If you plan to graduate Spring 2008 or Summer 2008, you must follow the “Request to Graduate” procedures by the appropriate deadline listed below:

Spring: March 15 or 4 weeks before defense (whichever occurs sooner)

Summer: July 15 or 4 weeks before defense (whichever occurs sooner)

“Request to Graduate Information” can be found at at:
http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm

Master’s Thesis Proposal Submission

After choosing a thesis topic, you are expected to submit a thesis proposal to your advisor, which once approved is distributed to your thesis committee. Once your thesis committee approves your proposal, you are required to submit a Master’s Thesis Proposal form to the Graduate Program Office at 744 WARF. This form should be submitted before you proceed with the work of your thesis.

You can find the Master’s Thesis Proposal form at:
http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm

PhD Preliminary Exam Procedures

At least 3 weeks prior to your Preliminary Exam, you are required submit the following to the Graduate Program Office at 744 WARF:

Request form for Preliminary Warrant (available in 744 WARF) PhD Minor Agreement Form (available at: http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm ) In addition, please be sure all incomplete and pending grades are resolved; otherwise the Graduate School will not issue you a warrant.

The Graduate Program Office will submit your warrant request to the Graduate School and notify you via email when your warrant arrives.

PhD Qualifying Exam

If you are a PhD student and would like to sit for the Summer 2008 Qualifying Exam, please email Kelly Haslam at haslam@wisc.edu by May 1, 2008. The dates for the Summer 2008 Qualifying Exam will be: July 7-8, 2008 (and possibly July 9th as well). This is a change from years past when the exam occurred in mid-June. Further details regarding the exam will be provided in the upcoming weeks.

Review Student Record for Incomplete/Pending Grades

All students should periodically review their student record (for example, at the conclusion of each semester) for any incomplete or pending grades. You should resolve any of the following grades: incompletes (I), no reports (NR), and progress (P) grades for any courses other than 990. If you find you have one these types of grades, you should contact the professor for the course. Professors now have the ability to do their own grade changes electronically; except in rare circumstances, there is no more need for the paper forms.

IMPORTANT: If you have not resolved an incomplete grade by the end of the next term in which you are enrolled, you are considered in bad standing by the Graduate School and could be placed on probation or suspended.

Other Program and Graduate School Guidelines

For further information on program or graduate school issues, please refer to the
Population Health MS/PhD Academic Guide at
http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm or the

Graduate School Academic Guidelines at
http://www.wisc.edu/grad/education/acadpolicy/guidelines.html

Recognition

New MS/PhD Students

We have four new students joining our program this semester. Well, one of them, Valentine Oluchi, isn't really "new", but he is new to the PhD program. Here is a bit of information on each student.

Kelly Egan is a recent graduate of UW-Madison, earning her B.S. in Biology and is a student in our M.S. program. She has intern experience as a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Medical Society and has also been an undergraduate researcher for the Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is interested in a preventative approach to healthcare, particularly as it relates to AIDS, obesity, and smoking, among other serious health problems.

Hongyun Han is a Ph.D. student in the Sociology department, and is concurrently seeking her M.S. in Population Health. She has a B.S. and an M.A. from Peking University focusing on Political Science, Public Administration, and International Law. She has also earned her M.S. in Sociology from UW-Madison. Her academic interests include: social demography, sociology of education, socioeconomic disparities in early childhood health, as well as research methods and statistics.

Valentine Oluchi has an MB.BS. in medicine from the University of Nigeria Medical School, and has worked as a physician in various hospitals in Nigeria. Valentine was recently accepted to the Ph.D. program and is also finishing work on his Master’s thesis: "The Relationship Between Periodontitis and Hypertension." Valentine’s primary interest is in cardiovascular epidemiology, particularly identifying novel risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Alyn Turner is a doctoral student in Sociology, also working toward her M.S. in Population Health. She has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas-Austin and an M.S. in Sociology from UW-Madison. Among her research interests are sociology of education, epidemiology, childhood and adolescent well-being and health, as well as social stratification and social demography. Her Master’s thesis explored the causal mechanisms through which health inequalities among infants affect educational attainment.

Please welcome these students to our program.

Population Health Interview

For the inside scoop on Population Health students and staff...

