Faculty publications in 2012

Faculty presentations @ APHA 2012

Dr. SangNam Ahn was the winner of the Nobuo Maeda International Research Award and won Honorable Mention for the James G. Zimmer New Investigator Research Award at the 139th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association held October 29-November 2, 2011, in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Marian Levy was elected President-elect of the Tennessee Public Health Association. She was also named 2011 Outstanding Dietetic Educator by the American Dietetic Association DEP Practice Group for a six-state area and she received the 2010/2011 Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award for Tennessee.

Dr. Ken Ward was elected as a new Fellow in the Society of Behavioral Medicine. 

Dr. Latrice Pichon and Dr. Chunrong Jia each received a Faculty Research Award from the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change. More information about this award and their Dr. Pichon's and Dr. Jia's research can be found here.

Four faculty members (Dr. Sato Ashida, Dr. Latrice Pichon, Dr. Chunrong Jia, and Dr. Xinhua Yu) were recipients of research grants from the Center for Health Equity and Research and Promotions in the School of Public Health.

Dr. Marian Levy was voted President-elect of the Tennessee Public Health Association in September 2010.

Dr. Lisa Klesges was recently named a Fellow in the Society of Behavioral Medicine. The status of Fellow is a distinction conferred by the Society on full members in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of the science and practice of behavioral medicine. Among the considerations for this distinction are academic, professional, clinical, legislative, or other meritorious accomplishments. Consideration for the status of Fellow is at the initiative of the Membership Council subject to approval by the Board of Directors. Fellows retain all privileges and benefits of Full Membership. For more information about the Society of Behavioral Medicine check out their web site.

Dr. La Don L. Jones of the University of Memphis has been selected to participate in the Maxine Smith Fellows Program of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the governing body for 45 universities, community colleges, and technology centers throughout the state. Jones is an associate professor of health education and the director of the master of health administration program in the School of Public Health.

The goals of the Maxine Smith Fellows program are to provide African American employees of the TBR schools the opportunity to increase their academic and professional credentials; to allow Fellows to observe and participate in decision -making situations; to provide Fellows the opportunity to experience how policy is made at the institution, senior administrative, and governing board levels; and to increase the number of qualified applicants from under-represented groups for senior level administrative positions at TBR schools.

During the 10-month program, Jones' mentor will be Dr. Richard Rhoda, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

"It is an honor to represent the University of Memphis in this regard," Jones said. "I am looking forward to working with TBR and Dr. Rhoda at THEC. My goal is to develop more opportunities within the state to help the U of M achieve its mission of developing even more Dreamers, Thinkers, and Doers."

Jones earned a bachelor of professional studies degree from the University of Memphis in 1988. He also received a master's degree in health administration and a doctorate in health services, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 

Every year at Faculty Convocation, the University of Memphis honors four outstanding faculty with the presentation of the Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award.The award is based on students' evaluation of teaching effectiveness, as well as recommendations from faculty, and alumni. Recipients receive individual plaques and awards, and their photographs are displayed in the Administration Building next to the large plaque honoring all those who have previously received the award. This year Dr. Marian Levy received the Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award 2009-2010.

A poster presentation from Dr. Satish Kedia's collaborative work on health impacts of the pesticides use with the “International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)” located in Philippines won the Best Poster Award at the International Meeting on Health and Environment: Challenges for the Future held at the National Institute of Health in Rome, Italy, 9-11 December 2009.

Citation: Palis, Florencia G. and Kedia, Satish. 2009. Effects of pesticide exposure on the health of Filipino farmers. In proceedings of abstracts Silvana Caciolli, Simonetta Gemma and Luca Lucentini (Editors) International Meeting on Health and Environment: Challenges for the Future. December 9-11, 2009. Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. p182.