The network’s expanded reach is the result of its recent designation as a (CDC) Northeast Region Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes the network’s exemplary performance in the early detection and monitoring of communicable diseases as well as the innovative research coming from Larsen’s group. It also provides the new Center of Excellence with $1 million in CDC funding. Approximately $500,000 of that amount will support the University’s continuing affiliated operations and research.

David Larsen

, public health department chair and professor in the��, is gratified by the recognition, which is a nod to the program’s vast potential.

“I had a vision for the New York State Water Surveillance Network, but to be named a federal CDC Center of Excellence is just a real honor,” Larsen says. “What we’re doing now is building systems that will keep people healthier; operational processes that let people live more freely and improve the public health response are the ultimate goal.”

Larsen, members of his research team and their partner in the network, the ) and its , met earlier this month to formalize goals for their work with the CDC.

Early Response

Not long after COVID-19 was named a global pandemic, Larsen assembled a team of researchers from the Falk College, the , the and to begin developing the wastewater surveillance technology that would eventually become critical to New York State’s response to the disease. The team built a grassroots network that included sewage treatment plant operators, lab technicians and public health program workers to collect sewage samples, test for coronavirus, and report and share results.

The initiative first benefited Onondaga County and the University and soon expanded through the NYS DOH partnership. Today, the New York State network operates in all 62 counties and covers a population of more than 15 million. Testing has expanded beyond COVID to aid response to polio, mpox, influenza, RSV, hepatitis A, norovirus and antimicrobial-resistant genes.��

Essential Partnership

A total of $43 million, including $28 million from the CDC and $15 million from New York State, has already been invested in the state’s disease wastewater surveillance efforts, according to Daniel Lang, NYS DOH deputy director of the . He says the program’s efficacy and extensive operational network distinguished it for selection as a CDC Center of Excellence.

“Our partnership with ���ϲ����� was essential right from the start of the pandemic,” Lang says. “We worked with Dave Larsen’s team to establish a comprehensive statewide wastewater surveillance program, an impressive tool we didn’t have before. It provides universal coverage to assess disease trends and detect where variants are popping up, plus a system that reports back to community participants. Now, we’ll be able to expand the expertise we’ve developed here to other jurisdictions around the country.”

Professor David Larsen, standing, addresses workers from the New York State Department of Health who visited to plan strategy with the University’s research team for their work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Photo by Cathleen O’Hare)

Bryon Backenson, NYS DOH director of the , says the detection of communicable disease spread through wastewater surveillance is groundbreaking science “because it doesn’t rely on the fickleness of whether people go to the doctor or not when they’re sick. We can only affect what we find out about. Awareness of the presence of disease allows us to sound the alarm, to take action and notify others to take action, allowing us to minimize the spread of disease.”

Backenson says the CDC designation “shows that we are a leader in this, and it allows us the resources to train others in what we do. Now, we’ll be teaching other cities, counties and regions.��We’re proud to be part of it.”

As the CDC Northeast Region Center of Excellence, the team’s work will support several New England states plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The researchers and health officials also want to coordinate with the CDC’s five other wastewater surveillance Centers of Excellence comprising the . They plan to share research and offer education and training on their operating protocols, efforts that could benefit communities throughout the U.S. and potentially impact disease-detection work globally.

Global Potential

Larsen’s research on infectious disease surveillance and the public health response to these threats will also help people around the globe.��He recently completed a program in Austria at the Medical University of Innsbruck where he worked with the Austrian wastewater surveillance network. He also spoke about the approach at a technology roundtable at the White House last month.

Wastewater testing research was underway by Larsen’s research team in the early days of COVID-19.

Larsen’s team is now transitioning program operations to NYS DOH, which will permit the researchers to refocus on how these systems can support public health responses to infectious diseases and “dive deeper to maximize the benefits of the systems,” he says.

