CEHHS Faculty Work Highlighted in Spring 2015 Issue of Legacy Magazine

In the Spring 2015 issue of Legacy Magazine, the work of CEHHS faculty members Chris Burke, Natalie Sampson, Julie Taylor, and Health Policy Studies Lecturer Lois Lamerato was highlighted. 

To view the full Legacy issue, click here.

Beyond the Scientific Method - pg. 5
"Nearly 25 UM-Dearborn students spent a recent Wednesday afternoon at Neinas working on science-related activities, along with social interactions, with grade schoolers....'Before our first visit, we discuss questions to incorporate into student conversations and ways to get the students interested in a project. We also write a reflection paper about the experience,' Burke said. 'This is to help prepare our students when they have a classroom of their own.' 'This is hands-on learning for both sides. Instead of telling the students what to expect, we do activities to formalize what we’ve talked about in class,' Burke said. 'When things are concrete, they
become real—not just a conversation.' "

Health Insurance: A Campus Dedicated to Revving up The Motor City - pg. 20

Health Policy Studies Lecturer Lois Lamerato (’85 A.B. ) has been conducting research in Detroit for nearly 30 years. The lead epidemiologist at Henry Ford Health System, she specializes in cancer research, but has also worked on dozens of studies in other areas.

"When she was a 20-year-old undergraduate, Health and Human Services Assistant Professor Natalie Sampson signed up for a community research project in Detroit.
Working with people who lived near the Ambassador Bridge, Sampson compiled research on how the international border affected their health."




Road Work - pg. 8

Julie Taylor, associate professor of social studies and multicultural education, works with Detroit high school students, encouraging them to tell their own stories through art.

Join Students in Competing to Design the Future of Mobility and Access to Healthy Foods in Detroit This Thursday, 1/15, 4-5pm

Weathering The Storms: CEHHS Prof Sampson Works To Address Climate Change In Detroit

Read full article HERE

How does a city grappling with how to thrive in the present day begin to think about what it will look like 50 years down the road?

That was a question the Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) wanted answered when it assembled the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) in 2011, a largely volunteer initiative to bring government, industry, academia, and the community together to address the effects of climate change on the city.

“Understandably, a lot of people don’t have the time and the resources to be thinking about climate change, but, as a society, I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” said Natalie Sampson, University of Michigan-Dearborn assistant professor of health and human services. “It’s exciting to see [DWEJ Policy Director] Kimberly Hill Knot and the environmental justice community pick up this topic and run with it.”

Sampson sits on the DCAC steering committee and chairs the public health work group. She hopes to get decision-makers to think about how public health and climate change are connected. With climate change, southeast Michigan will likely experience increased temperatures and more heavy precipitation events. This has implications for health—think of how heat waves can trigger respiratory issues or how flooded basements can expose people to waterborne diseases.

“The core mission of public health fits in with getting ready for these events,” she said. “If we have these extreme weather events, what does that mean for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents? If we’re behind on this issue, we’re going to further amplify disparities.”

DCAC has led focus groups and community outreach activities to make sure their work reflects the needs, resources, and knowledge of Detroiters and the DCAC’s partners. Across the city, many related community development and environmental initiatives have been underway for years.

To address climate change, Sampson said, “We have to think about how we can put systems in place to support citywide efforts, as well as the good work that is already happening in Detroit’s neighborhoods.”

The DCAC is working on a climate action plan that will begin to address those needs in ways that reflect existing research. The plan—similar to plans developed in more than 600 cities nationwide—will document the city’s current greenhouse gas emissions levels and detail strategies on how to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

DCAC published initial accomplishments in the Michigan Journal of Sustainability and will release the climate action plan this spring. The group also plans to continue to work with its many partners and Detroit residents to raise awareness of climate change and its impact on the city.

Student Highlight: Why You Should Consider Public Health or Community Health Education...

