public health Archives

NEW – MPH Epidemiology Focus Area

UNE is pleased to announce a new MPH Epidemiology Focus Area option for the 100% online, CEPH-Accredited Master of Public Health program. This exciting development is intended to help interested students bundle their elective courses and specialize their MPH degree in epidemiology, preparing them for a well-paying and rewarding career as an epidemiologist. About the MPH Epidemiology Focus Area The Master of Public Health Epidemiology Focus Area is centered on investigating causes and patterns of disease and injury. Like the MPH Generalist Track option, the Epidemiology Area is a 46-credit-hour MPH degree program that takes most students a little over two years to complete. The Epidemiology Focus Area attracts those interested in disease detection, data collection methods, data analysis, biostatistical…

Tags: Epidemiology | Master of Public Health | public health

Stackable Certificate Programs at UNE Online

One way to earn your master’s degree at UNE is through stackable certificate programs. Each graduate certificate offered at UNE Online is stackable to the corresponding master’s degree in that program. What does “stackable” mean? Each credit a student earns while getting their graduate certificate can be counted toward the master’s degree, should they choose to pursue one at a later date. This way students can gradually work their way to a master’s degree. Stackable certificate programs are a convenient way to start small and ease your way into a master’s degree, that on their own also hold value in the workforce. Stack grad certificate credits toward a master’s degree The academic credits that students earn can be reused or…

Opportunity available to go abroad with UNE’s Ghana Health Partnership!

A fortnight in Ghana UNE's cross-cultural opportunity

Study abroad to engage in direct health services, interprofessional collaboration, community education, and cross-cultural exchange. Open to students and alumni of UNE Each May, UNE students work alongside the Ghana Health Service, community health educators and the community, in a two-week Cross-Cultural Health Immersion initiative. A chance to effect positive change This annual effort involves collaboration between UNE, the Ghana Health Service, and local Ghana health practitioners to provide primary care, health education, and clinical services to community members in the city of Sekondi and two rural nearby villages. Learning is facilitated by interprofessional collaboration American and Ghanaian public health professionals, social workers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician assistants, and optometrists experience the opportunity to learn from, with, and…

Alumni Spotlight: Mona Haimour, MPH

Mona Haimour, RN, BScN, MSN, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada. As a 2016 inductee to UNE’s Chapter of the Delta Omega Honor Society, she also proved herself to be one of UNE’s brightest Master of Public Health students. From Jordan to Canada Originally from Jordan, Mona earned her Registered Nurse certification and actively practiced as an RN in the area of women’s health, maternal child health and pediatrics for many years there. It was in Jordan that she also earned her Master of Science in Nursing, and began to shift her work from nursing practice to nursing education. After working and volunteering across the Middle…

Faculty Spotlight: Tracey Spinato, MPH, Public Health Program

Tracey Spinato, Assistant Director for Career Services in Public Health at CGPS

Tracey Spinato is the Assistant Director for Career Services in Public Health at CGPS. One of her functions is to be a resource for public health students as they seek out a field experience placement. She is also a resource for UNE students and alumni who are beginning in the field of public health or for those who have decided to change their career to work within the public health field. Here, she tells us more about what she brings to UNE, and how she works with students to add value to their student experience. Can you tell us a little about your background and what drew you to UNE Online? I am originally from New Jersey, but I moved…

Tags: GPPH | Graduate Programs in Public Health | Master of Public Health Spotlight | public health

Faculty Spotlight: Carry Buterbaugh, Public Health Program

Carry Buterbaugh, PhD, MS is assistant-director thesis advising for the Graduate Programs in Public Health

Carry Buterbaugh, Ph.D., MS is the Assistant Director of Thesis Advising for Graduate Programs in Public Health students here at CGPS. So can you tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to teaching at UNE online? My background is in public health program evaluation and research. When working at the School for Community and Population Health at UNE, one of the programs I was involved in required frequent travel up to Washington County in rural Downeast Maine. We worked on an early childhood initiative (Project LAUNCH) designed to provide comprehensive support to at-risk families and expecting mothers. It is because of this program that I became really interested in rural health and the delivery of…

Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | public health

Alumni Spotlight: Monica Huelga, MPH

Monica Huelga, who completed her Master of Public Health practicum presentation on environmental health literacy, stands in front of the Pacific ocean with a sailboat in the background

In celebration of our Graduate Programs in Public Health’s successful CEPH reaccreditation, we sat down with Monica Huelga, MPH ’18, who found herself at UNE Online rather serendipitously. Monica is passionate about the power of communication to promote global health and equality. She completed her applied practice experience on environmental health literacy at the non-profit MEarth Carmel while working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Congratulations again on graduating last year! What inspired you to go for your MPH in the first place? I’ve always been drawn to health and distance studies. I received my undergrad from University of Washington in medical anthropology and global health, and I was trying to look at health in the bigger picture, the cultural perspective…

UNE CEPH Reaccreditation in UNE Online Public Health Programs

UNE CEPH Reaccreditation reaffirms the quality of UNE’s graduate programs in Public Health. UNE Online’s Graduate Programs in Public Health are excited to announce our successful reaccreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health. The Council met June 13-15, 2019, and awarded UNE a 7-year accreditation – the maximum amount of time possible under CEPH guidelines. The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is an independent agency and the only organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the official accrediting body for public health schools and programs in the United States. CEPH accreditation is a rigorous peer-review process designed to ensure that a program’s curriculum meets set standards for high-quality education and training. Download our Public …

Tags: CEPH Accreditation | Enrollment | Graduate Programs in Public Health | MPH | public health

Alumni Spotlight: Mae L'Heureux, MPH Program

Mae L’Heureux is a recent graduate of the Master of Public Health program. During her time in the program Mae served as Membership Co-Chair of the APHA-SA, and Member of the Graduate Programs in Public Health Advisory Committee here at UNE Online. Recently we had a chat about her experience in the program, how she liked the online format, and how getting her Master of Public Health is enhancing her professional career in youth mental health management. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Public Health? I discovered my interest in public health in a somewhat roundabout way. I began working in the mental health field after experiencing…

Tags: Master of Public Health | Master of Public Health Alumni | MPH | MPH Alumni Spotlight | public health

Policy - An Interprofessional Approach

A series of illustrated, intertwined gears to depict how How our online, interprofessional public policy course works

Have you ever wondered what people mean when they talk about policy? What is it? Who needs it? How does it work? Why should I care about it? UNE Online’s new public policy course, Policy: An Interprofessional Approach (GPH 702) is a great way to find out answers to these questions. You will work with students from other disciplines to better understand how policy impacts individuals, communities and populations and the importance of cross-sector collaboration and partnerships. What is Policy? Public policy refers to any federal, state, or local government action that influences individual or agency behavior. It can be laws, executive orders, regulations, ordinances, court rulings, appropriations, or board and committee decisions. Government decision-making impacts all of us personally…

What is the difference between Applied Practice Experience (APE) and the Practicum?

To get the inside scoop on what defines the Applied Practice Experience (APE) versus the Public Health Practicum, we spoke with Dr. Titilola Balogun, MBBS, MPH, DrPH. She is the Assistant Director for Public Health Practice for the Graduate Programs in Public Health in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies here at the University of New England. Dr. Balogun supports students who are about to begin their Public Health Practicum or Applied Practice Experience. What is a Practicum? The Practicum is the version of the public health field experience that we had before the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), our accrediting body, came up with updated requirements. While the definition of “Practicum” varies from school to…

Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | Master of Public Health | MPH | public health

Ambassador Spotlight: Tannaz Safari Vejin, MPH

Tannaz Safari Vejin earned her MPH during the gap years she took after pre-med and before med school. Here, she talks about what she feels is an important skill set to master during the program, and how she feels getting her MPH has given her an edge. UNE Online Ambassadors have been recognized by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies for being exemplary students and enthusiastic members of the UNE Online community. UNE Online Ambassadors serve as liaisons between our extended community and UNE Online, setting a precedent and standard for what it means to be a UNE Online student and community member. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your…

Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | Master of Public Health | Master of Public Health Spotlight | public health

Announcing the New Service Cord for GPPH!