“Public health functions dealing with infectious disease surveillance alert us to when a community is at increased risk and also confirm when a community is no longer at risk,” Larsen says. “Wastewater test results provide awareness of both aspects and key information needed to decide whether to close down community operations or keep them open and operating. Wastewater is a great way to gauge these elements and may be one of the most cost-effective ways to confirm levels of community risk.”

Larsen, Chair of the Department of Public Health in ���ϲ�����’s , was invited to present to a panel of scientists, policymakers and policy implementers at an information-gathering event called the “White House Roundtable on Emerging Technologies for Preventing Health Emergencies.” At the onset of COVID in 2020, Larsen spearheaded an interdisciplinary team of experts in coordination with the New York State Department of Health to create a wastewater surveillance system throughout New York State.

David Larsen presents his “lightning talk” at the White House.

As one of many presenters during the three-hour roundtable, Larsen was given two minutes to discuss the merits of testing wastewater for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

“It was quite humbling to receive the invitation,” Larsen says. “I always hope that my work can influence public health, and since COVID-19, I’ve been trying to support the improvement of our infectious disease surveillance systems in New York State and this country.”

Today, the����is testing for COVID in at least one wastewater treatment plant in all 62 of the state’s counties, covering a population of 15.4 million. The����provides the most recent statistics regarding the network.

Days before Larsen’s trip to Washington, D.C., the (CDC) named the New York State Department of Health Wastewater Surveillance Program as a new in the National Wastewater Surveillance System. New York’s system was recognized by the CDC for its exemplary performance in the early detection and monitoring of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, polio, influenza and more.

This past spring, Larsen received a prestigious to teach and continue his wastewater surveillance research at the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria.

Larsen is clearly a leading expert in this field and he received the invitation to speak at the White House from Nicole Fehrenbach, the Branch Chief of the Rapid Response Research and Surveillance Branch of the CDC. The CDC is intimately familiar with Larsen’s work as the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network is a part of the CDC’s .

Larsen had visited Washington, D.C., before Aug. 27 and saw the White House from the outside, but he had never been in the complex until he attended the roundtable hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

“Walking into the Eisenhower Office Building and seeing the offices of the Chief of Staff and other executive officials and the west wing of the White House was a bit surreal,” Larsen says. “It was the culmination of a lot of hard work since March of 2020.”

During his “lightning talk,” Larsen says he emphasized that the functions of infectious disease surveillance are two-fold. First, they need to alert us when a community is at increased risk,” he told the panel. “And second, they need to confirm a community is no longer at risk.”

David Larsen at the White House with the Washington Monument in the background.

“The Covid-19 pandemic showed how inadequately our systems performed in these two functions,” he added. “So, improvements are needed. Wastewater is a great way for both of these, and perhaps one of the most cost-effective ways to confirm a community is not at risk.”

Larsen says his remarks were “well received,” although he can’t share specific reactions because of the privacy guidelines for the roundtable. He’s encouraged that panelists were responsive because of the looming funding needs for wastewater surveillance.

“Right now, wastewater surveillance in the U.S. is largely being funded by COVID-19 emergency funds,” Larsen says. “As the emergency is over, those funds will expire. I hope that future funding will be made available to continue these efforts.”

Those efforts, which started on the campus of ���ϲ����� and now extend worldwide, will continue at ���ϲ����� with Larsen leading the way.

“Right now, my team at ���ϲ����� is focused on transitioning the operations of the program we’ve built in New York over to the State Department of Health,” he says. “That will allow us to dive deeper into the science and maximize the benefits of the systems.

“With the newly awarded Center of Excellence, we will support other states in the region, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” he adds. “And then globally, the Europeans are leading an effort to coordinate global wastewater surveillance and we’ll continue to support those efforts.”

In his work with the U.S. Track and Field team, sport analytics major Dan Griffiths attended the New York City Grand Prix Meet–the final meet for track and field athletes before the U.S. Olympic Trials.

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and Paralympics are here and representatives from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at ���ϲ����� will have an impact on this year’s Games–and, quite possibly, future Olympic Games.

