News from the School of Public Health

Research has found that educational media can positively impact young children, but few studies have been conducted in developing countries. Newly published research led by University of Maryland School of Public Health Research Professor Dina Borzekowski (Department of Behavioral and Community Health) in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology helps to address this with a study involving a locally-produced Tanzanian children’s show called Akili and Me.

While much kinesiology research is conducted in labs, on treadmills, in highly controlled settings, the opportunity to study an extraordinary athlete on the playing field can yield some novel results. The School of Public Health’s Dr. James Hagberg and colleagues had the good fortune of studying a two-season winner of the MAC Hermann Trophy—the top player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I soccer. The player (referred to as “Player A”) now plays professionally with the D.C.

Kecia Ellick and Joanne D’Silva, doctoral students in the School of Public Health were two of 28 students selected nationwide to present research at the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health poster session, which was held at the American Public Health Association annual meeting and exposition held in Atlanta from Nov. 4-8, 2017.

The Maryland Health Care Commission released findings today from a year-long assessment of the unique challenges facing the health system serving five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The report, titled “Health Matters: Navigating an Enhanced Rural Health Model for Maryland,” examined rural health care challenges in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties.

Deirdre Quinn, who has successfully defended her PhD dissertation, has been awarded the Outstanding Paper Award for a student paper from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) in the category of Religion, Spirituality and Family. The paper, “Family Religiosity, Parent Monitoring, and College Students’ Sexual Risk,” is based on her dissertation research examining family-level and individual-level influences on college students’ sexual risk and protective behaviors.

Prince George’s County residents have a brand-new place to call their health care home. The Catholic Charities – Susan Denison Mona Center (Mona Center) marked its official opening with a Formal Blessing and Ribbon Cutting ceremony on October 3, 2017.