This issue's feature: Tom DeLeire, Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences and Public Affairs. Tom is currently teaching Public Affairs 864, "Health Policy and Policy Design" and will be teaching Public Affairs 880, "Microeconomic Policy Analysis in the Fall 08 semester.

Please give a quick biographical sketch to introduce yourself.
I am a health and labor economist. I got my Ph.D. in economics at Stanford in 1997, and moved to Chicago with my wife, Jennifer, where I taught at the University of Chicago in their School of Public Policy. In 2004, I moved to Michigan State University. I've worked in government a fair bit, taking leaves from my University appointments. From 2002-2003 I was the senior economist for health, labor, and education for President Bush's Council of Economic Advisors and from 2005-2007 I was a senior analyst for the Health and Human Resources Division at the Congressional Budget Office.

Jennifer and I have a baby boy, Cole, and the three of us moved to Madison in September of last year.

Tell us a little about your research interests or areas of expertise.
Most of my work has centered around the interactions between health and labor markets. For example, I have studied the employment effects of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the effect of employment policies on health insurance coverage of disadvantage populations. In particular, I have recently conducted a study examining trends in the volatility of workers' earnings from 1980 to 2002. In other work, I have found that a strategy that many families adopt—participation in religious and other community organizations—can help mitigate the consequences of change in family income on family consumption and individual happiness. My most recent work has been on economic mobility and the well-being of disadvantaged households.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Cole sleeping through the night!

Who are the heroes in your life?
I have always admired my wife, Jennifer, for never being afraid to take on new challenges. My economist-hero is Milton Friedman.

What is your favorite travel destination?
Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

If you could be one public figure, alive or dead, who would you like to be? Why?
Having worked in government a bit, I am confident that I do not want to be a public figure (dead or alive). They have difficult lives and I enjoy my privacy. Besides, I believe one can have a large and positive impact on public policy and on public discourse from "below the radar."

Thanks, Tom, and welcome to Pop Health!

Student Organization News

The first student organization meeting is Monday, Feb. 4th at 10:30 AM. We plan to use this time to fill open positions and discuss the different ongoing student-initiated projects and opportunities for the semester. For more info, contact Matt Maenner, co-President.

Upcoming Global Chat Event

Global Chat with John Ferrick on February 7 at 12:30pm in room 666 WARF.

John Ferrick serves as the Associate Director of International Programs in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the UW-Madison. John has over 20 years of experience working on issues of hunger, nutrition and poverty in low- and middle-income countries. He continues working closely with colleagues in Uganda and around the world organizing UW trips to households, hospitals, rural health centers and pediatric AIDS clinics. He also advises the Village Health Project, a UW student-initiative to promote and implement household-based safe water solutions in rural Uganda.

Other Opportunities & Updates

Marie Christine Kohler Fellowship

The Marie Christine Kohler Fellowship offers an exceptional opportunity for graduate students from diverse disciplines to live together, rent free, in the former Governor's Mansion known as the Knapp House.

The fellowship is based on the principles of scholarship, leadership, and diversity. Fellowship tenure is a period of rich academic and cultural exchange. During the academic year fellows host a monthly seminar dinner during each semester.

Applicants must be in the final stages of their degree granting program. PhD candidates holding dissertator status are eligible to reside at the Knapp House for up to two years.

Application Deadline: March 3, 2008

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an open house at the Knapp House to meet with the current fellows. The open houses are February 24th from 12 - 2pm and March 2nd from 1- 3pm. The Knapp House is located at 130 E. Gilman Street.

More information: http://knapphouse.rso.wisc.edu/

Also, please let Kelly Haslam know if you plan on applying.

Job Opportunities

Population Health Research Specialist: UW-Madison

Job Listing: http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/pvl/pv_058165.html

From Pat Remington: "It's the type of work that could be done while completing the MPH or MS in Population Health, and then transition in to a Research Spec position after graduation. Please contact me if you're interested in learning more about this position."

Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA)

The National Cancer Institute, a major research component of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, is pleased to request applications from qualified candidates for a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA). The Cancer Research Training Award provides an outstanding opportunity for an individual with a strong interest in understanding how cancer care (screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring) is delivered and has an impact on populations. The position will allow contact with a large number of scientists representing disciplines of health services research, economics, epidemiology, including experts in cancer screening, quality of care assessment, and other cross-cutting arenas of application.