Hello! My name is Raymond Lynem and I am a senior at UM-Dearborn in the Health Policy Studies Program in the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters. Throughout my time here I have developed an interest in the interdependent relationship of health systems and the overall health of populations. Whether it is studying the social determinants of health (e.g. income, environment, education) or comparing the outcomes of different segments of the population, these are all issues that call for the proper management of population health.

My journey to the HPS program was somewhat indirect but has helped to give me a much better perspective on health care delivery and the current system utilized by the United States. Just a few years ago my intentions were to pursue a nursing degree with the hopes of becoming a nurse anesthetist. After a few science courses and gaining some very necessary experience within health care, my interests quickly shifted. Since starting my undergraduate degree, I have been privileged to work as a nursing assistant, perform research at the UM Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, and learn the importance of pathology in health care delivery as a lab assistant on California’s central coast. This past summer I also had the opportunity to intern at CHE Trinity Health in Livonia as a student in the University of Michigan Summer Enrichment Program (SEP).SEP provides students with the experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a career in public health. Each of these experiences have given me a unique perspective on the health care system and I hope to continue to build upon this moving forward.

UM-Dearborn, and the HPS program in particular, provides students with an opportunity to grow and expand upon a desire to help others through health care but on a broader level. The policies that government enacts have a large impact on the nation and it’s communities. One of the most recent examples of this is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which aims to create access to health care for millions of Americans that is both affordable and of good quality. With the ACA and the many other changes it will produce, the need for policy experts and health administrators cannot be overstated.

As we move forward, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on these issues with a unique focus on health inequities and population health. I hope to shed light on different aspects of health care and any new experiences I may have. I will also be writing about the activities of the Public Health Student Society (PHSS), a student club that all health students should consider joining as well as UM-Dearborn’s new Health and Human Services programs, Public Health and Community Health Education, while being joined by other student bloggers interested in spreading the word about public health!

Health and Human Services Chair in Legacy Magazine: A Marginalized Motor City

JULIE RODDY AND PAUL DRAUS KNOW their way around metropolitan Detroit.The University of Michigan-Dearborn professors walk through neighborhoods to speak with Detroiters about the rise of urban agriculture and whether farming can boost the city’s economy.

They talk with locals about the health consequences of medical marijuana.They establish relationships with southeast Michigan residents to discuss what factors led to the region’s rapid depopulation.

And they visit jails and substance abuse treatment centers to interview former street sex workers about the arduous recovery process these women face.Many of the research projects that Roddy and Draus have launched in recent years involve some of the region’s most vulnerable residents. Their efforts have highlighted the perspectives of people who often are ignored.

“We work with marginalized individuals who are most at risk,” said Roddy, chair of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Department of Health and Human Services. “We target people who live in neighborhoods where they’re overexposed to the lures of drugs and illicit employment. Nobody aspires to grow up and live these sorts of lifestyles, but when it’s all around you, you’ve got to make a living somehow.”

One of the major factors impeding Detroit’s comeback is blight. Streets are littered with abandoned homes, while overgrown vegetation shrouds vacant lots with inoperable streetlights.A popular solution is urban agriculture. Many vacant lots in Detroit have been transformed into farms in recent years, so Roddy and Draus visited local neighborhoods to ask residents about the ongoing agricultural uptick and its potential economic impact.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Ronald, a local pastor who remains optimistic about Detroit’s comeback. “I believe that farming is one of the foundations of a community where everybody works to grow, maintain and then reap the benefits of a community garden. I don’t think you can go wrong.”Roddy and Draus also interviewed 100 street workers throughout Detroit to learn why these women turned to a life of prostitution. They followed many of these women from the time they were arrested through drug court and treatment.

“In Detroit, you see a lot of social exclusion,” said Draus, director of public policy and public administration at UM-Dearborn. “Our focus is on how the routes or trails to recovery help people transition from marginality to the mainstream.”

Read full Legacy Issue Here

Curious about Health Education in Metro Detroit? Learn more on 11/18 & 11/20 12:30-1:45pm in 257, FCS!

How Does Climate Change Affect Public Health? Check Out CEHHS Professor Natalie Sampson's Work In Detroit To Find Out

How does a city grappling with how to thrive in the present day begin to think about what it will look like 50 years down the road?

