points of pride
Nate Albrecht is Awarded 2011-2012 Beverly Vaughn Friesland Memorial Scholarship for Graduate Public Service Interns.
Nate Albrecht, who was a GPSI intern with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, was recently honored as the recipient of the 2011 Beverly Vaughn Friesland Memorial Scholarship for Graduate Public Service Interns in recognition of his outstanding achievement and internship performance. The award is personally funded by Mrs. Kim Hayden, former director of the UIS Office of Graduate Intern Programs, in honor of her mother’s memory.
Nate recently began work as a Health Physicist Technician with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Department of Nuclear Safety. The award was presented at the UIS annual awards banquet held November 9, 2011.
Dr. Sharron LaFollette Receives National Service Award.
The AEHAP Board of Directors awarded the 2011 Jack B. Hatlen Award to MPH Program Chair Sharron LaFollette. Named after University of Washington Professor and environmental health pioneer, Jack Hatlen, the award is presented to individuals who exhibit outstanding service in environmental health academic programs and who also support the work of AEHAP. Dr. LaFollette stood out due to her 15 years as a faculty member at UIS where she is involved in bringing students to the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) conference as winners of the AEHAP/CDC National Center for Environmental Health Annual Student Research Competition awards every year. She has been a council member of the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) for almost twelve years, and is currently Chair.
She has been a friend and mentor to many and her skilled facilitation has helped the council make crucial accreditation decisions for the past few years. Says Yalonda Sinde, Executive Director: “Due to Sharron’s leadership, EHAC has been able to accomplish so much with so limited time and resources. Sharron always steps up to the plate and has been one of the biggest supporters of the staff."
Source: Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP)
Ben Layne is Awarded 2011 Intern Award for Excellence
Ben Layne, who was an intern with the Illinois Department of Public Health, was recently honored as the recipient of the 2011 Brian T. Milbrandt Memorial Intern Award for Excellence. The award was presented at the GPSI annual recognition breakfast held April 28, 2011. Ben recently completed his Masters of Public Health at UIS. Congratulations Ben on a job well done!
Ehab Ghandour Publishes Report
MPH Student Ehab Ghandour has coauthored an Illinois Department of Public Health report that is the end product of his internship. The surveillance report issued by IDPH birth defect surveillance system is entitled Trends in the Prevalence of Birth Defects in Illinois and Chicago, 1989-2008. Follow the hyperlink to access the report.
Diamond Ross is named Illinois Public Health Association's Student of the Year
The Illinois Public Health Association’s 2010 Public Health Student of the Year, Diamond Ross, continues to make remarkable achievements. Ross is a May 2011 joint Master of Public Health and Master of Public Administration candidate.
She was selected for the 2011 Class of Dunn Fellows and will be working in the Governor’s Legislative Affairs Office, in Springfield beginning August 1. This fall, Ross was appointed a Whitney M. Young, Jr. Graduate Fellow. As a fellow, Ross maintains a service commitment with the campus’ Diversity Center. Ross assists with the implementation of the S.I.S.T.A. Project at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). This peer-led intervention assembles young women who are UIS students in five weekly two-hour sessions on campus, highlighting cultural pride and pride in being a woman through discussions, poetry readings, and homework assignments. Ross is fascinated by this opportunity to apply the skills from her MPH course work and focus on the two health promotion theories from which the S.I.S.T.A. Project Intervention was adapted; The Social Cognitive Theory and Theory of Gender and Power. Lastly, Ross was named a Presidential Management Fellowship Nominee by UIS Graduate Administrators.
Anthony Nevicosi is named AEHAP October Student of the Month
Each month the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs highlights a student from one of the accredited programs. Our own Anthony Nevicosi was selected for October 2010. Click the link to read Anthony's profile.
AEHAP Student of the Month Anthony Nevicosi
Dr. Sharron LaFollette, Program Chair, received the Tenth Annual Spencer award for Service April 28, 2008.
The tenth annual Spencer Award for Service was given to Sharron Lafollette, associate professor of Public Health. Presenting this award, Chancellor Ringeisen noted, "The breadth and depth of her service to the university, her discipline, and the community are truly outstanding."
Lafollette came to UIS in 2001 after serving on the faculty at Illinois State University for several years. Ringeisen said that, on her appointment to UIS, she "immediately became active in numerous service activities, always serving with distinction." She has also served on many campus-wide committees and is active in her profession at the national, state and local levels.
UIS MPH Students and Adjunct Faculty at the 2008 Illinois Environmental Health Association annual conference October 9-10 in Peoria IL.
L-R Ashley Boateng, Kenny Runkle,Lenore Killam, Keesa Stinebaker, Joe Mitchell, and Mary Jo Thacker. Ashley is recipient of the O.L. Meyer Student Stipend Award, and Keesa is the recipient of the 2008 IEHA stipend to attend the 2009 American Environmental Health Association annual meeting in Atlanta GA.
