Monday Morning

Distinguished (professors), diversity, diets and deficit

Yes, these topics are connected. Last week, I attended events and lectures related to all four topics. Wednesday night, I was at a reception to honor new distinguished professors. Among them was our W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor Barry Popkin...

Published Mon, Sep 12 2011 10:00 AM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, diversity, North Carolina, Health Care Reform, obesity

Celebrate workers—and those who want to work

Friday, September 2nd, the latest jobs report was released; new job creation is flat. Unemployment appears intractable without intervention. We at the School have added to the rolls of those unemployed over the last two years because of the large budget...

Published Sun, Sep 04 2011 1:26 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: Students

School starts; Irene hits

The new school year started great. Felicia Mebane, assistant dean for students, did a fabulous job of rousing everyone during orientation. I’m so proud of her, our student services managers, chairs, associate deans, and student leaders. We have...

Published Mon, Aug 29 2011 12:36 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: Students

Rodney Dangerfield no more!

Last week, I shared a ride to an out-of-town airport with another woman. In sharing backseat, we talked about our work and found some common interests. She’s a lawyer. I told her how surprised I’ve been about how often we speak to the wonderful UNC lawyers...

Published Mon, Aug 22 2011 12:55 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health

Football is not that important! (of course, that depends on one’s perspective!)

There, I said it. I realize that, for a lot of people, that’s a heretical statement (especially, my friends from University of Georgia). This morning, I picked up the local paper, and there was yet another article about football. It seems inconceivable...

Published Mon, Aug 15 2011 7:23 AM by Monday Morning

Filed under: Students, football

Students are the only antidote for bad news

The news has been as enervating as day after day of 95+ degree weather. It saps and erodes energy. Finally, last week, there was just-in-time resolution of the deficit brinksmanship game being played in Washington. But there was no celebration. The price...

Published Mon, Aug 08 2011 6:43 AM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, North Carolina, budget

Stop bashing faculty and universities!

Enough is enough! I am fed up with anti-university and anti-government sentiments driving state houses across the U.S. At the recent schools of public health deans’ meeting, deans from several states talked about the amount of time they now spend documenting...

Published Tue, Aug 02 2011 5:57 AM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, North Carolina, Students

Public Health Deans Retreat—to advance!

Saturday, I returned from the annual Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) Deans’ Retreat. This year, 46 of 48 deans attended. When I started as dean in 2005, we all could sit around a U shaped table. Now, we require a larger room with numerous...

Published Mon, Jul 25 2011 12:14 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: obesity, BIXI, ASPH, fitness

What soccer loss means for us

I got really interested in the Women’s World Cup this year. I grew up before soccer was played by girls, at least where I lived. Maybe the absence of good news made our favored-to-win status welcome in a summer marked by Washington stalemates and too...

Published Tue, Jul 19 2011 1:39 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, Global

No easy time: Only our waistlines are going up!

Friday’s news was filled with bad news. UNC-Chapel Hill will get budget reductions larger than any other schools in the N.C. system—18% permanent cuts. We don’t know what our School’s exact cut will be, and it will be a few weeks before we know. It won...

Published Mon, Jul 11 2011 5:06 AM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, North Carolina, behavioral research, budget, obesity

Unfinished budget

This is worth reading: Unfinished Budget from yesterday’s Durham Herald-Sun. Best wishes for a happy 4th! Barbara Read More...

Published Sun, Jul 03 2011 3:40 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: Students

Forced Sterilization: They Story We’d Like to Forget

I was sitting in my car last Wednesday night and turned on WUNC radio. I was riveted to the car seat. The story was about North Carolina’s forced sterilizations that lasted from 1933 to 1974, after 7600 men and women had been sterilized. Elaine Riddich...

Published Mon, Jun 27 2011 1:05 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, North Carolina, health disparities

Follow-up to my 6/13 post on E coli

See Dean Antoine Flahault’s blog for an incisive, witty assessment of the outbreak of E coli in Germany. It is particularly interesting to get a European epidemiologic perspective on the outbreak. Read More...

Published Mon, Jun 20 2011 4:04 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: Students

Faculty member in three dimensions

Last fall, our Biostatistics department organized a Festschrift to celebrate the career of Gary Koch, PhD, Professor of Biostatistics. Gary’s former students came from all over the world to join in the often touching events to celebrate Gary. Last Friday...

Published Mon, Jun 20 2011 4:04 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: Students

Still a blogging dean

Last week, I wrote that I’d been debating whether to keep blogging. Thanks to readers who left comments on the blog, emailed or stopped me in the hall or in town. It was great to hear from you! You made me think about the many ways readers get here, for...

Published Fri, Jun 17 2011 1:48 PM by Monday Morning

Filed under: public health, Global

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Distinguished (professors), diversity, diets and deficit

Celebrate workers—and those who want to work

School starts; Irene hits

Rodney Dangerfield no more!

Football is not that important! (of course, that depends on one’s perspective!)

Students are the only antidote for bad news

Stop bashing faculty and universities!

Public Health Deans Retreat—to advance!

What soccer loss means for us

No easy time: Only our waistlines are going up!

Unfinished budget

Forced Sterilization: They Story We’d Like to Forget

Follow-up to my 6/13 post on E coli

Faculty member in three dimensions

Still a blogging dean