The Falk College representatives who are involved in several unique ways with the Olympics and Paralympics include current Falk students Dan Griffiths and Livia McQuade, Department of Sport Management Associate Professor Jeeyoon “Jamie” Kim, and Sport Management graduates and former ���ϲ����� student-athletes Freddie Crittenden III ’17, Kristen Siermachesky�� ’21 and Lysianne Proulx ’21.

Here are their stories:

Student: Dan Griffiths

Dan Griffiths spent this past academic year working with the ���ϲ����� cross country and track and field teams.

At ���ϲ����� and now with the U.S. Track and Field team (), sport analytics major Dan Griffiths��’26 is helping to revolutionize how performance data is collected and analyzed.

When Griffiths started working with the ���ϲ����� track and field and cross country teams before the 2023-24 academic year, the teams weren’t utilizing a data-gathering system. But the student-athletes were using Garmin wearables to track their own data, so Griffiths built his own application and a tool that transported all of their data into his application, which then created spreadsheets he used to analyze that data.

With Griffiths’ help, the ���ϲ����� women’s cross country team won its since 2011. Throughout the academic year, Griffiths conducted and presented his research at various national competitions and conferences, including the (he was runner-up in sport analytics research), and the inaugural Sport, Entertainment and Innovation Conference () last week in Las Vegas.

Griffiths’ success at ���ϲ����� and his interest in track and field led to his connection with USATF, which gave him the freedom to explore his areas of interest. Using a combination of the latest technology, Griffiths helped create three-dimensional models to best understand an athlete’s musculoskeletal forces.

“For throwers (discus, shotput, javelin), my work focused on using a pose estimation model to detect patterns that could be linked to longer, more powerful throws,” Griffiths says. “For sprinters and distance runners, I used pose estimation data to monitor overtraining and track progress throughout the season and before meets.

“I also conducted extensive research for multi-event athletes in the heptathlon and decathlon,” he adds. “This research aimed to understand how fatigue affects scoring in multi-events and how different training sequences can reduce fatigue.”

Griffiths shared his work with the coaches, and at least two of the athletes he analyzed will be participating in the Olympics: javelin thrower Curtis Thompson and 400-meter runner Alexis Holmes. During his time with USATF, Griffiths traveled to the New York City Grand Prix Meet–the final meet for track and field athletes before the U.S. Olympic Trials–and the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

“The thing we think about every morning is ‘How can we win another gold medal today?’”��Griffiths says. “Having the opportunity to combine everything I’ve learned and truly be a trailblazer and innovator for USATF and those athletes, especially in a track and field biomechanics context, has made me uber-passionate about the work we are doing at ���ϲ����� and the future of AI/analytics and sports.”

The track and field events run Aug. 1-11.

Student: Livia McQuade

Sport Management major Livia McQuade will attend the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to serve as a resource for U.S. athletes, their families and their sponsors.

Livia McQuade ’25 is a sport management major and sport event management minor who has spent this summer in Loveland, Colorado, as an athlete relations intern with . Olympus is a management and marketing agency that provides top sponsorship opportunities and marketing strategies for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

In her role, McQuade has interfaced with athletes from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams and their partners, and with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and other national governing bodies. Her projects have included reviewing contracts, building athletes’ personal websites and organizing outlines for athletes’ speaking engagements.

“I’ve had a truly incredible experience within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement–during a Games year of all times!” McQuade says. “Through it all, I’ve had the privilege to work with some of sport’s most impactful Olympians and Paralympians, including Apolo Ohno, Jessica Long, Noah Elliott, Sarah Adam, Alex and Gretchen Walsh, Alex Ferreira and Steve Serio.”

McQuade, the executive vice president of the in Falk College and co-chair of the club’s 2024 , says she wants to work with the Olympic and Paralympic movement following graduation and this internship has been an invaluable step in that process. Her experience with Olympus will continue in September, when she’ll attend the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to serve as a resource for U.S. athletes, their families, and their sponsors. The Paralympic Games run from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.