Service – it’s a word that means different things to different people. As public health professionals, we think of service opportunities as activities done outside of our regular work or program of study that allow us to use our passion and expertise to help make our professions, communities, and ultimately, our world a better place. If you embrace community service opportunities during your public health studies, you could be recognized with a service cord at graduation. Service is giving back to our profession and to our community, not for financial gain, but with the only expectation being improvements in health outcomes in our communities. Whether you are an established public health professional gaining your advanced degree, or new to the…

Tags: GPPH | Graduate Certificate in Public Health | Master of Public Health | MPH | public health

UNE Online Graduate Programs in Public Health at MPHA 2018

UNE GPPH alumni and student presenters at MPHA 2018

MPHA 2018 was a HUGE success! This year, the Maine Public Health Association (MPHA) Annual Meeting and Expo was held in Augusta, ME and there were about 400 public health professionals from within and outside Maine in attendance, including our very own UNE Online Graduate Programs in Public Health (GPPH) faculty, staff, students and alumni. This year’s Annual Meeting theme was Addiction and the State of Public Health in Maine, which contributed to the topic of discussion in general sessions, scientific sessions, and presentations. Below, we’ve summarized a few of the sessions presented by our team at this year’s MPHA meeting. Prevalence and Correlates of Cigarette Smoking among High School Students in Maine Titilola Balogun, DrPH and current MPH student…

Tags: conference | Graduate Programs in Public Health | Master of Public Health | MPH | public health

Graduate Programs in Public Health at UNE Online: An Overview

There is a critical need for professionals with public health degrees today. The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) estimates that by the year 2020, the United States will be facing a shortfall of at least 250,000 public health workers. If you’re interested in improving the lives of others through building one-on-one relationships, conducting research or analyzing numbers, public health may be the field for you. Public health students are diverse and dedicated people who demonstrate a passion for improving public health. Public health graduates can find employment in the public or private sector, within non-profit organizations, or in health departments at the local, state, and federal levels. The University of New England offers two fully articulated online graduate…

Tags: Graduate Certificate in Public Health | Graduate Programs in Public Health | Master of Public Health | public health

Program Director Spotlight: Dr. Nang Tin Maung, Public Health Program

Nang Tin Maung Program Director, Public Health Program

Dr. Nang Tin Maung is the Program Director for the Graduate Programs in Public Health at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies here at the University of New England. She talks about her experience in public health, how she encourages her faculty to foster a sense of community, and how she feels that the program prepares students for life after graduation. Can you tell me a little about your background and what drew you to UNE Online? I have a BA in Biology from Simon’s Rock College, a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and an MPH in Global Health from Harvard School of Public Health. I decided to make a full career transition…

Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | MPH | MPH Faculty Spotlight | public health

Ambassador Spotlight: Emily Bartlett, MPH Program

UNE Online Ambassadors have been recognized by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies for being exemplary students and enthusiastic members of the UNE Online community. UNE Online Ambassadors serve as liaisons between our extended community and UNE Online, setting a precedent and standard for what it means to be a UNE Online student and community member. Emily Bartlett is a public health student and noted UNE Online Ambassador. Can you tell me a little about your background, and why you chose to earn your MPH at UNE Online? I’m from Maine, so I’ve known about UNE for a long time now. I got my undergraduate degree at The University of King’s College in Nova Scotia, majoring in International Development…

Alumni Spotlight: Mansoor Shafqat, GPPH Program

Mansoor Shafqat is a public health graduate student at UNE Online, residing in California. He has had many life changes while enrolled in his program, including becoming a new parent, so he finds the flexibility of the online public health program to be essential to his success as a student. We spoke with him recently about his experience with the program. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Public Health? I received my Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior Health from the University of California, Davis, and I am currently more than halfway through the Master’s of Public Health program here at the University of New England. I…