For further information about the position or application process, please review full position description on website and/or contact Emily Dowling (dowlinge@mail.nih.gov, 301-594-6654).

Ebling Library Classes in February

Effective PubMed Searching, Feb. 6 and 8.

Getting the Evidence: An Introduction to Evidence-based Public Health, Feb. 12.

For complete information on class time, location, and materials, see http://ebling.library.wisc.edu/ or contact Chris Hooper-Lane at 263-9324 or chooper@library.wisc.edu

Department News

Ever wonder what's going on in the Population Health Department? Now your curiosity can be fulfilled! Please check out What's New at Population Health!

Tea Time

Every Wednesday afternoon at 2:00, the Department sponsors Tea Time. It's a nice chance to take a break and visit with your Population Health friends and colleagues. Tea and cookies are provided, but everyone is welcome to bring a favorite drink. The location of Tea Time rotates among the Pop Health floors; each week a sign is posted at the elevators giving the location. Come join us!

Seminars

Be sure to attend the Monday Seminars, held in room 1309 HSLC every Monday at noon and the Wednesday Seminars, held at noon in 132 WARF every Wednesday!

Looking for some international and cultural flair in Madison? Consider attending one of the Global Health Seminars!

School of Medicine and Public Health Resources

Current Press Releases and news stories as well as current events

Want to stay in-tuned to MORE Pop Health information and events?

Check out the IME Video Library!

Also, Research Digest

From the Grad Student Collaborative:

For more information and upcoming events for Graduate Students, please check out the GSC website!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Send us your announcements and we will include them in the next issue of the Program Update. Send your announcements to us at lmsteiner@wisc.edu.

All announcements we receive that appear relevant to students, faculty and/or staff are included in the program update. Inclusion of an announcement in the program update does not imply endorsement of it.