“I could not be more grateful and excited,” McQuade says of her upcoming experience in Paris. “My leadership (at Olympus Sports Group)–Ian Beck and ’16–have thrown extraordinary opportunities my way, and they will remain valuable mentors long into my career.”

Freddie Crittenden III, shown here competing for ���ϲ�����, will represent the U.S. in the 110-meter hurdles event in Paris.

At the U.S. Olympic Trials in late June, longtime U.S. hurdler����’17 qualified for his first Olympic Games by running a personal-best 12.96 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. Crittenden finished second overall to teammate and three-time world champion Grant Holloway, who recorded a time of 12.86.

A public health major at Falk and former All-American for the ���ϲ����� track and field team, Crittenden just missed a bronze medal at the World Championships last summer and now at age 29, the Olympic Trials may have been his last opportunity to qualify for the Olympics.

“It feels amazing. Honestly, I’m still in shock and I’m trying to figure out what happened,” Crittenden said immediately after his Olympic Trials run. “But it’s an amazing feeling to come out here and accomplish what I’ve been trying to accomplish for the past 17 years. It’s beautiful.”

Two former sport management majors and ���ϲ����� student-athletes, rower Kristen Siermachesky ’21 and soccer goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx ’21, are alternates for the Olympics with .

Proulx is Team Canada’s third-choice goalkeeper, meaning she will be activated if either the starting or backup goalkeeper is injured. Although she didn’t start at ���ϲ����� until her junior season, Proulx recorded the fourth-most saves (281), second-most saves per game (5.3) and seventh-most shutouts (eight) in program history.

Since graduating from ���ϲ�����, Proulx has excelled in professional leagues in Portugal, Australia and now in the United States with of the National Women’s Soccer League. This past February, Bay FC acquired Proulx from Melbourne City for what Melbourne City described as a record-breaking transfer fee for an outgoing A-League player.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Proulx represented Canada in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She went to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as Team Canada’s third-choice goaltender behind Kailen Sheridan and Sabrina D’Angelo, who have maintained their positions for the Olympics.

Former ���ϲ����� goalkeeper and sport management graduate Lysianne Proulx (center, with ball) is an alternate for Team Canada’s soccer team.

Like Proulx, Siermachesky will be available to her team if an injury occurs. But unlike Proulx, her path to Canada’s rowing team featured a different sport at ���ϲ�����: ice hockey. She played four years as a defenseman at ���ϲ����� and recorded a black-and-blue inducing 132 blocks in 125 games for the Orange.

After graduating from ���ϲ�����, the native of New Liskeard, Ontario, considered playing ice hockey overseas but decided to pursue her graduate degree in sports administration at North Carolina. She wanted to continue her athletics career, but North Carolina doesn’t have an ice hockey team. Then-���ϲ����� ice hockey coach Paul Flanagan suggested she try rowing and contacted the Tar Heels’ coach to make that connection.

Siermachesky’s athleticism and potential caught the eye of the Team Canada Development Team, which asked her to move to British Columbia to train with the national team. Just three years into the sport, she is now on the cusp of competing in the Olympics and it’s likely she and Proulx will remain in the mix for the next summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

The rowing competition runs from July 27-Aug. 3, while the women’s soccer tournament started July 24 and runs through Aug. 10.

Associate Professor Jeeyoon “Jamie” Kim at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Faculty: Jeeyoon “Jamie” Kim

��is an associate professor in the Department of Sport Management who studies the long- and short-term social and economic effects of hosting the Games and other major sporting events. Kim is the former manager of the Korean Olympic Committee, and on Aug. 8 she’ll present at the 11th International Sport Business Symposium in Paris.

Kim’s presentation will focus on how the��, an Olympic-style event for athletes between 15 and 18 years old, can better impact their host city and support the aims of the Olympic Movement.

