was also a presenter.  Dr. Lisa Benz Scott, Alum, Community Health Scholars Program alumna and Associate Professor Associate Dean for Research Department of Health Care Policy and Management at Stony Brook University and Dr. Dean Robinson. Scholars in Health Disparities Program alumnus and Associate Professor Department of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts served as discussants.

To listen to the archived presentations and download materials, click http://www.cfah.org/workshops/login.asp.  Please use the same login and passcode information provided under a separate email in April 2008 or contact Brandon Moore at bmoore@cfah.org for these information.
                                                                                         
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FUNDING
National Institutes of Health
Loan Repayment Programs (Clinical Research, Pediatric Research, Health Disparities Research, Contraception and Infertility Research and Clinical Requirements)
Deadline: December 1, 2008 (online, 8:00 p.m.)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will repay your outstanding student loans through its extramural Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) if you are or will be conducting nonprofit biomedical or behavioral research and meet eligibility requirements.  The application cycle for the extramural LRPs opened September 1 and includes programs for Clinical Research, Pediatric Research, Health Disparities Research, Contraception and Infertility Research, and Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds.  Applications will be accepted online until 8:00 PM on December 1, 2008 at www.lrp.nih.gov.  BENEFITS: New LRP contracts are awarded for a two-year period and repay up to $35,000 of qualified educational debt annually.  Tax offsets also are provided as an additional benefit.  Participants may apply for competitive renewals which are issued for one or two years. Undergraduate, graduate, medical school, and other health professional school loans qualify for repayment.  An NIH grant or other NIH funding is not required to apply for or participate in the LRPs.  ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must possess a doctoral-level degree (except for the Contraception and Infertility Research LRP); be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; devote 20 hours or more per week to conducting qualified research funded by a university, nonprofit organization, or federal, state, or local government entity; and have qualified educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20 percent of their institutional base salary. AWARDS: Each year, some 1,600 research scientists benefit from the more than $70 million NIH invests in their careers through the extramural LRPs. Twenty-six percent of awards are made to individuals within one to five years after receiving their doctoral degree.  More than 75 percent of awards go to individuals within 10 years after receiving their doctoral degree. Approximately 40 percent of new applications and 70 percent of renewal applications are funded. QUESTIONS? Visit the LRP website at www.lrp.nih.gov for more information and to access the online application.  For additional assistance, call or e-mail the DLR Information Center at (866) 849-4047 or lrp@nih.gov.

National Institutes of Health
Transformative Research Projects Program (T-R01)
(RFA-RM-08-029)
Letters of intent due: December 29, 2008
Applications due: January 29, 2009
At least one of the priority areas for this funding announcement is relevant to community-based participatory approaches to research.  A major goal of the NIH is to foster bold and creative investigator-initiated research. The NIH has created the Transformative Research Projects Program (T-R01) to enhance submission and support of exceptionally innovative, high risk, original and/or unconventional research that has the potential to create new or challenge existing scientific paradigms. The T-R01 program will be piloting novel approaches to peer review and program management to facilitate identification and support of groundbreaking advances, unproven concepts and truly transformative ideas.  The NIH encourages T-R01 applications from scientists representing all disciplines relevant to the NIH mission, including the biological, behavioral, clinical, social, physical, chemical, computational, engineering, and mathematical sciences.  Areas of highlighted need in RFA-RM-08-029 that have been identified through an NIH strategic planning process include: Understanding and facilitating behavior change; Formulation of novel protein capture reagents; Functional variation in mitochondria in disease; Complex 3-Dimensional tissue models; Transitions from acute to chronic pain; Providing an evidence base for pharmacogenomics.  Additional information about the Transformative R01 Program and a link to the current FOA is available at: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/T-R01/.  The NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, launched in 2004, is a series of initiatives designed to address fundamental knowledge gaps, develop transformative tools and technologies, and/or foster innovative approaches to complex problems. Funded through the NIH Common Fund, these programs cut across the missions of individual NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and are intended to accelerate the translation of research to improvements in public health.  OPASI, in collaboration with all NIH ICs, oversees programs funded by the Common Fund. Additional information about the NIH Roadmap and Common Fund can be found at www.nihroadmap.nih.gov.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
New Connections: Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming Junior Investigators Program
Deadline: Nov. 13, 2008
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) New Connections: Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming aims to expand the diversity of perspectives that inform RWJF programming and introduce new researchers and scholars to the Foundation, while simultaneously helping to meet staff needs for data analysis. The program invites Junior Investigators—scholars from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities who have received their doctorate within the last seven years—to address specific questions posed by one of RWJF’s program areas using secondary data analysis. Eligible scholars include individuals from ethnic or racial minorities or low-income communities, first-generation college graduates, or others who historically have been underrepresented in research disciplines that RWJF supports.  In this funding round, RWJF asks applicants to address research questions from six program areas: Childhood Obesity, Coverage, Human Capital, Public Health, Quality/Equality and Vulnerable Populations. The six areas participating in this solicitation have each identified specific research questions they would like addressed in this funding cycle.  * Learn more in the call for proposals:
http://recp.rm02.net/ctt?m=1226614&r=Mjk5Njk5NTM1MgS2&b=0&j=MTMwOTIyOTU5S0&k=Link2&kt=1&kd=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rwjf.org%2Fapplications%2Fsolicited%2Fcfp.jsp%3FID%3D20425.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Call for Proposals – Community-Campus Partnerships for Health’s 11th Conference
Creating the Future We Want to Be: Transformation Through Partnerships
Milwaukee, WI
April 29-May 2, 2009
Deadline: October 10, 2008
The call for proposals for Community-Campus Partnerships for Health's 11th Conference "Creating the Future We Want to Be: Transformation Through Partnerships," April 29-May 2, 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is now available under "coming up" at www.ccph.info. The proposal deadline is October 10, 2008. Be sure to mark your calendars for April 29-May 2, 2009 and plan now to join hundreds of your colleagues for 4 days of skill-building, networking and agenda-setting in CCPH's new home city! Proposals for pre-conference workshops, story sessions, skill-building workshops, film screening and discussion session, and posters are sought that relate to one or more of these sub-themes (see the complete call for proposals for specific examples).
(1) Journeys of Transformation - proposals that demonstrate the transformational power of community-campus partnerships.
(2) Sustaining partnerships and the outcomes they achieve – proposals that demonstrate how partnerships and the outcomes they achieve can be sustained over time.
(3) Building capacity - proposals that demonstrate strategies for building capacity among all partners involved in a partnership.
(4) Community-campus partnerships as a global movement - proposals that demonstrate community-campus partnerships from across the globe. We are especially interested in sessions that are proposed and sponsored by international networks of these partnerships.
(5) Innovative and promising partnership practices - proposals that demonstrate innovative and promising practices in partnerships.
(6) Community-based participatory research as a tool for social justice - proposals that demonstrate community-based participatory research (CBPR) as a tool for social justice.  We welcome proposals that use a different term to describe work that has similar meaning (e.g., action research, empowerment research, community owned and managed research).
(7) Interprofessional, interdisciplinary and/or intersectoral collaborations - proposals that demonstrate these sorts of collaborations.
(8) Youth and student leadership - proposals that demonstrate the leadership roles played by youth and students in community-campus partnerships.

Call for Abstracts – 12th World Congress on Public Health
Making a Difference in Global Public Health: Education, Research, and Practice
Istanbul, Turkey
April 27-May 1, 2009
Deadline: October 17, 2008, Midnight Pacific Time
We live in a world where nations and economies are increasingly interdependent. The world is at a crossroads where discussions about appropriate educational, research and practice infrastructures is key. The 12th Triennial Congress on Public Health will bring together leaders from across the globe to discuss these important issues and to bring together the strengths of developing and developed countries. The strengthening of the capacity of the public health workforce and system in support of the essential public health functions and the Millennium Development Goals have been central to the work of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and its member organizations. While we know public health education, research, & practice must be tied to national health priorities, there is much to learn from all of our global experiences. At the 10th World Congress on Public Health, held in Brighton, England in 2004, there were discussions about the crisis of human resources for health and the implications for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). An outcome of the 10th World Congress was the signing of the Declaration of Joint Work between schools and associations of public health. At the 58th Congress of the Mexican Society of Public Health, later that year, the human resource crisis was again discussed. At the 11th Triennial World Congress, the WFPHA adopted a resolution that noted the adverse impact of globalization upon health conditions. The resolution calls for a new social justice model of development that includes the elimination of all social inequalities in access to health care, stronger inter-sectoral links, and the development and strengthening of the public health workforce. Commenting on the simultaneous reversals of improvement in some health indicators with gains in other indicators, Dr. S. M. Asib Nasim, President, WFPHA, recognized the lack of knowledge, competency, and efficiency in public health to resolve this dilemma. He noted that the lack of preparation of public health workers and the disorganization of the public health workforce must be addressed in order to apply advancements in knowledge to the improvement of population health. The WFPHA President Elect, Paulo Buss, in assuming leadership of the Brazil Commission on Social Determinants, points to the need for public policies that promote health equity, acknowledge health as a public good, includes the participation of all segments of the society, and the need to change real living and working conditions that create opportunities for all. The 12th Triennial Congress will address the enormous challenges and opportunities for public health organizations worldwide to make a difference. The World Federation of Public Health Associations and the Turkish Public Health Association invite local, national and international public health leaders, advocates and students to submit abstracts dealing with the major cross-cutting sub-themes: education, research, and practice. These abstracts should demonstrate the link between public health education, research, and practice and improved health outcomes. The abstracts should also showcase innovations, practices, tools and transferable lessons from across the globe that will help us make a decided difference in global public health. We invite you to submit abstracts in the following general topics:
I. Public Health Education for the 21st Century (6 sub-themes)

