News & Events

Awards presented at College of Public Health convocation

Students and faculty receiving awards

Faculty and student awards were presented at the College of Public Health’s convocation held May 4. The following College of Public Health faculty members and students were honored: Excellence in Teaching Award: Lorena Baccaglini, D.D.S., Ph.D., associate professor, epidemiology, for her ability to break down and teach complex statistical concepts with humor and enthusiasm. Carruth J. Wagner, M.D., Faculty Prize in Public Health: Fernando Wilson, Ph.D., acting director and associate professor, Center for Health Policy, for his contribution to the recent closing of liquor stores… Continue Reading

COPH Notable Mentions

COPH Notable Mentions – In the Spring 2018 semester, the following students fulfilled the requirements for Certificate in Public Health, Certificate in Community Oriented Primary Care, Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Emergency Preparedness and Doctor of Philosophy. Congratulations to all these graduating students, and best wishes to them in their chosen Public Health professions! Certificate in Public Health Mariam Taiwo Certificate in Community Oriented Primary Care Margaret Rubin Master of Public Health Graduates & Capstone Project Carling Adams (EPI) – Development of… Continue Reading

College Helps Qatar Prepare for 2022 World Cup

Boats and buildings in Doha, Qatar

Education Highlight – Successful health security is about partnerships in a shrinking global arena. We are fortunate to have a Dean that is well connected to the global preparedness network. In late 2016 Dean Khan asked the Center for Preparedness Education (in the College of Public Health) to represent him for the planning of a workshop to be hosted in Doha, Qatar. Drs. Sharon Medcalf, Ted Cieslak, and Elayne Saejung worked with Qatar’s National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons of Mass Destruction, to design… Continue Reading

Creating a Landscape of Community Population Health and Wellness Contexts for Children

Dr. Brandon Grimm, Dr. Athena Ramos, Chelsey Schlechter, & Dr. David Dzewaltowski

Spotlight on Research at COPH – Preventive health behaviors, such as physical activity and healthful eating, are brief events that accumulate throughout the day.  Previous research and health professional practice have typically viewed sustained health behavior as an individual’s decision made frequently and habitually over time.  Strategies to promote healthy behavior have focused on developing knowledge and skills within individuals.  But, evidence has emerged that individual choices are made in relation to the characteristics of places and people that they interact with on a daily… Continue Reading

Nirosha Rathnayake

Nirosha Rathnayake

Student Highlight: Nirosha Rathnayake Hometown: Kandy, Sri Lanka Degree and concentration: Ph.D. Biostatistics What brought you to the field of public health? I grew up in a farming family. My parents helped to provide me with opportunities that allowed me to work outside the farm environment, opening my eyes to many other careers. Since childhood, my brother has been my role model. Watching his path and with his encouragement, I started exploring the world of mathematics and science. I dedicated myself and worked hard to… Continue Reading

Researchers at COPH Health Services Research and Administration Examine the Needs of Emergency Department Patients with High Utilization Patterns

Dr. Hongmei Wang

Spotlight on Research at COPH – Medical care expenditures are highly concentrated in the U.S. with 5% of the population responsible for nearly half of all health care expenses. Patients with high medical utilization often have frequent emergency department visits. There is an increasing interest in studying the characteristics and underlying needs of the frequent users of emergency department (ED) to help understand the causes of poor health and high utilization.  Research shows that these patients may have complex health-harming needs that cannot be addressed… Continue Reading

Public Health Collaborations: Group from the UNMC College of Public Health visits China

Education Highlight – In November 2017, a group from UNMC’s College of Public Health (COPH) visited China to participate in the 9th Annual Symposium of the China-US Research Center for Life Sciences, which pairs UNMC investigators with peers from Chinese institutions. The Symposium was jointly initiated by UNMC and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2007, and it alternates location each year between Beijing and Omaha. This year CAS hosted the Symposium which was focused on infectious disease and public health. UNMC and CAS invited… Continue Reading