“The hope for Olympic sport participation legacy is grounded on the ‘trickle-down effect’ (i.e., watching Olympians compete will inspire youth to participate in sport),” Kim says in a recent Q&A. “For the Youth Olympics, the event can also be a steppingstone for younger athletes to compete on the international stage and grow to become Olympians. Additionally, the Youth Olympics offer many grassroots-level sport opportunities (e.g., sport camps, collaboration with local schools) to encourage the general youth to learn about Olympic sports.”

To combat youths’ dwindling interest in the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee added break dancing, sport climbing and surfing to the lineup for Paris. Kim says this is a critical time for the future of the Olympics as upcoming Games in Paris, Milan Cortina (2026), and Los Angeles (2028) will be held in traditionally strong sports markets where there are opportunities to increase interest.

“Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics to include breaking in the official program,” Kim says. “We will have to see how the event turns out. But, so far, looking at the Olympics qualifiers series and the ticket popularity, it seems like there is a lot of interest garnered for the sport.”

Kim spent five-and-a-half years with Korean Olympic Committee as a member of its International Games, International Relations and 2018 PyeongChang Olympics task force teams. While in Paris, Kim will conduct research in Korea’s Olympic Hospitality House and share her findings with students in her Olympic Sport Management and Olympic Odyssey courses.

And Kim plans to attend the women’s individual finals event of her favorite summer Olympic sport, archery. “Korea has been very strong in the sport historically, and it is always fun to watch a sport where my team does well,” Kim says.

The three-year grant supports the creation of a unique oral history archive and course development focused on the history and ethics of public health pandemic response and faculty and doctoral student training that centers humanities knowledge and methods.

From left: Marian Moser Jones, Amy Fairchild and Cheryl Healton

The educational and research resource will create “new, urgently needed, accessible opportunities for the humanities to speak to public health and broaden access to humanities higher learning opportunities,” says , professor at the Maxwell School, who is principal investigator (PI). Co-PIs are , associate professor of health services management and policy at The Ohio State University, and , founding dean and professor of public health policy and management at the School of Global Public Health at New York University (NYU).

The research team has already conducted nearly 100 interviews with state and local health officials, delving into their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. A planned third phase of the oral history initiative will result in approximately 150 interviews from 40 states and two territories that will become part of a digital archive, “Stewards in the Storm,” housed at ���ϲ�����’s .

Widespread public and political backlash against protective health measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and against those who were trying to implement those measures—has had a lasting impact on public health, including ongoing staff shortages and attempts to sharply curtail public health authorities needed to preserve life. In their initial rounds of interviews, the research team found that 36 percent of health officials reported receiving death threats, and 24 percent reported serious threats to their families—with women and people of color more likely to receive such threats.

The third round of interviews is important, Healton says, “because it ensures a resource with a broad, nationally inclusive sample that both researchers and instructors can use to conduct reliable, valid research and to develop strong humanities content in courses that reach both public health and humanities students.”

In addition to expanding the interviews, the researchers also plan to establish a hands-on “Backlash Lab” that will introduce students to the history and ethics of public health, oral history interviewing techniques, qualitative coding strategies and techniques, and quantitative analysis. The lab, anchored at ���ϲ�����, Ohio State and NYU, will also create partnerships with colleges that have historically served Black, Hispanic or first-generation students. Students will code interviews and write case studies to be used in undergraduate and graduate courses as well as professional settings.

Additionally, a survey course, Pandemics: History, Ethics, Politics and Policy, will be developed collaboratively and offered at ���ϲ�����, Ohio State, NYU and Cornell University, with the aim of extending it to other collaborating institutions and other schools and programs in public health. The course aims to cut across public health, public policy and the humanities with a focus on history, medical sociology and communications.

In years two and three of the project, the team will run two workshops for scholars teaching public health and humanities at community and four-year colleges and universities across the country, with a focus on institutions that have public health schools or programs. The workshops will introduce teachers to the techniques of oral history, suggest ways to work with the archive and extend the reach of the new course.