• Reforming public health education
• Characteristics of high-performing schools of public health
• The role of continuing education in health care development
• Communication skills and devices in public health training
• Training multidisciplinary health workers
• Core public health competencies

II. Public Health Research & Policy Development (19 sub-themes)

• Human rights, health rights and public health ethics
• Global Governance
• Public Health Diplomacy
• Global Health Alliances for Health Development
• Health & Geopolitics
• The growing importance of public health genetics
• Characteristics of high-performing public health associations
• The impact of changing demography on public health
• Lessons learned from community-based public health research
• Financing Global Public Health
• Strengthening Global Public Health Systems
• Public Health and Research: Evidence Based Policy on Health
• Building capacity for applied research
• Social determinants of health and disease
• Health effects of global environmental changes
• International Health Regulations and Global Cooperation
• Public health impact of armed conflicts and political unrest
• Disaster Preparedness
• Facing the brain drain: Responses for the health worker migration

III. Public Health Practices Around the Globe (21 sub-themes)

• Poverty, Health and Development: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
• Progress on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis
• Innovative approaches on emerging diseases
• Revisiting primary health care in the 21st century
• Successful partnerships between academia and practice
• Improving performance and productivity of the health team
• Building a civil society to support healthy communities
• Environmental and Occupational Health
• Veterinary public health & food safety
• Public health approach to pharmaceuticals and medical supplies
• The role of the private sector: Corporate Social Responsibility
• Tourist’s health & health tourism
• The global threat of chronic diseases
• Community mental health
• Gender discrimination and violence against women
• Health threats of rapid urbanization
• Health problems of migrants, refugees and minorities
• Child labour: Economic and health effects
• Mass media in public health
• Controlling the tobacco epidemic
• Health Promotion as a strategy for intersectoral action

IV. Other
General Submission Guidelines

• Abstracts must contain no more than 300 words. No images, charts, or tables are allowed.
• All submissions must adhere to specified formats described under Abstract Requirements.
• For each presenter, please provide: name, degrees, affiliation, mailing address, email address, phone number, professional experience, and conflict of interest disclosure. These items are not included in the 300 word limit.
• For all other authors you are only required to provide name, affiliation, and email address.
• You are strongly encouraged to compose the abstract text in your own word processor before submitting it online. Be sure to check spelling, word count, and conformance with the guidelines given below.
• The Scientific Committee will provide assistance with developing an abstract upon request.

Abstract Requirements
There are three types of sessions: oral presentations, posters and session abstracts. Abstracts not accepted for oral presentation may be selected for a poster session. The timing of poster sessions will be confirmed when the program is finalized. Authors are required to be available for discussion of their work during the designated poster session. Further instructions for poster presentations will be given on notification of acceptance. A session abstract refers to a proposal submitted by a convener including several presentations with a related scientific theme. Session abstracts are different from abstracts submitted by an individual. They should summarize the session (not more than 600 words) and indicate the names, affiliations and topics of the session organizer and the presenters. If you have a pre-determined group of presenters that wish to present on the same topic, please email: vhulamm@wfpha.org for a special link to submit your information. **If you are submitting an abstract for consideration as an individual, please proceed towards the bottom of the page to submit.
Once you have submitted the title of your presentation, you will automatically receive an email that includes a password-protected hyperlink. If you must interrupt the submission process before finishing it, you can resume at any time by clicking on the hyperlink in that email. For help in submitting an abstract online, e-mail technical support.
Selection Criteria

• Topic
• The topic is consistent with the 2009 Congress theme/subthemes and is compelling.
• The topic has current relevance and presents new information, a new application, or a fresh perspective on existing knowledge.
• Textual Features of the Abstract:
• The abstract is well organized, concise, and clearly written?
• The abstract has clear, worthy and measurable objectives.
• Research Design:
• The abstract illustrates the author's (authors') working knowledge of education, research and/or practice.
• The abstract is well-grounded in science and practice.
• The author provides sufficient information about any supporting data/philosophy/framework.
• Results:
• The abstract provides evidence that the information presented supports and improves the science of public health education, research, and/or practice.
• Impact
• The presentation illustrates the potential to improve knowledge and provides innovative, state-of-the-art, and/or state-of-the-science information.
• The author(s) indicate(s) the potential value/contributions of the presentation to science/society

Abstract Review

• Each abstract is reviewed by at least 2 reviewers. If there is a large discrepancy between the two reviews, a third reviewer will be enlisted.
• Abstracts are scored on a scale of 1 to 5 with a maximum possible score of 50.
• Decision on whether an abstract will be selected rests with the Scientific Committee and is based on the average score and the recommendations of reviewers.

Selection Notifications will be e-mailed by December 15, 2008.
For ONLINE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION visit: http://wfpha.confex.com/wfpha/2009/cfp.cgi.  Visit http://www.worldpublichealth2009.org to find all details and updates. REGISTRATION FORM: 12th World Congress on Public Health, 27 April-1 May 2009, Istanbul, Turkey (82.3 KB, application/pdf) http://ezcollab.who.int/l.axd?i=9095.

Call for Nominations – Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), National Institutes of Health
Annual Matilda While Riley NIH Lecture in the Behavioral and Social Sciences
Deadline: November 14, 2008
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), National Institutes of Health, is soliciting nominations for the annual lecture in the behavioral and social sciences named in honor of Matilda White Riley  (1911-2004). In addition to serving as the Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging, Dr. Riley provided leadership across the NIH in her role as chairperson of landmark committees regarding health and behavior. She was co-chair of the joint ADAMHA and NIH Steering Committee for the Institute of Medicine's Project on Health and Behavior (1979-1982) and chair of the trans-NIH Working Group on Health and Behavior  (1982-1991). In these capacities she served as the senior NIH spokesperson on the behavioral and social sciences, encouraged coordination among NIH Institutes, oversaw the production of numerous reports to the Congress on behavioral and social research at the NIH, provided advice to several NIH Directors, and initiated the behavioral and social sciences lecture series at the NIH. In effect, she laid the groundwork for and was the precursor to OBSSR.  The Lecture Selection Committee is seeking nominations of accomplished behavioral and social scientists to deliver the Matlida White Riley Lectures in 2009 - 2011. The annual award honors an individual whose research career has contributed to behavioral and social scientific knowledge and/or the application of such knowledge relevant to the mission of the National Institutes of Health (i.e., to the physical and/or mental health of individuals or populations). Nominees should also reflect Matilda Riley’s commitment to research characterized by values such as:

• Strong linkages among theory, methods, and research topics/goals;
• Recognition of complexity of and dynamic interplay among processes at multiple levels of explanation (i.e., a biopsychosocial perspective);
• Encouragement of research on behavioral and social factors in physical health and of the application of such knowledge in clinical practice and health policy;
• Advocacy of a life-course perspective, both at the level of individuals and of societies (i.e., development/aging of people and the reciprocal influence of societal processes on development and of people as they develop/age on society);
• Emphasis on the potential for improving the lives of people and society (i.e., research should be “significant.”);
• Conceptual expansion of "health" beyond biological outcomes (disease and death) to include "effective functioning" (functional health), such as cognitive, affective and social functioning, and quality of life; and
• An optimistic view on the ability of social and behavioral science to develop interventions to improve the lives of people of all ages.

The recipient of the award will be invited to deliver a presentation at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. OBSSR will provide the awardee with an honorarium and a suitable commemorative plaque or sculpture as well as publish the annual lecture on the OBSSR HomePage.
Previous recipients of this honor are:
David Mechanic (2006)
Carol Ryff and Burton Singer (2007)
John McKinlay (2008)
Nomination Procedures: Please email nominations to Ronald P. Abeles (abeles@nih.gov) on or before Friday, November 14, 2008. Your nomination should include the individual’s name, terminal degree, discipline, institutional affiliation, and abbreviated curriculum vitae (if readily available) as well as a brief statement (maximum one page, single-spaced) regarding the candidate’s accomplishments and appropriateness for the Matilda White Riley NIH Lecture. Candidates may be government (including NIH) employees or from outside of the government. Please feel free to nominate more than one person. Those not selected will be reconsidered for subsequent years! You should nominate someone other than yourself. Be sure also to include your own name and contact information. Send your nominations as electronic files (MS Word or PDF) attached to an email message addressed to abeles@nih.gov.
Inquiries:
Ronald P. Abeles, Ph.D.
Special Assistant to the Director
Office of Behavioral and Social Research
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Building 31C, Room B1C19
31 Center Drive MSC 2027
Bethesda, MD 20892-2027  USA
Tel: 1-301-496-7859     Fax: 1-301-435-8779
E-mail: abeles@nih.gov
HomePage: http://obssr.od.nih.gov
Selection Committee:
Ronald Abeles, OBSSR
  Chairperson
Christine Bachrach, OBSSR
Robert Croyle, NCI
Peter Kaufmann, NHLBI
Richard Suzman, NIA

Call for Abstracts – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other Public, Private and Government Agencies, 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference
Promoting Synergy Between Science and Program: Innovation and Action to End the Epidemic
Hyatt Regency Atlanta and the Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Atlanta, GA
August 23-26, 2009
Deadline: December 10, 2008
The sixth National HIV Prevention Conference, Promoting Synergy Between Science and Program: Innovation and Action to End the Epidemic convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public, private, and government agencies announce a Call For Abstracts highlighting HIV prevention in the United States. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta and the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, in Atlanta, GA from August 23 - 26, 2009.  This unique conference covers the entire spectrum of HIV prevention, from science to programs. It convenes HIV prevention experts and advocates from various backgrounds and communities nationwide.  In keeping with CDC's "Go Green, Get Healthy" initiative, the conference committee is adopting "greener" strategies. The Call for Abstracts as well as many formerly printed conference forms will all be electronic this year. Abstracts submission for the 2009 HIV Prevention Conference should be completed and submitted online from www.2009NHPC.org. Authors may submit no more than two abstracts on which they are listed as the presenter. Abstracts are to be submitted in English only. All abstracts must be received by December 10, 2008. Any abstracts received after this date will not be considered. Each author submitting an abstract will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within five days. Authors who have submitted abstracts and have not received an acknowledgement within this period of time should contact the conference organizers immediately via e-mail at info@2009NHPC.org.  Numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations have committed their support to the 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference because it offers opportunities to:
Ÿ  Share effective prevention approaches and research findings among governmental, community, and academic partners in HIV prevention;

• Strengthen collaborations between program practitioners and researchers in areas including behavioral interventions, biomedical interventions, monitoring the epidemic, implementing rapid and reliable tests for early HIV diagnosis, and improving access to early treatment and prevention services for persons with HIV;
• Address new cross cutting themes: Health Disparities, Intersecting Epidemics, HIV Stigma and Discrimination, Social and Structural Factors, Community Mobilization and Global Influence; and
• Highlight the work of new researchers in the field of HIV prevention. Applicants to the program should be in the arena of HIV prevention and the lead author/researcher; the relevant research cannot have been previously published and should have been conducted toward the completion of a degree program (or within 5 years of graduation) using data collected since 2000.