	Population Health Graduate Program Update
	February 1, 2008
Informational Websites Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Demography and Ecology Demography of Health and Aging Economics Environmental Studies Institute for Research on Poverty Seminars La Follette School of Public Affairs Sociology Statistics Transdisciplinary Studies of Health and Society Working Group Counseling and Consultation Services Graduate School Graduate Student Council Software Training for Students Teaching Assistants' Association (TAA) TAA Contract Writing Center Classes	Important Program Reminders Recognition Student Organization News Other Opportunities & Updates Important Program Reminders Request to Graduate Procedures If you plan to graduate Spring 2008 or Summer 2008, you must follow the “Request to Graduate” procedures by the appropriate deadline listed below: Spring: March 15 or 4 weeks before defense (whichever occurs sooner) Summer: July 15 or 4 weeks before defense (whichever occurs sooner) “Request to Graduate Information” can be found at at: http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm Master’s Thesis Proposal Submission After choosing a thesis topic, you are expected to submit a thesis proposal to your advisor, which once approved is distributed to your thesis committee. Once your thesis committee approves your proposal, you are required to submit a Master’s Thesis Proposal form to the Graduate Program Office at 744 WARF. This form should be submitted before you proceed with the work of your thesis. You can find the Master’s Thesis Proposal form at: http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm PhD Preliminary Exam Procedures At least 3 weeks prior to your Preliminary Exam, you are required submit the following to the Graduate Program Office at 744 WARF: Request form for Preliminary Warrant (available in 744 WARF) PhD Minor Agreement Form (available at: http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm ) In addition, please be sure all incomplete and pending grades are resolved; otherwise the Graduate School will not issue you a warrant. The Graduate Program Office will submit your warrant request to the Graduate School and notify you via email when your warrant arrives. PhD Qualifying Exam If you are a PhD student and would like to sit for the Summer 2008 Qualifying Exam, please email Kelly Haslam at haslam@wisc.edu by May 1, 2008. The dates for the Summer 2008 Qualifying Exam will be: July 7-8, 2008 (and possibly July 9th as well). This is a change from years past when the exam occurred in mid-June. Further details regarding the exam will be provided in the upcoming weeks. Review Student Record for Incomplete/Pending Grades All students should periodically review their student record (for example, at the conclusion of each semester) for any incomplete or pending grades. You should resolve any of the following grades: incompletes (I), no reports (NR), and progress (P) grades for any courses other than 990. If you find you have one these types of grades, you should contact the professor for the course. Professors now have the ability to do their own grade changes electronically; except in rare circumstances, there is no more need for the paper forms. IMPORTANT: If you have not resolved an incomplete grade by the end of the next term in which you are enrolled, you are considered in bad standing by the Graduate School and could be placed on probation or suspended. Other Program and Graduate School Guidelines For further information on program or graduate school issues, please refer to the Population Health MS/PhD Academic Guide at http://www.pophealth.wisc.edu/grad/info_curr_grad.htm or the Graduate School Academic Guidelines at http://www.wisc.edu/grad/education/acadpolicy/guidelines.html Recognition New MS/PhD Students We have four new students joining our program this semester. Well, one of them, Valentine Oluchi, isn't really "new", but he is new to the PhD program. Here is a bit of information on each student. Kelly Egan is a recent graduate of UW-Madison, earning her B.S. in Biology and is a student in our M.S. program. She has intern experience as a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Medical Society and has also been an undergraduate researcher for the Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is interested in a preventative approach to healthcare, particularly as it relates to AIDS, obesity, and smoking, among other serious health problems. Hongyun Han is a Ph.D. student in the Sociology department, and is concurrently seeking her M.S. in Population Health. She has a B.S. and an M.A. from Peking University focusing on Political Science, Public Administration, and International Law. She has also earned her M.S. in Sociology from UW-Madison. Her academic interests include: social demography, sociology of education, socioeconomic disparities in early childhood health, as well as research methods and statistics. Valentine Oluchi has an MB.BS. in medicine from the University of Nigeria Medical School, and has worked as a physician in various hospitals in Nigeria. Valentine was recently accepted to the Ph.D. program and is also finishing work on his Master’s thesis: "The Relationship Between Periodontitis and Hypertension." Valentine’s primary interest is in cardiovascular epidemiology, particularly identifying novel risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Alyn Turner is a doctoral student in Sociology, also working toward her M.S. in Population Health. She has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas-Austin and an M.S. in Sociology from UW-Madison. Among her research interests are sociology of education, epidemiology, childhood and adolescent well-being and health, as well as social stratification and social demography. Her Master’s thesis explored the causal mechanisms through which health inequalities among infants affect educational attainment. Please welcome these students to our program. Population Health Interview For the inside scoop on Population Health students and staff... This issue's feature: Tom DeLeire, Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences and Public Affairs. Tom is currently teaching Public Affairs 864, "Health Policy and Policy Design" and will be teaching Public Affairs 880, "Microeconomic Policy Analysis in the Fall 08 semester. Please give a quick biographical sketch to introduce yourself. I am a health and labor economist. I got my Ph.D. in economics at Stanford in 1997, and moved to Chicago with my wife, Jennifer, where I taught at the University of Chicago in their School of Public Policy. In 2004, I moved to Michigan State University. I've worked in government a fair bit, taking leaves from my University appointments. From 2002-2003 I was the senior economist for health, labor, and education for President Bush's Council of Economic Advisors and from 2005-2007 I was a senior analyst for the Health and Human Resources Division at the Congressional Budget Office. Jennifer and I have a baby boy, Cole, and the three of us moved to Madison in September of last year. Tell us a little about your research interests or areas of expertise. Most of my work has centered around the interactions between health and labor markets. For example, I have studied the employment effects of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the effect of employment policies on health insurance coverage of disadvantage populations. In particular, I have recently conducted a study examining trends in the volatility of workers' earnings from 1980 to 2002. In other work, I have found that a strategy that many families adopt—participation in religious and other community organizations—can help mitigate the consequences of change in family income on family consumption and individual happiness. My most recent work has been on economic mobility and the well-being of disadvantaged households. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Cole sleeping through the night! Who are the heroes in your life? I have always admired my wife, Jennifer, for never being afraid to take on new challenges. My economist-hero is Milton Friedman. What is your favorite travel destination? Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you could be one public figure, alive or dead, who would you like to be? Why? Having worked in government a bit, I am confident that I do not want to be a public figure (dead or alive). They have difficult lives and I enjoy my privacy. Besides, I believe one can have a large and positive impact on public policy and on public discourse from "below the radar." Thanks, Tom, and welcome to Pop Health! Student Organization News The first student organization meeting is Monday, Feb. 4th at 10:30 AM. We plan to use this time to fill open positions and discuss the different ongoing student-initiated projects and opportunities for the semester. For more info, contact Matt Maenner, co-President. Upcoming Global Chat Event Global Chat with John Ferrick on February 7 at 12:30pm in room 666 WARF. John Ferrick serves as the Associate Director of International Programs in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the UW-Madison. John has over 20 years of experience working on issues of hunger, nutrition and poverty in low- and middle-income countries. He continues working closely with colleagues in Uganda and around the world organizing UW trips to households, hospitals, rural health centers and pediatric AIDS clinics. He also advises the Village Health Project, a UW student-initiative to promote and implement household-based safe water solutions in rural Uganda. Other Opportunities & Updates Marie Christine Kohler Fellowship The Marie Christine Kohler Fellowship offers an exceptional opportunity for graduate students from diverse disciplines to live together, rent free, in the former Governor's Mansion known as the Knapp House. The fellowship is based on the principles of scholarship, leadership, and diversity. Fellowship tenure is a period of rich academic and cultural exchange. During the academic year fellows host a monthly seminar dinner during each semester. Applicants must be in the final stages of their degree granting program. PhD candidates holding dissertator status are eligible to reside at the Knapp House for up to two years. Application Deadline: March 3, 2008 Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an open house at the Knapp House to meet with the current fellows. The open houses are February 24th from 12 - 2pm and March 2nd from 1- 3pm. The Knapp House is located at 130 E. Gilman Street. More information: http://knapphouse.rso.wisc.edu/ Also, please let Kelly Haslam know if you plan on applying. Job Opportunities Population Health Research Specialist: UW-Madison Job Listing: http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/pvl/pv_058165.html From Pat Remington: "It's the type of work that could be done while completing the MPH or MS in Population Health, and then transition in to a Research Spec position after graduation. Please contact me if you're interested in learning more about this position." Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) The National Cancer Institute, a major research component of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, is pleased to request applications from qualified candidates for a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA). The Cancer Research Training Award provides an outstanding opportunity for an individual with a strong interest in understanding how cancer care (screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring) is delivered and has an impact on populations. The position will allow contact with a large number of scientists representing disciplines of health services research, economics, epidemiology, including experts in cancer screening, quality of care assessment, and other cross-cutting arenas of application. For further information about the position or application process, please review full position description on website and/or contact Emily Dowling (dowlinge@mail.nih.gov, 301-594-6654). Ebling Library Classes in February Effective PubMed Searching, Feb. 6 and 8. Getting the Evidence: An Introduction to Evidence-based Public Health, Feb. 12. For complete information on class time, location, and materials, see http://ebling.library.wisc.edu/ or contact Chris Hooper-Lane at 263-9324 or chooper@library.wisc.edu Department News Ever wonder what's going on in the Population Health Department? Now your curiosity can be fulfilled! Please check out What's New at Population Health! Tea Time Every Wednesday afternoon at 2:00, the Department sponsors Tea Time. It's a nice chance to take a break and visit with your Population Health friends and colleagues. Tea and cookies are provided, but everyone is welcome to bring a favorite drink. The location of Tea Time rotates among the Pop Health floors; each week a sign is posted at the elevators giving the location. Come join us! Seminars Be sure to attend the Monday Seminars, held in room 1309 HSLC every Monday at noon and the Wednesday Seminars, held at noon in 132 WARF every Wednesday! Looking for some international and cultural flair in Madison? Consider attending one of the Global Health Seminars! School of Medicine and Public Health Resources Current Press Releases and news stories as well as current events Want to stay in-tuned to MORE Pop Health information and events? Check out the IME Video Library! Also, Research Digest From the Grad Student Collaborative: For more information and upcoming events for Graduate Students, please check out the GSC website! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send us your announcements and we will include them in the next issue of the Program Update. Send your announcements to us at lmsteiner@wisc.edu. All announcements we receive that appear relevant to students, faculty and/or staff are included in the program update. Inclusion of an announcement in the program update does not imply endorsement of it.

Population Health

Graduate Program Update

InformationalWebsites

Demography and EcologyDemography of Health

Informational
Websites

Demography and Ecology

Demography of Health