The project capitalizes on synergies between public health and the humanities and addresses common gaps in knowledge about public health history. “As important as easy access to primary documents related to pandemic responses are, we can further illuminate broader historical themes that enrich both the humanities and the field of public health by providing insight into peoples’ lived experiences of pandemics and pandemic response,” Moser Jones says.

“This rich body of narrative history does more than create qualitative data through oral history methods,” Fairchild adds. “Rather, it uses the experience of the pandemic as a lens that can clarify and contextualize the continuing climate of pandemic-associated backlash that has ongoing repercussions for pragmatic efforts to confront population health challenges, from reproductive rights to climate change. It is primarily the foundation for humanistic investigation into the ways in which governmental responses to crises are social products and reflect the societies in which people live and die.”

In work that was recently published in the ““,�����ϲ����� researchers quantify how much the pandemic measures and economic policies impacted those rates. The findings provide answers to lawmakers and health leaders about future health policies and the unintended consequences that come with certain health measures, even if those measures were intended to save lives.

faculty members and researchers , , , ��and led the study, while former ���ϲ����� postdoctoral student Xue Zhang and National Institute on Drug Abuse program scientist Elyse Grossman also contributed.

Professors Wolf and Monnat sat down to discuss the main findings of the work.

Douglas Wolf

Q: What were the key findings that you discovered in this study?

Douglas Wolf: There are three main conclusions supported by this study:

1. The increases in drug overdose mortality observed in many states during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have been exacerbated by state policies intended to control the spread of the virus—policies that restricted in-person activities, travel and business;

2. State policies intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic—for example, expanded unemployment benefits—appear also to have reduced drug overdose mortality; and

3. While the two types of policies had opposite effects, no states imposed economic support policies sufficient to fully offset the harmful consequences of the restrictions on individual and business activity.

Q: Did lockdowns have an unintended consequence of increasing drug overdose deaths?

Wolf: Yes, lockdown policies appear to have contributed to an increase in drug overdose deaths. This could have occurred due to loss of employment and income, adverse mental health outcomes, reduced access to treatment and harm reduction services, an inadequate supply of EMS responders, reductions in interdiction of illicit drugs or an increase in solitary drug use.

Q: Do you find any examples of economic support policies that worked better than others in reducing overdose rates?

Wolf: No, we are unable to separate the effects of expanded unemployment benefits and moratoria on evictions and foreclosures, which were the two main types of economic support policies.

Q: How can public health officials best address the needs of people struggling with addiction during public health emergencies like the pandemic?

Shannon Monnat

Shannon Monnat: Crises in general, not just the COVID-19 pandemic, tend to amplify the risk factors for overdose. In the short term, reducing overdose risk among people who are already struggling with substance use disorders requires ensuring widespread and easy access to Narcan–the overdose reversal drug. However, we can’t Narcan our way out of the drug overdose crisis. The most forward-thinking and effective strategy to reduce overdoses in the long term is to reduce the upstream social and economic factors that lead people to use drugs and become addicted. At its core, this means making sure our society is set up in a way that provides opportunities for people to engage in activities–work, family and community–that bring purpose and meaning to their lives.

Q: Four years later–what are the biggest takeaways from your work that could be applied to the next pandemic response?

Monnat: As with all policies, there are tradeoffs. Our finding that restrictive policies were associated with larger increases in drug overdoses must be considered within a broader context of their reductions in COVID-19 mortality. These policies certainly saved lives. People who would have otherwise contracted and died from COVID lived because these policies reduced disease spread. We should all be grateful for that. But we must also acknowledge that some of these policies had the unintended consequence of cutting other lives short. The challenge for policymakers is to find the ideal balance that will save the most lives possible.

You can view and the .

To get in touch with researchers or to get more information, please contact:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
University Communications
315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu��|��

Chris Munoz
Media Relations Specialist
University Communications
315.278.5566
cjmunoz@syr.edu

“Falk College research spans a wide range of disciplines with impactful, practical applications in individual health and community well-being,” Jordan says. “Thanks to Dr. McDonald’s leadership and her team in the Falk College Office of Research Development, the college has experienced steady growth in research activity by every measure, including grant funding, publishing, interdisciplinary collaborations and student engagement. I am eager to see her influence expand as senior associate dean for research and administration.”