For more information about abstract submission or other questions regarding the conference please visit the conference website at www.2009NHPC.org or for additional assistance e-mail the conference organizers at info@2009NHPC.org.

Call for Papers – Working Class Studies Association (WCSA)
“Class Matters”
University of Pittsburgh
June 3-6, 2009
Deadline: January 4, 2009
The Working Class Studies Association (WCSA) is pleased to announce that its biennial conference will be held at the University of Pittsburgh, June 3-6, 2009.  Proposals are invited for presentations, panels, workshops, and performances, according to the guidelines below. Proposals must be received by January 4, 2009. The Working Class Studies Association The WCSA promotes models of working-class studies, both inside and outside of the academy, that serve the interests of working-class people. These include critical discussions of relationships among class, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, and other structures of inequality. WCSA is a multidisciplinary and international association; its members and conference participants include economists, sociologists, social workers, documentary filmmakers, writers, labor educators and cultural workers, as well as historians, teachers and literary scholars. The association’s web address is www.wcstudies.org. The 2009 conference builds on the tradition of conferences that for more than a decade took place at Youngstown State University, sponsored by its Center for Working-Class Studies. The event will be hosted by Pitt’s English Department, with cosponsors from other departments, campuses, and working-class organizations in and around the city of Pittsburgh. WCSA Conference 2009: Featuring panels, plenaries, workshops, performances, screenings, site visits, and social gatherings, the conference provides an opportunity for academics, artists, activists, workers, independent scholars, teachers and students to present their projects, make connections, and learn about resources for the work we hold in common.  The conference theme, Class Matters, is intended to encompass the broad range of fields of study and forms of work promoted by the WCSA, and proposals may reflect this diversity. (See below for a listing of topics addressed at previous conferences.)  Planners of the 2009 conference also have a particular interest in topics connected to “place(s)”: the local and global sites and environments of working-class lives and struggles, both historical and contemporary. Proposal guidelines -- Proposals will be accepted in three categories: a) Individual presentation, paper or talk. The program committee may group these into panel sessions. b) Panel session, featuring three or four presenters, proposing jointly. Typically 1.5 hours long, sessions may take the form of a workshop, round-table, or panel, and must provide time for response and interaction. Workshops of longer duration will also be considered. c) Performance, reading, or screening of creative work. Proposal must include a request for necessary space and/or technology. Proposal format:
1. Proposed title
2. Category of proposal (see above)
3. Description, in fewer than 250 words, of the session
4. Names and institutional affiliation (where appropriate) of all presenters
5. Name, address, email, and phone numbers of the person making the proposal
Submit proposals either as hard copy by mail to: Class Matters Conference, English Department, 526 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 or as an email attachment to wcsa09@pitt.edu.
Proposals must be received by January 4, 2009. Notifications of acceptance will be made by February 1, 2009. Closer to the event a web-site will be available for posting of changes and updates, travel and lodging details, and the conference program. Conference co-chairs: Nick Coles, Department of English, University of Pittsburgh; coles@pitt.edu; Charlie McCollester, Pennsylvania Labor Center, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; charles@iup.edu.
Topics addressed at the 2005 and 2007 conferences (This not an exclusive list, but one intended to suggest a range of interests represented.): --class in the classroom; --working-class literature; --labor and the body; --class and the arts: music, theater, visual art; --labor rights / human rights; --working-class history; --transnational perspectives on class; --class on campus: students as workers, working-class academics; --labor organizing; --community activism;       --gender and class; --working-class political theory; --class and K-12 education; --class and health care; --media studies / criticism; --war, class and the military; --working-class / middle class; --class and ethnicity; --urban class issues;    --class in a global economy; --race / whiteness studies; --the future of work; --class and the environment; --working-class economic theory; --class and electoral politics; --the anthropology of class; --rural class issues; --immigration/ migrant workers; --class and sexuality; --working-class humor; --class and religion; --resistance and transformation; --working-class film.

Call for Papers – 9th Conference European Sociological Association
Research Network 16 'Sociology of Health & Illness'
Transformations and Challenges in health and health care across Europe's borders
European Society or European Societies?
Lisbon, Portugal
September 2-5, 2009
Deadline: January 31, 2009
European health and health care systems are experiencing complex transformations and in some countries, these health care systems have undergone extensive and varied reforms. Some of these reforms have created greater social inequalities and generated controversy among government officials, policy makers, health care workers and citizens. With increasing economic insecurity and the growth of 'disaster capitalism', health is a sought after commodity. A sociological analysis in this area explores the impact of current social changes on European health and healthcare and recent developments in health care policy. This sort of analysis addresses the implications for those living in European countries and offers new approaches to understanding the transformations and challenges in health and health care.  The task of the sociologist is to bear witness to these complexities and to document them critically.
Our Research Network invites papers that deal with the following themes and we particularly welcome papers offering a comparative perspective:
   - Politics of health care in Europe
   - Health and migration in a European context
   - Disasters in the context of health and illness in Europe
   - Challenges in reproductive health
   - Mental health issues in Europe
   - Patterning of health and disease in Europe
   - Social aspects of death and dying
   - Emotions and health
   - The body in health and illness
   - Inequalities and social divisions in European health: class, race, ethnicity and gender
   - Formal health care organisation and delivery of health care in Europe
   - Complementary and alternative medicine
   - Biomedicine and ethics
   - Public and environmental health risks
   - Development of new medical technologies in European health care
   - Disabilities in the context of health and health care
   - Substance abuse and addictions in a European context
   - Upsetting the health professional workforce: collaborative care and professional boundaries – joint session with RN19 "Sociology of Professions"
We invite papers addressing these and other issues related to sociology of health and illness. We especially encourage submissions from PhD students.  The deadline for submitting an abstract of no more than 250 words is 31 January 2009. If your abstract is accepted, full papers must be submitted by 15 August 2009 at the latest. *Please visit the ESA website http://www.europeansociology.org where information on the 9th ESA Conference is available, including further instructions on abstract submission. (Please do not submit abstracts to RN Coordinator.) *RN Coordinator: Elizabeth Ettorre Email: E.Ettorre@liverpool.ac.uk

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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA
Director, Health Communications
The Behavioral Research Center (BRC) of the American Cancer Society (ACS) is currently seeking a Director, Health Communications. The successful candidate will have expertise in the science of communication, including but not limited to such areas as information technology, risk communication, decision making, and health literacy. The Director, Health Communications will be a key player in developing  and managing research projects that can be used to modify cancer risk behaviors, improve informed decision-making and enhance quality of life. The Director, Health Communications will join an active research team with Directors in the areas of Survivorship and Quality of Life, Underserved Populations, Multicultural Health Behaviors, and Tobacco. We are also actively recruiting for leadership positions in Health Behaviors and Family Studies.  The successful candidates will initiate and direct research projects in collaboration with other ACS departments, programs, and national divisions, along with the local and national extramural scientific community.  The majority of the research projects are funded intramurally. These positions offer a unique opportunity to conceptualize and conduct research that has the potential to impact cancer care nationally.  The ACS National Headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, the organization also has 13 regional/state divisions, more than 3,400 local offices, and over 3 million volunteers. The ACS has been a major player in cancer research for over 80 years. The BRC, an intramural research program of the Society, is part of the Research Department, which also includes the Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, the Statistics and Evaluation Center, the Extramural Grants Program, and the Research Promotion and Communications Department. The expanding BRC staff includes 20 full time doctoral, masters and bachelors’ level scientific and support staff. The position requires an individual with a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree with a publication history in health communication.  We are currently interested in applicants at all levels of seniority (assistant, associate, full professor level) and we have the possibility of hiring a second candidate to enrich this area of research for the American Cancer Society. Our working environment promotes teamwork. The position, available immediately, reports to the Vice President of Behavioral Research. Salary is commensurate with the applicant’s qualifications and experience. If you are interested, please send a cover letter, your CV, the names of three references, and an indication of salary requirements to: Michael Stefanek, PhD, Vice President of Behavioral Research, American Cancer Society, 250 Williams Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Michael.Stefanek@cancer.org.

