Thursday, Feb. 9, and Friday, Feb. 10
5 to 8 p.m.
Qdoba restaurant, Franklin Street

Qdoba will be donating a percentage of all sales made between 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 9 and 10 to the Minority Health Conference. More information about the conference is available online.

For more information:
Kea Turner, keat@email.unc.edu

ASPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship Program seeking applicants

The Environmental Health Fellowship Program, supported by the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is now accepting applications for the 2012 fellowship.

The fellowship provides professional training and opportunities for early career public health professionals by enabling them to work on current and emerging environmental public health needs. The program will provide leadership training in environmental health and policy, with opportunities to collaborate with experts in the fields of environmental health, toxicology, epidemiology, biology and risk assessment.

The yearlong fellowship places students in full-time positions with various EPA organizations. Fellows will receive a stipend intended to cover all living expenses and an allowance that may be used to cover project-related travel, tuition, association dues and more.

The electronic application deadline is Thursday, Feb. 9. Hardcopy application materials must be received by Friday, Feb. 10.

More information is available online.

Polansky, media advocacy expert, to speak Feb. 10

Friday, Feb. 10
Noon
The Ibrahim Seminar Room (1301 McGravran-Greenberg Hall)

Jonathan Polansky will discuss how public health groups can use media advocacy techniques in a lecture titled "More Power to You: Practical ways to change how corporations and governments behave."

Polansky is an expert in media advocacy and has played research, strategic and creative roles in about 200 campaigns in a dozen countries on issues ranging from wild fisheries to domestic violence. He was creative director of the San Francisco-based Public Media Center for more than two decades. Currently, he partners with leading health groups and agencies intervening against the global tobacco industry.

Additional information can be found online (PDF). This event is sponsored by Counter Tobacco and the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education.

For more information:
Allison Myers, 919-593-5822, aemyers@live.unc.edu

Students challenged to create "viral" apps for the Health Data Collegiate Challenge

How can the power of health data be unleased to increase awareness of health problems and inspire postive action at the community level?

"Go Viral to Improve Health" -- a contest sponsored by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) of the National Academies -- is seeking multidisciplinary teams of students to create innovative apps and online tools that use health data to address pressing health issues. First prize is $10,000. Teams must register by Friday, Feb. 10 to enter.

Full details on the challenge and contest eligibility are available on the website or Facebook.

'Celebrate Teaching' Month

As a means of honoring and encouraging advancements in teaching, the School has designated February as 'Celebrate Teaching!' Month. The celebration includes a schedule of weekly talks and award presentations. The full schedule of events is available online (PDF).

For more information, contact Angelica Figueroa.

33rd Annual Minority Health Conference
Translational Research: The Road from Efficacy to Equity

The Minority Health Conference attracts 500 students, faculty, researchers, health professionals, and community leaders from around the nation each year. The conference provides a forum for researchers and practitioners to tackle the issues facing minority populations with the hopes of improving the health status of those communities. The theme for this year's conference highlights the importance of translating scientific discoveries into effective strategies and policies intended to eliminate health disparities. Ana Diez-Roux, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, will give the 14th Annual William T. Small Jr. Keynote Address.

For more information, visit the Minority Student Caucus website.

44th Annual Fred T. Foard Jr. Memorial Lecture

Event will begin immediately following the brief presentation of two awards to a distinguished alumnus and faculty member. Reception will follow. 

Joseph Coughlin, PhD, director of AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will give the 44th Annual Fred T. Foard Jr. Memorial Lecture. The Fred T. Foard Jr. Memorial Lecture was established in 1969 by Elsie D. Foard, to honor her late husband whose work in public health spanned more than a half-century, much of it with the U.S. Public Health Service.

Registration for this event opens in February 2012. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Jerry Salak.