Katherine McDonald

McDonald’s new appointment follows a three-year appointment as associate dean of research. During her tenure, McDonald worked collaboratively to establish programming to nurture faculty research, enhance connections on campus to fuel interdisciplinary research and develop policy to foster research success.

“I am delighted to continue to serve Falk College in this new role,” says McDonald. “Falk College is home to students, staff and faculty committed to creating and leveraging scientific discoveries to enhance human thriving. It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with so many talented people to co-chart our future.”

McDonald is a professor in the Falk College Department of Public Health, where she also served as chair from 2018 to 2020. She is a fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, chair of ���ϲ�����’s Institutional Review Board and a member of the Editorial Board for Autism in Adulthood. At ���ϲ�����, she holds faculty affiliations in the Aging Studies Institute, the Burton Blatt Institute, the Consortium for Culture and Medicine and the Disability Studies program.

As a scholar, McDonald uses socioecological theory and community-engaged research to understand and promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. She has made significant contributions to research in disability, health disparities, community-engaged research, and ethical, legal and social issues in research. Her research has been supported by grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, Rehabilitation Research and the Patient Centered Outcomes Institute, among others. She is published in such leading journals as the Disability and Health Journal, American Journal of Bioethics and the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

She received a B.S. with distinction in human development and family studies with a minor in French from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in community and prevention research psychology with a minor in statistics, methods and measurements from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

But Larsen is also a father of four children, and that side of him had a slightly different reaction.

“I didn’t expect to get it because the European posts are quite competitive. When I received the email notification, it was kind of an ‘oh, crap’ moment. What have I done?” Larsen says, smiling.

What Larsen and his wife, Natalia, did was pack up their four children—Isabel, 13; Sophia, 11; Madeline, 8; and Teddy, 5—and travel roughly 6,500 miles to a house they’re renting in Birgitz, a village outside of Innsbruck, from January through July. Their daughters are attending English-speaking schools, while their son is attending a German-speaking preschool (German is the primary language in Austria).

“Their schooling is going to be a bit disrupted, but they’re good students who read a lot and we’ll keep on top of it and fill in the gaps they might miss,” Larsen says. “It is a ski town, so we’ll spend some time skiing, and the schools for the older girls had London excursions last year so perhaps they can do trips like that.”

are competitive fellowships that provide students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad, exchange ideas, and play critical roles in U.S. public diplomacy as they seek to find solutions to shared international concerns.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 390,000 scholarships and its alumni include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

At the outset of COVID in 2020, Larsen, an epidemiologist, led an interdisciplinary team of experts in coordination with the New York Department of Health to create a wastewater surveillance system throughout New York state. Today, the is testing for COVID in at least one wastewater treatment plan in all 62 of the state’s counties, covering a population of 15.3 million. The provides the most recent statistics regarding the network.

Before Larsen and his family traveled to Austria, we asked him about the Fulbright Award, what he’ll be doing in and outside of Austria, and why a wastewater surveillance system to test COVID and other infectious diseases is crucial to worldwide health. Here’s that conversation:

Q: Why did you want this fellowship?

A: You submit for a specific award, and I submitted for a position at the Medical University of Innsbruck. I had reviewed their papers and there was good science coming out of there, so I reached out to their scientists who are working on wastewater surveillance in Austria and created their own network in the Tyrol region where Innsbruck is located.

I told them about my work in New York state and the wastewater surveillance network here, and they were supportive of my application.

Q: What will you be doing at the Medical University of Innsbruck?

A: I’m a visiting professor and they’ve asked me to teach two courses that meet once a week and are equivalent to a 3-credit course here. I’m teaching a condensed version of my “Spatial Statistics for Public Health” course, and I developed an overview course for public health surveillance. Those were selected in brainstorming with my colleagues at Innsbruck who thought those would be of most value to their students.