Baltimore City Health Department
Epidemiologist
General role: This epidemiologist will collaborate with local program leadership and CDC epidemiologists in an 11-site national surveillance network to develop surveillance data systems from Baltimore’s STD clinics and from local gonorrhea case reports.  S/he will apply standards developed by multisite group to develop data collection protocols, implement data cleaning and management procedures, and extract data from local STD data systems. S/he will assist local PIs to identify locally relevant questions and analyze data, and disseminate findings locally and nationally. Specific duties: Create standard reports and data export algorithms from STD clinical database. Create sentinel surveillance data collection tools and monitoring system for Baltimore’s gonorrhea case reports. Submit data files monthly to CDC. Participate in monthly CDC conference calls and BCHD project meetings. Analyze local and multisite data to describe trends and risk factors for STD/HIV. Participate in dissemination of findings for local and national audience.  Knowledge/Skills: Familiarity with common statistical analysis applications (SAS, STATA) and statistical transfer programs (STAT Transfer).  Familiarity with standard data management procedures.  Ability to create SAS datasets.  Ability to perform statistical analysis and communicate findings. Education/Experience: Requires Master’s degree in epidemiology or Biostatistics or Master in Public Health with a quantitative focus. At least 1 year experience managing and analyzing public health datasets strongly preferred. Requires eligibility to work in US.  Requires occasional domestic conference travel, no more than 5 days per year. Work hours/Location: This is a full-time position (35 hrs/wk) Standard business day hours (9-5) expected with flexibility allowed to meet project aims. Primary work location will be Eastern STD clinic.  Reporting structure: Supervisor will be principle investigator for the STD Surveillance network project.  Salary commensurate with experience/salary history—prefer 1 to 2 years of relevant  experience.  Range $40,000 to $55,000/year plus benefits.  Qualified candidates, please e-mail cover letter and resume to Dr. Emily Erbelding at eerbeld1@jhmi.edu.
 
Baltimore City Health Department STD Clinics located at Druid Health District and Eastern Health District.
Two Openings: HIV Early Intervention Initiative Program Director and Clinical Social Work Supervisor
Contact: Dr. Kathleen Page at kpage2@jhmi.edu  
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
I.  Director of HIV Early Intervention Initiative (EII) Programs -- Serves as the Point of Contact to the Baltimore City Health Department Title I and II Ryan White Program Office/Grantee; Associated Black Charities (ABC), Title I Ryan White Administrative Agent; and the AIDS Administration, Title II Ryan White Grantee, attending all provider meetings related to grant activities.  Directs Mental Health, Latino Outreach, and HIV case management services within the BCHD STD clinics.  Monitors/tracks service units delivered and overall progress toward goals and objectives of the HIV EII Program.  Ensures that requirements are met for the continuation of funding from revenue sources, and identifies new sources of funding as needs are identified and as funding is available.  Works with clinic medical team to establish objectives for HIV patient care services within the STD program.  Participates as member of Clinic Management Team, setting agenda for monthly meetings and ensuring participation of support staff.  Directs and documents Team Coordination and EII Support Service Staff meetings.  Coordinates quarterly Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) meetings.  Develops, implements, monitors, evaluates overall program goals, objectives and activities pertaining to the HIV Early Intervention Initiative Program, including grant-writing. Independent budget management. Implementation, coordination, and tracking of insurance billing; sub-specialty referrals and payments; and ordering of nutrition supplements, when available.  Develops, implements, monitors, evaluates the case management, client advocacy, and psychotherapy components within the HIV EII Program.  Establishes specific quantifiable performance measures (indicators) and a timetable for implementation of the plan.  Implement and monitor a monthly quality assurance chart review program to assist the HIV medical director in monitoring clinical care and to provide clinicians with objective feedback on HIV care provided.  Ensures that patient medical records are maintained, secured, and that all information is kept confidential in accordance with CDC and HIPPA regulations, State of Maryland law and Baltimore City Health Department policies and procedures.
II. Clinical Social Worker/Case Manager Supervisor -- Independently develops, implements, and monitors the work objectives of 2 Bachelor degree level case managers, 2 client advocates, and 1 psychotherapist. Supervises the delivery of social support services for EII clients.  Designs performance/quality assurances objectives for employees under his/her direction and periodically evaluates their performance based on these guidelines and provides feedback to employees.  Provides clinical direction and supervision to support staff members, according to Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners guidelines.  Establishes and maintains regular supervision meetings to discuss clients, their respective needs and implementation of services.  Notes of these meetings should be kept. Represents HIV/STD support services to all other departments and within the STD Program.  Provides back-up case management/client advocacy services when staff are absent, to directly support the delivery of primary medical care.
III. Independently implements, monitors, and evaluates a formal psychotherapy program within the HIV EII Program.  A. Clinical training and supervision of masters level psychotherapist. B. Development and implementation of psychotherapy quality assurance chart reviews.
IV. Direct psychotherapy services to patients including consultation to medical clinicians regarding suicidality/homicidality risk assessments and crisis management, psychotherapy intake assessments, referral to the psychiatrist, and psychotherapy treatment.

City University of New York, Brooklyn College
Assistant Professor (Tenure-track)
The department of political science seeks candidates for a tenure-track assistant professor position beginning September 1, 2009.  We are seeking candidates who use quantitative methods in their own research; who can teach statistics, advanced statistics, and other methods courses; and who can develop advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in quantitative research design and analysis on topics of interest to the candidate and/or students. Candidates' subfield may be in American politics, public policy, comparative politics, or international relations. We are especially interested in candidates conducting quantitative research in any of the following areas: race and ethnicity, labor and political economy, gender and sexuality, immigration, human rights, health policy and/or urban politics. The successful candidate is also expected to work collaboratively with faculty and students on Brooklyn-focused survey research projects, including a current project on HIV in NYC, and on other new curricular and programmatic initiatives. Ph.D. in political science or related social science discipline is required. With a long tradition of educating first-generation immigrants and people of color, Brooklyn College is part of the City University of New York, a leading academic research institution and the largest urban public university in the country. We are therefore seeking applicants who are committed to undergraduate and graduate education at a public, urban institution that serves a highly diverse student body. Candidates from underrepresented and protected populations are encouraged to apply. Candidates should submit letter of application, CV, publication or writing sample, three letters of recommendation, and evidence of teaching experience such as syllabi or teaching evaluations. Review of applications will begin October 15 and continue until position is filled. Materials should be sent to Denise Flanagan, Human Resources Services, Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210.

Duke University
Assistant Professor of Public Policy
The Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University seeks applicants with research and teaching interests dealing with racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities and their policy implications. Scholarly interests may include social, economic or political factors that give rise to population health disparities as well as disparities in health care outcomes. Quality teaching is expected, particularly at the undergraduate level. In addition to offering policy-oriented courses in one's specialty area, candidates should be prepared to teach at least one course central to the public policy curriculum. Candidates should possess a Ph.D. in health policy, economics, political science, epidemiology, sociology, or related fields. Secondary appointments are possible in other departments and the Global Health Institute. Applications received by December 1, 2008 will be guaranteed full consideration. All candidates should send a letter of application, a CV, and a writing sample to:
Professor Sherman A. James
Search Committee Chair
Sanford Institute of Public Policy
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-90245
Candidates should also send three letters of reference.

George Mason University, Department of Global and Community Health, College of Health and Human Services
Tenure-Track Assist/Assoc Professor Epidemiology - Global & Community Health
George Mason University, Department of Global and Community Health in the College of Health and Human Services invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor position in chronic disease epidemiology to begin in January or August 2009. Position Number F8944z, Recruit Number 3022.  Successful candidates will conduct independent and collaborative research and teach courses for our B.S., M.S. and M.P.H. programs. A doctoral degree in epidemiology is required for the position. Candidates must have a focused research agenda and high potential for developing a successful program of research. Candidates with a research agenda that complements existing programs within the department including global health, rehabilitation science and nutrition are preferred. George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. Enrollment is 30,000, with students studying in over 150 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and the United Arab Emirates. The proximity of the university to the nation's capital offers faculty members a wealth of opportunities to engage in significant national and international initiatives and collaborations, as well as rich offerings of cultural and artistic programs. George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The university is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse faculty and staff. Women and minority candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.  Interested individuals may submit their applications for position F8944z electronically at http://jobs.gmu.edu/. Questions regarding this position may be directed to Dr. Lisa Pawloski, Chair, Department of Global and Community Health at lpawlosk@gmu.edu. Review of applications will begin September 15, 2008, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a cover letter that addresses research and teaching interests, a curriculum vita and contact information for three references.

National Cancer Institute, Behavioral Research Program, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB)
Communication Scientist
The Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB) located within Behavioral Research Program in the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health is seeking an innovative communication scientist to serve as a leader in the field of cancer communication.  The HCIRB is charged with steering the national research agenda in cancer communication during a time of extraordinary change in media options. Following recommendations from NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Centers, the branch is seeking to expand its leadership in the areas of cancer prevention awareness, health science journalism, and evidence-based behavioral interventions. The individual selected for
this position will serve as Branch expert in these areas, and will help guide the research agenda of the NCI by participating in professional conferences, conducting analyses of national data, and consulting with extramural grantees. At this time there is no official vacancy announcement.  In particular, the successful applicant will help shape the NCI's behavioral research agenda by applying communication science to the task of improving the reach, the efficiency, and effectiveness of cancer communication programs. Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which their application shows possession of the knowledge, skills, and experience that demonstrates the following abilities:
- Establish and maintain liaisons with government and private sector organizations involved in conducting relevant health communication and mass media research and intervention programs. - Assist extramural grantees in conducting
theoretically grounded and well-designed health communication and mass media research studies - Effectively present information at seminars or professional meetings/ conferences on health communication and mass media research programs and applications; in collaboration with others, design a workshop or communication campaign; and publish health communication research reports and reviews. - Develop other effective avenues of dissemination such as journal articles, books, websites, newsletters, or other print materials; create research reports, articles, chapters, papers, or other materials to disseminate to appropriate scientific channels; evaluate research information for use in print
materials or presentations; and conduct statistical analyses of nationally representative weighted data sets. The position is located in Rockville, Maryland. At this time, there is no official vacancy announcement. If interested in this position, please email a letter of interest and CV to Dr. Bradford Hesse at hesseb@mail.nih.gov by December 31, 2008. Additional questions may be sent to the same email address. For more information on our branch, please visit:
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/hcirb.

