UIC School of Public Health
2005 Sponsored Activities Annual Report

DEAN'S MESSAGE

I am pleased to present to you the 2005 UIC School of Public Health (SPH) Sponsored Activities Annual Report. The report provides a window through which those of us within the School and those interested parties outside of the School can view our many accomplishments in sponsored activities. The many positive comments received from our inaugural report in 2004 were a clear indication that providing this inside view of the SPH is welcome. In fiscal year 2005, as highlighted in this report, the expenditures for sponsored activities were approximately $31 million ranking us 2nd or 3rd overall in research expenditures at UIC for the last 5 fiscal years.

The SPH has as part of its mission and vision the conduct of research and the provision of service that help provide solutions to public health problems. We achieve this through various externally sponsored activities. More specifically an implementation strategy related to sponsored activities states that the SPH will “Support a full spectrum of research activities from basic research to applied practice and intervention effectiveness as a major driver of curriculum expertise, resource development, faculty and student recruitment and School reputation”. We have chosen to measure success with the following: 1) growth in sponsored activities, 2) amount of federal funding, 3) proposal success rate, and 4) increase in community partnerships. This report hopefully provides insight into where the SPH stands.

Further, each year, this report highlights the sponsored activity of a faculty member from each of the 4 divisions in the School as well as the sponsored activity of at least two students. In this issue, you will read about faculty members Robert Bailey, PhD, Professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Elizabeth Calhoun, PhD, Associate Professor in Health Policy and Administration, Linda Forst, MD, Associate Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and Jesus Ramirez-Valles, PhD, Associate Professor in Community Health Sciences. From investigation of the protective effect of male circumcision against the acquisition of HIV infection in Kenya, to improving knowledge about breast and cervical cancer among African-American and Latina women, to addressing eye injuries in Latino farmworkers, to reducing the stigma towards homosexuality and HIV/AIDS as a means to prevent sexual risk behaviors among Latino gay and bisexual the highlighted work demonstrates the broad spectrum of sponsored activities in which the SPH faculty members are engaged. Further, in this report, we present two of our students, Michelle Choi, a DrPH student in Community Health Sciences and Katrine Wallace, a PhD student in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Michelle is sponsored by a not-for-profit agency in her study identifying barriers to seeking mental health services among Korean immigrant women. Katrine is sponsored by the federal government in her study assessing racial differences in potential dietary/lifestyle risk factors for prostate cancer.

Finally, at the end of this report there is a table providing information on all sponsored activities for 7/1/04 to 6/30/05 by grant administering unit. The table highlights research, instruction and service.

On behalf of the School of Public Health and the many faculty, students, and staff who commit themselves to these sponsored activities, I know you will enjoy reading this report and learning more about this exceptional work.

Sylvia E. Furner, PhD
Interim Dean

Copyright 2006 Contact jckong@uic.edu for questions