Dean's Message - October 2024
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The end of October marks the halfway point of the semester. By now, first-year students have acclimated to the university’s cadence, attended a sporting event or two, and enjoyed sitting in the Adirondack chairs and the amazing food of UMass Dining. I’d also like to acknowledge that, for many of us, we are experiencing stress and anxiety over the election and the continuing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. In times like these, it’s important to take time to breathe and reach out to family and friends for support. Enjoy the numerous green spaces on campus to allow for decompression, vote to make your voice heard, and take time to unplug (including at Chapel Unplugged, a digital detox event with crafts, fun, and connection sponsored by the Okanagan Wellbeing Collective, on November 7th from 4-7 pm in the Old Chapel). We are very fortunate to have so many resources available to us on the UMass campus to support our mental health and wellbeing. Here is a link to a few others.
Our first Dean’s seminar of the academic year was a big hit this month. We changed our format to feature three faculty speakers from different departments to encourage broader attendance and to enhance our exposure to interdisciplinary topics. Our first speakers, Drs. Laue, DeLuca and Mackie, gave stimulating talks as they shared their work spanning the gut microbiome to language and literacy in clinical and school settings to creating healthcare systems with improved access to mental health care. Please join us for our next set of speakers – Drs. Horný, Liddy, and Wen – on November 8th from noon to 1pm in Goessmann 250 or via zoom.
Our Association for Schools and Programs in Public Health (ASPPH) participated in the development of themes that came out in the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) report Pathway to a Healthier America: A Blueprint for Strengthening Public Health for the Next Administration and Congress. The report provides specific public health policy recommendations for the next President and Congress. These include six priority areas:
- Priority 1: Invest in Infrastructure and Workforce to Ensure our Public Health System Can Meet the Challenges and Opportunities of the 21st Century
- Priority 2: Strengthen Prevention, Readiness, and Response to Health Security Threats
- Priority 3: Promote the Health and Well-being of Individuals, Families, and Communities Across the Lifespan
- Priority 4: Advance Health Equity by Addressing Structural Discrimination
- Priority 5: Address the Non-Medical Drivers of Health to Improve the Nation’s Health Outcomes
- Priority 6: Enhance and Protect the Scientific Integrity, Effectiveness, and Accountability of the Agencies Charged with Protecting the Health of all Americans
Our next President will face a growing number of public health challenges. I encourage our SPHHS community to become familiar with this report and its themes so that you can advocate our government representatives to invest in public health and make an impact on our health in a proactive manner.
Please remember that kindness, respect and gratitude go a long way to creating a flourishing and welcoming community. On Nov 14th, our Office of Academic Success and Career Planning will be out celebrating World Kindness Day. Watch for their golfcart and random acts of kindness! Additionally, during the month of November, we will once again take part in our annual 10 Days of Gratitude and the UMass Nutrition Association’s student food drive. During 10 Days of Gratitude, we’ll be providing preprinted cards for you to reflect on the people and things for which you are grateful. Please share them with a fellow student, colleague, friend or family member! We will also be setting up bins in the Arnold House lobby where you can drop off your dry food donations throughout the month of November.
Finally, don’t forget to change your clocks next weekend (November 3rd) and enjoy the crisp air and colors of the season!