National Cancer Institute, Basic and Behavioral Research Branch
Two openings: Medical Officer and Health Scientist Administrator
Deadline: October 30, 2009

• Medical Officer, GS-0602-14 in the Basic and Biobehavioral Research Branch (BBRB)

The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) has a posting for a Medical Officer, GS-0602-14 in the Basic and Biobehavioral Research Branch (BBRB). This position is open to all US Citizens and closes on October 30, 2009. Candidates should have a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy. Applicants should read the entire vacancy announcement carefully and follow the application steps on www.usajobs.gov (announcement #HHS/NIH-2008-3873).

• Health Scientist Administrator, GS-0601-13/14 in the Basic and Biobehavioral Research Branch (BBRB)

The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) has a posting for a Health Scientist Administrator, GS-0601-13/14 in the Basic and Biobehavioral Research Branch (BBRB). The vacancy is being concurrently advertised under merit promotion NCI-08-290469-MP and under delegated examining NCI-08-290469-DE.
Both postings close on October 30, 2009. Applicants should go to www.usajobs.gov <http://www.usajobs.gov/> and access vacancy announcement number NCI-08-290469-DE for those outside the Federal government and NCI-08-290469-MP for those inside the Federal government.  Candidates who wish to be considered under both procedures MUST apply to both vacancies.  To view the postings, go to www.usajobs.gov and search for announcement
numbers: HHS/NIH-2008-3873 and NCI-08-290469. For more information on BBRB, visit http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/bbrb/.

NYC Health Department
Executive Director, Take Care New York
www.nyc.gov/health
Take Care New York is a cutting-edge comprehensive health policy that serves as the organizing principle for the NYC Health Department's efforts to help New Yorkers live longer and healthier lives. Launched in March 2004, Take Care New York is an agenda for evidence-based interventions in 10 priority health areas that cause preventable illnesses and deaths each year. For each of the 10 items, there are steps individuals, health care providers, businesses, and community- and faith-based organizations are taking today to improve the health of New Yorkers. Significant progress has been made in 8 of the 10 priority areas, including more than 240,000 fewer smokers. The percentage of New Yorkers who smoke decreased from 21.6% in 2002 to 17.5% in 2006, surpassing the 2008 goal of 18%. The Executive Director will oversee and direct all aspects of the Take Care New York (TCNY) health policy initiative as well as provide support to the Deputy Commissioner in policy analysis and research, leading to recommendations for the Division of Health Care Access and Improvement. Specifically, you will be responsible for the following:
* Set strategic objectives and develop and track action plans and indicators to improve population health and coordinate these activities;
* Organize broad public and community support for the TCNY initiative, and serve as the agency representative of TCNY through presentations, conferences, etc.
* Provide policy analyses and research for the Division of Health Care Access and Improvement, focusing on primary care, electronic health records, health care reimbursement, oral health, and correctional health;
* Develop, coordinate, implement and track special projects, conduct research, assessments and analyses, prepare reports, papers and presentations, plan and attend high-level meetings and events, and review and make  recommendations on policy guidelines and best practices;
* Provide leadership to the TCNY bureau, partners and agency staff on TCNY related issues, and develop TCNY initiatives with TCNY partners;
* Represent the Deputy Commissioner at meetings and presentations;
* Perform other related activities as assigned.
PREFERRED SKILLS: Masters degree (or higher) in public policy, public health, public administration, business administration or related field; strong organizational and leadership abilities; excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills; excellent analytical and research skills; excellent verbal, written and presentation skills; experience conducting qualitative research; knowledge of applied statistics sufficient to understand and critique research articles; experience in public health or primary care preferred; ability to prioritize and manage multiple priorities and assignments; ability to motivate staff, ability to work closely with all levels of staff, inside and outside the Agency; computer skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access & PowerPoint); creative and flexible. Apply online at www.nychealthcareers.com; JVN search: 125195.

New York University
3 Openings: Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure-track) positions in International Public Health, International Health Policy and International Development
New York University announces Assistant/Associate professor tenure-track positions in International Public Health, International Health Policy, and International Development to begin in Fall 2009.
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH
The Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University (http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/nutrition/masters/community_public_health) invites applications from candidates with an advanced degree in Public
Health for a new tenure-track faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant/Associate professor. The position requires an earned doctoral degree in public health or doctoral degree in a social science (such as Sociology, Anthropology, or Economics) with a master's degree in public health. Applicants should have a strong record of publication, research, and external funding; experience in conducting community-based public health research studies; strong interest in teaching, advising and mentoring students.  We are seeking an individual with field experience in the planning, development, and/or evaluation of public health interventions in the developing world, such as infectious or chronic disease, maternal and child health, or health and socio-economic development to complement our public health faculty. The individual should have in-depth knowledge of a specific country or region and an active portfolio of collaborators from that region. The individual would be expected to develop an externally-funded research program, teach Master's and undergraduate public health students, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and mentor doctoral students. The candidate will participate in the NYU Global Public Health Program (www.nyu.edu/mph).  Candidates should send a cover letter discussing qualifications, a curriculum vitae, and the names and telephone numbers of five references to: Professor Sally Guttmacher, 35 West 4th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10012-1172. Tel: (212) 998-5580. Fax: (212) 995-4192 Email: sg2@nyu.edu (subject: faculty search). Review of applications begins November 1, 2008 and continues until the position is filled.
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University is seeking to expand its faculty in order to serve the growing interests of its faculty and students in global public service. Applicants must have a doctoral degree in a relevant discipline. Candidates with several years of post-degree experience (academic or equivalent) are welcome to apply. One of the faculty positions will be in the area of international health policy in the developing world, and the other can be in any international development related field. We are open to candidates from any disciplinary background, but we are interested in applicants who are excited about working on public policy or public management issues in a multidisciplinary environment.  Established in 1938, the Wagner School offers both master's and doctoral degrees. The school currently has nearly 40 full-time faculty members.  Although they are trained in a wide variety of disciplines, they share a commitment to addressing issues of public importance, both in the classroom and in their research. Both domestically and internationally, they research such issues as poverty and social disparities, urban and health policy, public finance, leadership, and strategic management. The Wagner School is also one of the key partners in a new multi-school NYU degree program in Global Public Health. Applicants are encouraged to visit our web site (http://www.nyu.edu/wagner/) for more detailed information about the Wagner School. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, beginning in the Fall semester. Applicants should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and writing sample via email no later than November 15, 2008 to: internationalsearch.wagner@nyu.edu.  In addition, please have three letters of recommendation sent via email to the above address or via mail to:  Faculty Search Committee (International), NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, The Puck Building, 2nd floor, 295 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012-9604.

Northwestern University
2 Openings: Tenure Track Faculty Position in Population and Health and Professor in Social Disparities and Health
1) Tenure Track Faculty Position in Population and Health. Northwestern University is seeking an experienced scholar in social epidemiology, population health or related fields, who has done extensive, theory-grounded work in demography, incorporating biological outcomes and covariates. The scholar will join the multidisciplinary faculty of Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research. C2S includes faculty in multiple departments across several of Northwestern’s schools, providing rich opportunities for collaboration. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding records of scholarly publication, teaching, and externally-funded research. The successful candidate will help to lead C2S as it matures to become a full population research center.  This position will be jointly held across at least two schools: Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Social Policy, Feinberg School of Medicine. The following departments could be involved: Anthropology, Economics, Human Development and Social Policy, Preventive Medicine, Sociology, or Statistics. Please mail a statement of research, vita, representative reprints, and 3 names of references to P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, PhD (lcl@northwestern.edu) and Katherine Kaufer Christoffel, MD, MPH, Search Committee Co-Chairs, Cells to Society, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. We will begin reviewing application materials on August 1 and will continue until the position is filled.
2) Professor in Social Disparities and Health. Northwestern University invites applications for an open rank position jointly held between Cells to Society: The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research and one of the following departments: Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology. Social and cultural contexts are critical determinants of physical and psychological health, and we seek a scholar with an active research program that integrates social, behavioral, and biological/biomedical perspectives to illuminate pathways linking social contexts and health, with implications for understanding socioeconomic and race/ethnic disparities. Applicants should have outstanding records of scholarly publication and externally-funded research, and be interested in applying their work to social policy issues. To promote policy-relevant research activities, the appointment carries a one-half reduction in
teaching responsibilities. Candidates could specialize in one or more of the following fields: biodemography, population health, gene-environment interplay, biocultural or biopsychosocial perspectives on human development and health, psychobiology, and other related areas.  For more information on the Cells to Society Center, see <http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/c2s>http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/c2s and for the Departments of Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology, see http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/>http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/. Northwestern is located in an attractive lakefront community adjacent to Chicago. Please mail a statement of research, teaching/training, vita, representative reprints, and names of three references to Thomas McDade (t-mcdade@northwestern.edu), Search Committee Chair, Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. Review of application materials will begin on September 15, and will continue until the position is filled.

