Glanz, Henry, Ramirez-Valles, Stokes come home to HBHE

Dr. Carla Stokes

Four UM HBHE doctoral alumni, who've made significant contributions to the field of public health, returned to SPH to share a bit of wisdom with current students at the day-long October 2nd Rackham Centennial Doctoral Alumni Lecture.

The event offered several ways for the alumni to connect back to HBHE students, from student mini-mentoring sessions, to semi-structured receptions, to the alumni's formal talks on how they got where they are now and what they wish they'd known along the way. 

What was their common message to HBHE students?

1. Don't be discouraged by a winding path to your career goals. 

2. 

   Dr. Jesus Ramirez-Valles

   HBHE faculty mentorship can be pivotal- keep those connections.

3. Our HBHE training is invaluable in non-profit, academic, and foundation work.

Students were inspired by this unique professional development opportunity and said the event gave them a sense of excitement and possibility to see such poignant examples of the many paths a successful HBHE career can take. They especially appreciated the practical advice each of the alumni offered. 

Carla Stokes, Ph.D., M.P.H (HBHE, 2004)- Founder, Helping Our Teen Girls in Real Life Situations, Inc.® (HOTGIRLS) Women's and girls' empowerment advocate, teen health and behavior expert, speaker and life coach: http://drcarla.com/home/

Dr Karen Glanz

Jesus Ramirez-Valles, Ph.D., M.P.H (HBHE, 1997)- Professor and Director, Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois - Chicago School of Public Health:
http://www.cade.uic.edu/sphapps/faculty_profile/sphFacultyInd.asp?i=valles&d= 

Karen Glanz, Ph.D., M.P.H (HBHE, 1979)- George A. Weiss University Professor of Epidemiology and Nursing Director, Center for Health Behavior Research University of Pennsylvania Senior Editor, Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice (Jossey-Bass Inc.):http://www.med.upenn.edu/chbr/faculty.shtml

Brenda Henry, Ph.D., M.P.H (HBHE, 2007)-Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: http://www.rwjf.org/publichealth/staffbio.jsp?id=1059&pid=1141

Dr. Brenda Henry

The event was held to mark the Rackham Graduate School’s 100th anniversary. Rackham sponsored several activities, including Alumni Lectures at 50 programs across UM campus, to exhibit the many facets of graduate education at Michigan. 

Rackham's initial call for participation suggested a lecture by a single alumnus from each program. HBHE chose to co-sponsor the event in order to showcase four alumni to celebrate the intellectual legacy of the department's graduates and HBHE's vast diversity of career trajectories.