Career Services for the Graduate Programs in Public Health

Career Services at UNE Online Public Health

Career Services in the Graduate Programs in Public Health at UNE Online is a resource dedicated to supporting the career success of graduate public health students through individual career counseling, development, and online training workshops. Career Services facilitates the connection of UNE Public Health students with the resources and skills they need to drive their career development. We spoke to Jennifer Healy, Public Health Career Services Advisor, about her steps toward developing this program, and her vision for its future. “I think it’s important to get students thinking about career possibilities right from the start,” says Healy. To this end, she is currently working on writing and producing the curriculum for a series of career workshops, targeted specifically to…

Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | public health

Why Work in Public Health? Ten Reasons to Choose a Public Health Career

10 reasons to choose a career in public health

The field of public health is burgeoning with growth and opportunities. Work in public health is constantly evolving in response to the needs of populations around the world – because at its core public health deals with the issue of the health of people and their communities. Public health workers work to improve the conditions and behaviors that affect health. Broadly speaking, they track, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, promote healthy lifestyles, research disease and injury prevention, and work to limit health disparities. Public Health is everywhere, and public health initiatives affect people every single day in virtually every part of the world. The reasons people choose to work in public health are as diverse as the people themselves.…

Free Community Event: Screening of the Documentary Resilience

Resilience movie screening free community event

UNE Online and the Junior League of Portland have teamed up again this year and are proud to present the documentary Resilience: The Biology of Stress & Science of Hope. The event will begin 5:30 pm with opening remarks from Arabella Perez, LCSW of UNE’s Master of Social Work program, to discuss her work with trauma-informed care. The screening will follow. About the documentary Resilience This 68-minute documentary delves into the science of ACEs and the birth of a new worldwide movement to treat and prevent Toxic Stress. The movie premiered at Sundance Film Festival to sold-out houses. Resilience is the second documentary by director James Redford (son of Robert Redford) that addresses ACEs. The first was Paper Tigers,…

Tags: public health | Social Work | UNE Online

Meet Our Team: Zachary York

Zachary York, Student Support Specialist

Meet Zac York, a Student Support Specialist for our Graduate Programs in Public Health (GPPH). Zac started at UNE Online about a year ago and he’s been having a great time ever since. Zac and his team have a lot of fun, and he genuinely enjoys working with them. Zac’s great listening skills, positive attitude and sense of humor make him a strong asset to his team members as well as the students he works with. At UNE Online students are our top priority, and their success is what drives each and every one of us to do what we do. We’d like to share a little bit about the people that are dedicated to making that happen every day.…

Tags: Graduate Certificate in Public Health | Master of Public Health | MPH | public health | Student Support Spotlight

UNE Online Graduate Programs in Public Health at APHA 2017

APHA 2017 was a HUGE success! This year the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo was held in Atlanta, GA and there were more than 12,000 public health professionals from around the world in attendance, including our very own UNE Online Graduate Programs in Public Health (GPPH) faculty, staff, students and alumni. This year’s Annual Meeting theme was Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Changes Health, which contributed to the topic of discussion in general sessions, scientific sessions, and presentations. Below, we’ve summarized a few of the sessions presented by our team at this year’s meeting. In addition to the sessions listed below, the following GPPH adjunct faculty also presented: Wenjie Sun Arduizur (Carli) Richie-Zavaleta Rebekah Doyle…

Tags: Graduate Certificate in Public Health | Master of Public Health | MPH | public health

Announcing Graduate Programs in Public Health Mini-Grant Program

The Graduate Programs in Public Health (GPPH) has a new mini-grant program! We are pleased to announce the availability of funds to support research activities among primary and adjunct faculty, staff, and public health students. We have secured funds with this new public health mini-grant to assist students and faculty in attending conferences and conducting research. There are two types of funding available: To defray the costs of conference attendance* (Maximum award amount = $1000) *Preference is given to those with a poster or oral presentations To employ current UNE Master of Public Health (MPH) students as graduate research assistants or to cover data analysis costs. (Maximum award amount = $2500) In order to be eligible to apply for the…

Tags: Graduate Certificate in Public Health | MPH | public health