PolicyLink, Oakland, California
Associate Director
100% FTE
Salary Commensurate with experience
This professional level position, available immediately, is an exciting opportunity to join the staff at PolicyLink. PolicyLink is a national research and action institute that works collaboratively to develop and implement local, state, and federal policies to achieve economic and social equity. Please visit our website at www.policylink.org. Essential Responsibilities: The successful candidate will be a key member of the leadership team of the PolicyLink Center for Health and Place. They will work with executive and other senior level colleagues to support the Convergence Partnership--a collaboration of 6 funders seeking to build a movement for healthy people and healthy places. Core components will include reaching out to funders, advocates and practitioners involved in a variety of multi-issue efforts including transportation, the built environment, access to healthy foods, and physical activity. They will identify needs and opportunities for collaboration and capacity building, and will work to develop a national network of funders, advocates, and practitioners. As appropriate, the Associate Director will supervise staff and work collaboratively with project partners. They will build relationships with funders, practitioners, advocates, and other stakeholders. As needed, the Associate Director will make presentations and develop written reports. This position requires some
travel. Qualifications/skills: * Experience (minimum of 10 years) with advancing policy or environmental change in the field(s) of public health, planning, economic development and/or access to healthy foods. * Experience working in a foundation, advocacy, state, or community organization. * Advanced degree, such as MPP, MPA, MPH, or MUP/MCP. * Strong written and verbal communication skills and analytical skills. * Experience with outreach and coalition building, and writing reports and articles. * Experience building relationships with, and providing support to, partner organizations and stakeholders. * Commitment to economic and social equity issues. * Demonstrated leadership abilities to lead and work with a team. To Apply: Send Resume, Cover Letter, and three professional references to: PolicyLink -Associate Director Search Committee, 1438 Webster Street, Suite 303, Oakland, CA 94612 or: Fax to 510-663-9684 or e-mail to jobs@policylink.org (include subject line: "[your name]" Associate Director). Position open until filled. Excellent benefits including paid vacation, health, vision, and dental insurance and 401(k) retirement plan.

The Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy (CFHUF)
2009-2010 CFHUF
Supported by The Commonwealth Fund, administered by the Minority Faculty Development Program at Harvard Medical School, this innovative fellowship is designed to prepare physicians, particularly minority physicians, for leadership roles in formulating and implementing public health policy and practice on a national, state, or community level.  Fellowship Eligibility Requirements: U.S. citizenship; Board eligible or board certified physicians; Experience in minority health issues; Interest in health policy and public health; Strong academic and leadership skills; Intention to pursue career in public health, health policy, or academia.  Five one-year, degree-granting fellowships will be awarded per year.  Fellows will complete academic work leading to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Harvard School of Public Health, and, through additional program activities, gain experience in and understanding of major health issues facing minority, disadvantaged, and underserved populations. CFHUF also offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at the Harvard Kennedy School to physicians possessing an MPH. It is expected that CFHUF will support the development of a cadre of leaders in minority health, well-trained academically and professionally in public health, health policy, health management, and clinical medicine, as well as actively committed to careers in public service. For application materials, information, and other training opportunities, please contact the CFHUF Program Coordinator by telephone at (617) 432-2922; by fax at 617-432-3834; or by e-mail at mfdp_cfhuf@hms.harvard.edu.

University of Iowa, College of Public Health
Head, Department of Community and Behavioral Health
Inquiries regarding the position can be made to Dr. Corinne Peek-Asa, Chair of the Search Committee, by phone: 319-335-4894 or email: Corinne-peek-asa@uiowa.edu.
The University of Iowa College of Public Health seeks a dedicated and experienced leader for the Head of the Department of Community and Behavioral Health. The Department Head serves as the departmental executive officer and reports directly to the Dean of the College. The successful candidate will facilitate the growing national reputation of the Department in research, service, and teaching, and will work closely with other academic units and state and community partners to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. It is presumed that the new Head will be appointed at the level of Professor with Tenure. The College of Public Health, established in 1999, has grown to include 82 full-time faculty positions and over 425 graduate students. The annual revenues in FY07 were more than $60 million, of which $45 million was from external research funding. The College of Public Health has five departments; Community and Behavioral Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Management and Policy, and Occupational and Environmental Health. Dr. Susan Curry, an internationally recognized public health researcher and inspiring academic leader, joined the College as Dean in August, 2008. The College has a very successful fundraising campaign underway and will complete a new, state-of-the-art college building in fall, 2010. The College offers a collaborative, high-energy culture, and engages with many academic, government, and community partners.  The Department of Community and Behavioral Health was the only new Department created with the establishment of the new College of Public Health in 1999. As the newest Department, CBH has 11 primary faculty, 52 students, and $4.2 million in research funding. The Department excels in research and teaching in the areas of smoking cessation and prevention, alcohol/drug abuse and dependence, health communication, mental health, community development and empowerment, injury prevention, obesity, public health program evaluations, and youth risk behaviors. The Department excels in developing, evaluating, and disseminating evidence-based practices including community-level interventions. In addition to our degrees in community and behavioral health (MPH, MS, and PhD), CBH offers graduate degree subtracks in health communication, maternal, child, and family health, nutrition and exercise, addiction studies, and occupational injury prevention research. The department currently houses four research centers: the CDC funded Prevention Research Center, the AMHSA funded Prairieland Addiction Technology Transfer Center, the Iowa Tobacco Research Center, and the Center for Health Communication and Social Marketing.  Candidates for head of the Department of Community and Behavioral Health must have a PhD, DrPH, or an MD (with an MPH preferred), and at least 5 years of academic experience in a community health and/or behavioral/social science discipline relevant to public health. A record of research productivity, including extramural funding, and teaching experience are required. The candidate must demonstrate leadership and administrative ability, evidence of collaborative efforts in teaching and/or research, and a record of community service. The candidate must also demonstrate knowledge of effective strategies for working with diverse faculty, staff, and students, and a commitment to promoting a diverse environment. The University of Iowa is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.  Interested candidates should apply electronically for Requisition # 55921 at http://jobs.uiowa.edu/faculty. Inquiries regarding the position can be made to Dr. Corinne Peek-Asa, Chair of the Search Committee, by phone: 319-335-4894 or email: Corinne-peek-asa@uiowa.edu. The search committee will continue to screen applicants until the position is filled. Nominations and applications should include a letter outlining interest and relevant experience, a curriculum vitae, and three references (to be contacted only with permission).

University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Assistant Professor in Community Health Education (Tenure Track Position)
The School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (www.umass.edu/sphhs/) is seeking applicants for a tenure track position in Community Health Education at the Assistant Professor level.
Position: The successful candidate will join the faculty in the Division of Community Health Studies, Department of Public Health. Duties of the position include an active program of research, teaching and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. Candidates must possess strong research skills with evidence of high potential for successfully competing for external funding. We are seeking candidates with interest and experience in working with diverse communities and/or have conducted research on minority populations. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in conducting innovative research with an emphasis on health disparities, social justice, cross-cultural competence, health communications, health literacy and/or community-based research.
Qualifications: Candidates for the position must meet the following requirements:
● Ph.D. in Community Health Education or equivalent degree
● Evidence of independent and collaborative research potential
● Demonstrated interest and ability in teaching
Review: The review of applications will start on November 14, 2008. The anticipated start date is September, 2009.
Salary/Benefits: The University offers a competitive salary with an attractive benefits package. UMA is located in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, which is home to five colleges (Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts), with many opportunities for inter-institutional collaboration. The region boasts a rural setting with easy access to Boston, Hartford and New York City. The Department of Public Health has five programs -- Environmental Health Science, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, and Community Health Education - and the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) also has departments in Nutrition, Kinesiology and Communication Disorders. The School offers BA, BS, MPH, MS, AuD and PhD degrees. Additional information about the SPHHS may be found at its website, www.umass.edu/sphhs.  Applications: Interested candidates should send their curriculum vitae, description of research and teaching interests, and three letters of reference to: David Buchanan, DrPH, Search Committee Chair, 306 Arnold House, 715 N. Pleasant Street, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003. Phone: (413) 545-1005; Fax (413) 545-1645. Email: buchanan@schoolph.umass.edu.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Assistant or Associate Professor, Medical Sociology – Community and Rural Health
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Rural Sociology and Department of Family Medicine invite applications for a joint, full-time tenure-track position at the assistant or associate professor levels to begin August of 2009. We seek a scholar who specializes in medical sociology with research expertise or interest in aspects of community and rural health care, and the health of rural populations. The successful candidate will outline a research program that focuses on community health, broadly construed, detailing its applicability to rural areas and peoples, and/or rural minorities. Demonstrated excellence in social science research is required and the ability to obtain external research funding is essential. Responsibilities of the position include establishing a strong program of research, instruction, and student mentoring in both departments. The Department of Rural Sociology and the Department of Family Medicine are highly ranked in their respective fields. The Rural Sociology Department has strengths in the study of inequality, agriculture, environment, and community. It shares a graduate program at the doctoral and masters levels with the Department of Sociology, but has a separate undergraduate program. The Department of Family Medicine has strengths in childhood obesity, substance abuse, complementary medicine, health services research, community based research networks, disabled children and adults, and women's health. Applicants should submit a letter detailing her/his qualifications for the position, research and teaching statements, a curriculum vitae, and two writing samples. In addition, applicants should request that three letters of reference be submitted on their behalf. All application materials should be sent to: Prof. Leann Tigges, Chair of Search Committee, Department of Rural Sociology, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Full consideration will be given to applications received by November 7, 2008, although review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Information regarding applicants and nominees must be released upon request unless confidentiality is requested in writing. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality. Employment will require a criminal background check.

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CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
The Annual AICR Research Conference on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer
Capital Hilton Hotel
Washington, DC
November 6-7, 2008
Conference topics include: Vitamin D and Cancer; Dietary Constituents and Cancer Prevention; Epigenetics in Nutrition and Cancer; Lifestyle, Behavioral Changes and Cancer Risk; Research on Cancer Survivorship.
For more information visit www.aicr.or/conference or call 202-328-7744.