Check out full article HERE

That was a question the Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) wanted answered when it assembled the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) in 2011, a largely volunteer initiative to bring government, industry, academia, and the community together to address the effects of climate change on the city.

Natalie Sampson

“Understandably, a lot of people don’t have the time and the resources to be thinking about climate change, but, as a society, I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” said Natalie Sampson, University of Michigan-Dearborn assistant professor of health and human services. “It’s exciting to see [DWEJ Policy Director] Kimberly Hill Knot and the environmental justice community pick up this topic and run with it.”

Sampson sits on the DCAC steering committee and chairs the public health work group. She hopes to get decision-makers to think about how public health and climate change are connected. With climate change, southeast Michigan will likely experience increased temperatures and more heavy precipitation events. This has implications for health—think of how heat waves can trigger respiratory issues or how flooded basements can expose people to waterborne diseases.

“The core mission of public health fits in with getting ready for these events,” she said. “If we have these extreme weather events, what does that mean for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents? If we’re behind on this issue, we’re going to further amplify disparities.”

DCAC has led focus groups and community outreach activities to make sure their work reflects the needs, resources, and knowledge of Detroiters and the DCAC’s partners. Across the city, many related community development and environmental initiatives have been underway for years.

To address climate change, Sampson said, “We have to think about how we can put systems in place to support citywide efforts, as well as the good work that is already happening in Detroit’s neighborhoods.”

The DCAC is working on a climate action plan that will begin to address those needs in ways that reflect existing research. The plan—similar to plans developed in more than 600 cities nationwide—will document the city’s current greenhouse gas emissions levels and detail strategies on how to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

DCAC published initial accomplishments in the Michigan Journal of Sustainability and will release the climate action plan this spring. The group also plans to continue to work with its many partners and Detroit residents to raise awareness of climate change and its impact on the city.

CEHHS Faculty Member Chris Burke Partners with Detroit Elementary School for Lesson in Sustainability

October, 6th, 2014

View full article from The Record HERE

There’s no trace of the vacant building that once stood on the lot. And fumes from idling delivery trucks no longer breeze into classroom windows.

When Neinas Elementary School students purchased a vacant lot for $900, empty buildings and idling trucks gave way to rain gardens and flower beds as part of the school’s living outdoor classroom.

That classroom, it turns out, is the perfect setting for students enrolled in University of Michigan-Dearborn’s teacher education program to learn alongside elementary students.

“The space students live in is an important source for curricular information. It’s a way to ground the information you’re trying to teach them with issues that make the content authentic and connect it to their lives,” said Chris Burke, associate professor of science education, who uses the outdoor classroom to teach Introduction to Science for Elementary Teachers and Elementary Science Methods.

At Neinas Elementary School, that means learning about sustainability. Specifically, what does a sustainable southwest Detroit look like? Fifth-grade teacher Amy Lazarowicz has tackled the subject for years and connected with Burke nearly three years ago to bring UM-Dearborn students on board.

Together, the two groups of students have studied soil components and flower parts. They’ve hit crushed limestone paver when digging for rain gardens. And they’ve learned to decipher between different types of manure to determine the best way to make fertilizer.

UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) students learn about classroom management and how to conduct experiments. But Burke hopes the lessons extend beyond basic textbook knowledge.

Through the course of the semester, he sees the role of student and educator shift a bit. This isn’t about saving Detroit, he said. It’s about learning from some of the city’s youngest residents.

“I want my students to learn from these kids. They have insights about the ecosystems of Detroit and pollution and the needs of the community that my students don’t have,” he said. “I want them to develop a deeper understanding and a more nuanced picture.”

That was the case for Zeinab Skaf.

The science education student came to Neinas to gain hands-on experience in the classroom. But she left with a better understanding of what students can teach her.

“The students at Neinas are smart, talented and motivated to learn,” Skaf said. “This experience taught me more about the city of Detroit and, more importantly, about the schools and students there.”