Master’s students selected for presentation at international conference

Posted on May 10, 2017 by IU School of Public Health-Bloomington

Recently, five IU School of Public Health-Bloomington master’s degree students will present first author abstracts at the 2017 Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference in Washington, D.C. The students presenting at the conference focused on implementation, leadership and sustainability in global health include:

Tyler Sorocco, a Master of Public Health student in Environmental Health
Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi, a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health
Sarah Yonts, a Master of Public Health student in Environmental Health
Abdul Balogun, a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health
Yangkun Wang, a master’s student in Nutrition

Sorocco, Obeng-Gyasi, Ablogun, and Wang are all a part of the Global Environmental Health Research Lab within the school, which is directed by Associate Professor Rodrigo Armijos and co-directed by Professor Margaret Weigel. The posters presented by these four students all focus on research conducted in Ecuador on various aspects of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease that affects one to two million people worldwide. In the Americas, cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic from South Texas to Argentina.

Yonts will present research on traffic-related air pollution and behavior problems reported by the mothers of the school children in Quito, Ecuador. Her research was done in conjunction with her mentor Assistant Professor Khalid Khan as well as Armijos.

The conference took place April 7-9, and showcased a variety of speakers on topics that cover governance and political decision-making, health systems and human resources, infectious diseases and global health implications, noncommunicable diseases and social determinants of health, environmental sustainability, and women’s health.

New chair of Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies announced

Posted on May 10, 2017 by IU School of Public Health-Bloomington

Associate Professor Rasul Mowatt has been appointed the new chair of the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. His appointment begins July 1, 2017.

“It is with excitement that we make this announcement today,” says Mohammad Torabi, dean of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. “Dr. Mowatt will serve as a great leader for our Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies. The intersection of recreation and public health has never been more important than it is today, and the research and work being done by our faculty in this department will have a tremendous effect on future generations.”

Mowatt has been teaching at IU since July 2006 and currently teaches courses focused on leisure behavior, diversity, and event planning. Prior to joining the faculty at IU, he served as the Community Program Manager for the Champaign Park District in Illinois, was the President of the Champaign-Urbana Sunrise Club of Rotary International, and held the role of Illinois’ State Coordinator of the Voter Empowerment Program of the NAACP.

Mowatt has published a number of book chapters as well as articles, and focuses his research on leisure behavior, social justice, cultural studies, and critical pedagogy.

He earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mowatt has been recognized with several awards and honors, including the Indiana University Division of Student Affairs Gordon Faculty Award, the Academy of Leisure Science Excellence in Teaching Award, the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington Trustees Teaching Award, the IU Student Foundation Student Choice Award, and the IU Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching Award.

The IU School of Public Health-Bloomington Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies offers specializations in Public, Nonprofit, and Community Recreation; Recreational Sport Management; Recreational Therapy; Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management; and Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Human Ecology. The Department works closely with local, state and national agencies in cooperative research, education, and internship opportunities, and has a variety of external activities and initiatives, including Bradford Woods, the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, and the Leisure Research Institute.

Doctoral candidate earns prestigious scholarship from the Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education

Posted on May 10, 2017 by IU School of Public Health-Bloomington

During the Society for Public Health Education, Inc. (SOPHE) Annual Conference this week, the Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education (FAHE) will confer the Delbert Oberteuffer Scholarship to Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington student Ryan G. Erbe. A doctoral candidate within the school, Erbe is studying school health education and human development.

The Delbert Oberteuffer Scholarship is one of more than 30 awards and scholarships to health education researchers, faculty, programs, practitioners and students being presented during SOPHE’s 68th annual conference in Denver this week. The awards and scholarships recognize significant advancements in the profession of health education and health promotion and outstanding contributions of veterans and rising stars to improving the health of the public.

The scholarship earned by Erbe is the most distinguished school health student award in the U.S., and recognizes doctoral students for their academic achievement, their potential for impacting child health, and their professional goals.

Erbe earned a B.S. in Health and Physical Education from Ithaca College and a Master of Science degree in Health Science and School Health from Ball State University. He will complete his Ph.D. in Health Behavior in May and plans to then work for the New York City Church of Christ.