American Public Health Association Cancer Forum
Manchester Ballroom
Manchester Grand Hyatt
San Diego, CA
October 26, 2008 (5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m.)
APHA has approved the Cancer Forum.  It is now an official entity within the APHA structure! We are now the APHA Cancer Forum!  Thanks to the workgroup that has participated in various aspects during the application process and for the entire group's interest and support in registering to be part of the APHA Cancer Forum. Please join us on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in the Manchester ballroom, section I (eye) from 5pm-6:30pm for the first business meeting of the APHA Cancer Forum, where the new leadership will be introduced. Encourage your colleagues to be part of this new endeavor by registering at: http://www.cancercontrolforum.org/.  (FYI: The website will be updated to reflect this change.)

Praxis
2009 Learning Circles
Register now for our 2009 Learning Circles, a great opportunity to build your capacity to advance justice in your communities at innovative, collaborative residential retreats.  Our trainings are designed for activists who view advocacy and policymaking as essential tools for improving their communities. We especially encourage applications from those who organize people to enhance the health, wellbeing and safety of the communities they live in. "We left with a clear, concrete idea of how to move our policy. It was great that there were three of us there because we were able to get so much done!" –Learning Circle Participant
Register now for our January Session:  Communicating to Advance Racial Justice, January 23-25 (http://thepraxisproject.org/capacity/residential09.html): Affirmative action, public school funding, immigration rights and most certainly the presidential campaign – virtually every major political battle underway today banter race close to the surface. Race and more precisely racism, is where the contest for the "dominant frame" is most intense and where, when we don't pay close attention, we often lose the battle. This session, taking place just days after the Inauguration in Washington, DC, will focus on strategic communications to effectively advance racial justice. Participants will gain tools to  design strategy and develop communications plans that are grounded in their local context and take into account the post-election environment. Lead trainers: Makani Themba-Nixon [0], The Praxis Project and Malkia Cyril [1], Center for Media Justice. Register Now. Save the Dates. Registration will open in January for: Community Organizing: Building Toward Long-Term Change, March 13-15 (http://thepraxisproject.org/capacity/residential09.html#othertrainings): Too often, social change advocates focus too little on building power and community base. Learn how to develop power analyses, identify and recruit likely allies and conduct effective outreach for progressive policy change. This session will provide participants with hands-on organizing experience, follow-up mentoring, and skills and capacity to create long-term change. Lead trainers: Charlene Sinclair [2], The Praxis Project and Pancho Argüelles, Colectivo Flatlander [3].  Policy Advocacy: Creating Better Policies, May 29-31 (http://thepraxisproject.org/capacity/residential09.html#othertrainings): Sessions will focus on how Policy Advocacy is increasingly being used as a tool for community change. Learn how to go from "calls" and "demands" to advancing progressive, meaningful policy. This session will walk participants through the major phases of policy advocacy including community-based research for policy development, media advocacy, revenue mechanisms and enforcement. Lead trainers: Marta Urquilla [4] and Ditra Edwards [5].  "Praxis gets the big picture. Whether we need media strategy for an anti-gentrification campaign or policy research for community health access, Praxis zeros in on the structural roots of inequality and racism to provide salient and strategic support that makes the most of our efforts." -Miami Workers' Center.  A limited number of scholarships are available for those needing financial assistance. Spanish language translation provided with advanced notice. Please go to our website for further details and to apply:  http://www.thepraxisproject.org/capacity/residential.html. Sign up early since spaces are limited.  If you have questions, please contact our Training Director, Ditra Edwards at ditra@thepraxisproject.org or (202) 234-2689.

UC Berkeley Center for Public Health Practices (CPHP)
Project Management: Tools for Success
by Jeffrey S. Oxendine, MBA, MPH
UC Berkeley - 150 University Hall
2199 Addison Street @ Oxford, Berkeley, CA
October 24, 2008 • 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives … how do efficiently accomplish a project?  Public Health organizations and agencies are becoming more streamlined in their operations in order to effectively use declining resources. Today, public health professionals are being asked to do multiple tasks, to work cross-functionally, and to participate on project teams without direct managers. Oftentimes, these teams are led by persons who have expertise in certain areas or tasks, but may not possess management experience. In this workshop, participants will learn how to define the project, initiate planning, control project events, and scheduling to bring the project to a successful conclusion. This workshop will provide ‘step-by-step’ tools that participants can implement immediately. About the Trainer: Jeffrey S. Oxendine, MBA, MPH, is Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Executive Director of the Center for Public Health Practice. He is also a Lecturer in the SPH Health Policy and Management program and the Haas School of Business Graduate Program in Health Management. In addition, he is the Field Supervisor for Health Policy and Management program.  Jeff has been an executive, educator and consultant in healthcare for over 24 years. With partial sponsorship support from the Pacific Public Health Training Center (PPHTC) and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health Graduate Students Association, we are able to offer this training session at a substantially reduced rate of $20 and is free for students.
We have space for only 80 people so we ask that you register and pay early for this exciting training program. The intended audiences for this training are public health professionals working in: city, county, state health departments; community health clinics; research institutes; policy organizations; health care systems; hospitals; and community-based organizations, and students. To register in this training, please log on to https://www.regonline.com/cphpOct08
Registration deadline is October 20, 2008. For questions, email:ctm@berkeley.edu.

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RESOURCES

Publications

Ethos
Special Theme Section: Anthropologists Explore Cultural Dynamics of Mental Health in Native North America
In September’s special issue of Ethos—the Journal of the Society for Psychological Anthropology—three investigators explore mental health discourses and practices in three diverse Native North American communities, illuminating how clinical and Western ideas of medicine and healing could be reconsidered. The articles compare cultural differences between Navajo peyote rites and a prototypical Western psychotherapy session, examine the causes of “stress” among Whapmagoostui Cree women, and illuminate the weaknesses of universalistic treatment programs--such as the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Plan--in tackling substance abuse in Native North American communities. Scholarly commentaries by Audra Simpson and Joseph E. Trimble follow the main articles.  Collectively, the articles and critical assessment in the introduction by Joseph P. Gone challenge the dominance of Western treatment practices and ask that policymakers and mental health professionals hear the resounding message being voiced in many Native communities:  
“Our culture is our treatment.”

Articles include:
From Montana, “Sobriety and its Cultural Politics: An Ethnographer’s Perspective on “Culturally Appropriate” Addiction Services in Native North America,” by Erica Prussing
Prussing, a medical anthropologist, presents ethnographic findings from a long-term study of a federally funded, tribally controlled substance abuse treatment center on a northern Plains Indian reservation in Southeastern Montana. Despite an international trend towards greater community control of mental health programs, Prussing’s findings reveal that many Native drug and alcohol addiction programs are shaped by simplistic and essentialized understandings of Native “culture” and ongoing power hierarchies that have lead to programmatic stagnation and tacit forms of cultural proselytization embedded within treatment programs.
From the Navajo Nation, “Clinical Paradigm Clashes: Ethnocentric and Political Barriers to Native American Efforts at Self-Healing,” by Joseph D. Calabrese
Calabrese, a clinical psychologist with anthropological training, describes the clash between Euro-American and Navajo Peyotist approaches to psychotherapeutic intervention. As he investigates the healing ceremonies of the Native American Church among contemporary Navajos, he reveals the community’s rich tradition of therapy through communal intervention, dramatic ritual ordeals and altered states of consciousness. In doing so, he challenges the efficacy of the Western-based approach to psychotherapy and encourages clinicians and policymakers to consider the value of traditional approaches to self-healing in Navajo communities.
From Quebec, “Discourses of Stress, Social Inequities, and the Everyday Worlds of First Nations Women in a Remote Northern Canadian Community,” by Naomi Adelson
Adelson, a medical anthropologist, was chartered by the Whapmagoostui Band Council to investigate why women in the Whapmagoostui Cree community in northern Quebec were experiencing high levels of stress in their daily lives. In the resulting article, Adelson reveals the complex interplay that occurred between the Native women, the Anglican church and community elders—and the health implications for the women that ensued.
The special section of Ethos, “Cultural Politics of Mental Health in Native North America” will be available online at AnthroSource and on Blackwell Synergy in September 2008. To view the issue, go to http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118902560/home or visit Blackwell Synergy at www.blackwellpublishing.com.

Families USA Minority Health Initiatives
Unequal Burden: The True Cost of High-Deductible Health Plans for Communities of Color
Some policymakers are touting high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) as a strategy for reducing the number of uninsured. But little is known about how these plans will affect pervasive racial and ethnic health disparities. This brief discusses the full costs associated with HDHPs plans and why these expenses are disproportionately unaffordable for many communities of color. It also examines several myths about health savings accounts (HSAs), which are often coupled with such health plans.  In particular, the issue brief discusses three serious concerns that make high-deductible health plans less helpful—or even potentially harmful—for racial and ethnic minorities:

• High out-of-pocket costs;
• Incentives to delay or avoid necessary care; and
• Barriers that will widen the health disparities gap.

As the debate around health care reform continues, it is critically important to raise the visibility of issues that impact communities of color and find solutions that work for everyone.  We hope you find this resource useful in your work to achieve health equity.

Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement
Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement has just published its first issue at http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/ojs/index.php/ijcre.  Below is the issue's table of contents. You will need to register as a user to access the content. Registration is free.  The journal also invites submissions for future issues - please visit the site for details. The journal is a joint initiative of the Shopfront at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University, Chicago. This inaugural issue demonstrates the diversity of the work being undertaken in the area of community engagement.
Refereed Articles
Gateways: Expanding knowledge through broader participation Phil Nyden, Paul Ashton, Julie Davis, Marilyn Krogh, Reuben Miller, Pauline O'Loughlin, David Van Zytveld  1-7
Doing What we Know we Should: Engaged scholarship and community development Abstract Bruce Muirhead, Geoff Woolcock  8-30
Yolngu Studies: A case study of Aboriginal community engagement Michael Christie  31-47
Renegotiating Community Life: Arts, agency, inclusion and wellbeing Martin Mulligan, Christopher Scanlon, Nicky Welch  48-72
Toward an Ideal Relational Ethic: Rethinking university-community engagement Steve Garlick, Victoria J. Palmer  73-89
University-Community Engagement: What does it mean? Jenny Onyx  90-106
University-Community Engagement: A grid-group analysis David Low  107-127
Community-University Partnerships: Achieving continuity in the face of change Linda Silka, Robert Forrant, Brenda Bond, Patricia Coffey, Robin Toof, Dan Toomey, David Turcotte, Cheryl West  128-149
Government Support and Infrastructure: Realizing the value of collaborative work Peter Levesque  150-164
Articles (Non-Refereed)
Breaking Out of the Local: International dimensions of science shops Caspar DeBok, Norbert Steinhaus  165-178
Capacity Building and Empowerment: A panacea and a challenge for agency-university engagement Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, Fabricio Balcazar, Edurne Garca Iriarte, Tina Taylor-Ritzler  179-196
Reviews
Review of Creating a New Kind of University: Institutionalizing Community-University Engagement by Stephen L. Percy, Nancy L. Zimpher and Mary Jane Brukardt (Eds) Sam Attoh  197-199
Review of Engaged Scholarship: A Guide for Organizational and Social Research by Andrew H. Van de Ven Michael Cuthill  200-201
Review of Researching with Communities: Grounded Perspectives on Engaging Communities in Research by Andy Williamson and Ruth DeSouza (Eds) Susan Goff

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Comparing the Candidates: Improving the Health of a Diverse America
http://www.jointcenter.org/index.php/publications_recent_publications/political_participation/comparing_the_candidates_improving_the_health_of_a_diverse_america
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies published a guide, Comparing the Candidates: Improving the Health of a Diverse America, discussing the health care plans of Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain and highlighting the implications of their stances on important health care issues for racial and ethnic minorities. The health reform issues include expanding access to affordable health insurance coverage, expanding access to health and medical care, and health care quality improvement. To read a comparison of the candidate’s health plans and their implications for racial and ethnic minorities, click here.

Mayo Clinic Team Takes on the Health Disparities Challenge 
As part of its mission to train the next generation of physicians and scientists, the Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA) offers the Health Disparities Field Experience, a unique course through Mayo Graduate School. For this year's fieldwork, course scholars and faculty are joining with the Center for Minority Health (CMH) at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health in its innovative program called 'Take a Health Professional to the People Day' on Sept. 18, 2008. For a full story:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-rst/4987.html

National Council of La Raza
Principles of Immigrant Integration in Health Care Reform
http://www.nclr.org/content/publications/detail/53592/
The National Council of La Raza published, Principles of Immigrant Integration in Health Care Reform, in which several national organizations concerned with immigrant health call for the careful integration of immigrants into health care reform. To read these principles, click here.

Pathways, Summer 2008 issue
To access the latest issue of Pathways, go to: http://www.stanford.edu/group/scspi/media_magazines.html
The summer issue of Pathways asks how poverty might be fought in the midst of an economic downturn.  Does a downturn provide an opportunity to step back and rethink how a modern market economy is best fashioned?  Does it provide a short-run opportunity to reduce poverty in the course of delivering economic stimulus?  The top social scientists and policymakers in the country, including Obama’s newly appointed director of economic policy, weigh in on these questions.  The summer issue also features reports on prisoner reentry policy, the recent uptick in teenage pregnancy rates, and other new research developments.

PolicyLink
Understanding Climate Change: An Equitable Framework
Over the last several years climate change has become increasingly part of mainstream conversations. Yet equity continues to be strikingly absent from the popular discourse on the subject. Instead, climate change has been framed as a global environmental problem whose impacts affect all of us the same. The critical questions are these: who is contributing to the problem, who is most affected by the problem, and who will pay to solve the problems climate change causes? As we debate how to address climate change, we must reframe our thinking. Climate change is about equity. It will have profound impacts on the environment, public health, and the physical form of our communities, as well as many other aspects of our social, economic, and environmental well-being. To contribute to a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding climate change within the social equity movement, PolicyLink commissioned Understanding Climate Change: An Equitable Framework. We hope that this paper will inspire leaders to learn not only about climate change but to also bring their knowledge, experience, and alliances to the climate change debates and to help develop equitable solutions.  We have organized this report into five chapters that describe:

• The scale of the challenge;
• Why equity advocates should care;
• The relationship between climate change and air pollution;
• Energy production, climate justice, and the climate policy debate; and
• Opportunities and challenges to address climate change and promote equity.

Each chapter concludes with a resource guide that identifies additional sources of information. Understanding Climate Change builds on PolicyLink efforts to place the issues associated with climate change into our ongoing work to advance equitable development. Through our current portfolio of projects we are working to:

• Encourage development that allows communities and the environment to thrive;
• Promote infrastructure investments that protect public health, expand economic opportunity, and reduce climate impacts;
• Transform food systems to function more effectively at the local level; and
• Expand the availability of green jobs.

PolicyLink is excited by the growing attention to climate change. As the attention and the conversations continue, we look forward to working with partners to develop and advance innovative solutions that promote equity and move us toward a climate-friendly society.

Practising Public Scholarship: Experiences and Possibilities Beyond the Academy
Edited by: Katharyne Mitchell (University of Washington)
Series: Antipode Book Series
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=9781405189125&site=1
"The role of the scholar/activist has never been more important than it is now. Practising Public Scholarship is one of the best books on what it really means to be a public intellectual to be published in years. It deserves a very wide readership." Michael W. Apple, John Bascom Professor of Curruculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison
"At a time of collapsing visions and privatized politics, academics who connect their scholarly work with social issues and work to translate personal concerns into public considerations, not only contribute to a society that at the very least should be capable of questioning itself, but also provide an instance of politics in which matters of knowledge, justice, and democracy become mutually determining. Practising Public Scholarship is an extraordinary testimony not only to the courage of engaged intellectuals, but also the importance of education as a crucial democratic public sphere. Everyone should read this book in order to get a glimpse of the promise of not only public scholarship and civic courage, but of democracy itself." Henry A. Giroux, Global Television Network Chair, McMaster University
U.S. Census Bureau
Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
The U.S. Census Bureau released, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007, that documents the number of uninsured people in the U.S. in 2007. Overall, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be uninsured compared to both the national average and non-Hispanic whites. For example, 32.1 percent, of both Hispanics and American Indians and Alaska Natives, 19.6 percent of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, 19.5 percent of African Americans, and 16.8percent of Asians went without coverage, as compared to the national average of 15.3 percent and 10.4 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

Other

Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Latino Health and National Health Reform Briefing
By 2050, the U.S. Latino population, already the nation’s largest minority group, will triple in size and will account for most of the population growth in the U.S. over the next four decades. Hispanics will make up almost three out of every 10 people in the U.S. by 2050. This growth will have important implications for health care in the U.S., and for national health reform. What health concerns do Latinos have? What diseases affect Hispanics disproportionately and what special prevention efforts are needed for this community? Will we have enough health professionals who are culturally competent to care for Latinos? How should national health reform proposals address the health needs of Hispanics? How were these needs addressed in California's recent effort at comprehensive health reform? Who should pay for the health care of undocumented immigrants who lack health coverage?  To address these and related questions, the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored an Aug. 13 briefing. A special focus of the briefing was the impacts of a report released by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Aug. 12 on the health needs of Latinos who are in the U.S. legally and illegally. To view the webcast, http://allhealth.org/briefing_detail.asp?bi=135.

Kaiser Family Foundation Webcast
Race and Genetics: The Future of Personalized Medicine
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=2884
View a webcast of the Kaiser Family Foundation's series, Today’s Topics In Health Disparities, which discusses the potential of race-based medical solutions for improving healthcare and reducing racial/ethnic health disparities. The webcast takes a closer look at efforts to study the interaction between race, genetics and health.  Panelists discuss the efforts underway to develop medications to treat diseases that disproportionately affect certain racial and ethnic groups, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of using genetic markers for race in medical decisions. Other topics covered include which genetic factors are being used to personalize medicine and what pharmaceutical companies are doing to target the drugs and treatments they offer to certain groups.

National Institutes of Health: Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni Ends Tenure as Director
Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., the director of the National Institutes of Health, steps down as the NIH Director at the end of October 2008 to pursue writing projects and explore other professional opportunities.

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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
  
To contribute information, resources or announcements to Kellogg Connection, e-mail kconnection@cfah.org. The Kellogg Connection is a monthly electronic newsletter that acts to connect W.K. Kellogg programs: Kellogg Health Scholars, Scholars in Health Disparities, Community Health Scholars, Kellogg Fellows in Health Policy Research and H. Jack Geiger Congressional Health Policy Fellows.
 
To SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE to Kellogg Connection, please e-mail scholars@cfah.org stating the e-mail address you would like added/removed.
 
The Center for the Advancement of Health identifies and disseminates state-of-the-science evidence about the influence of behavioral, social and economic factors on disease and well-being. Its purpose is to support health decision-making by the public and strengthen relationships among researchers and policymakers. The Center receives unrestricted funding from a number of foundations, principally The Annenberg Foundation, and restricted funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. To contact the Center, e-mail cfah@cfah.org, call (202) 387-2829 or visit our web site at www.cfah.org.

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