In addition, I’m working with the wastewater-based epidemiologists there, and the research project attached to the Fulbright is the comparison of the networks in New York state and Tyrol.

Q: Will you be working outside of Austria?

A: There’s a national wastewater network in Austria, and initiatives to establish a global network being led by Europeans. Europeans have been doing wastewater surveillance for drugs since 2010, and they’ve got a great model of collaboration across the different nation states. So, I hope to connect with that team and learn more about it, in addition to working with the Austrians.

I’m working here in New York state, primarily, and others are working across the globe on the same issue and building a global system. So, we’ll take the lessons we’ve learned and the challenges we’ve overcome here in New York and go to Austria, share those, and I hope to learn lessons they’ve learned and the challenges they’ve overcome in Austria, and then Europe, and more broadly. Hopefully, we’ll have a greater understanding and improved wastewater surveillance systems as a result.

At the outset of COVID in 2020, David Larsen led an interdisciplinary team of experts in coordination with the New York Department of Health to create a wastewater surveillance system throughout New York State.

Q: Why is this collaboration so important?

A: ��We built this (network) with COVID, but we also built it for the future. Right now in New York state, local health departments are using the data we produce–particularly the sequencing data to track variants–but also the hospitalization forecasting that we provide them. Our aim is to provide the local health departments and the public with robust understanding of COVID-19 risk.

At the same time, COVID is not the only infectious disease, and there’s always potential for what we call “Disease X,” which is the next emerging infection. It could be another coronavirus, it could be an avian influenza, it could be something we’re not thinking about right now. The goal is to make this system ready and prepared to empower the public health response to whatever comes in the future.

In New York state, we supported the polio response in 2022 and made a huge impact on understanding how many people were at risk of polio. We are piloting influenza, RSV, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, and Antimicrobial Resistance (which occurs when a virus doesn’t respond to medicine). Antimicrobial resistance is a looming public health threat and could be very impactful. We do support the COVID response, but that’s the tip of the iceberg of where we hope the wastewater surveillance network goes.

The idea here is that perhaps most, if not all, infectious diseases can be surveilled or found in wastewater. Beyond that, drugs and environmental toxicants and pollutions and other measures of non-communicable diseases can be measured. How do we build this system to make the world a better place?

Q: What motivates you to do this?

A: This came about because I wanted to safely open my kids’ schools. I wanted to get back to normal. When COVID hit, we shut down and I supported the response—I still support the response we had—but it was a response made without local understanding of risk.

Infectious diseases are local. You have travelers that take them from community to community, but you can have little enclaves of safe places. We had one at ���ϲ����� in the fall of 2020. It was safe from COVID because of the aggressive public health measures and the aggressive infectious disease surveillance we were doing with wastewater and testing.

Could we have a situation where infectious disease is threatening, but we have these little pockets of freedom? And that’s informed a lot of my work: How do we live a free life in a world affected by infectious disease? The way to do that, in my view, is to fight these diseases so they’re no longer a threat and then you have to be able to confirm that they’re not affecting people. That’s where infectious disease surveillance comes in.

Q: Vaccinations are down, and a new COVID variant is on the rise. What’s your message to people as we approach the four-year anniversary of COVID?

A: People associate COVID with public health restrictions: masks, closed restaurants, closed schools, quarantine, isolation. But at its best, public health is empowering. Freedom from polio, the ability to drink tap water, the trust we have in our food system, the long-term health care as we get older. That is public health. And if we are on the front foot—if we prevent the disease—then we can avoid the restrictions that happen. The shutdowns are a last resort when we have overflowing morgues and overflowing hospitals and it’s a panic button. It was the last resort and that’s the situation we found ourselves in.

Real public health is, how do we build a system so we don’t get into that position again? Vaccines are part of that toolkit; clean air, air filtration, environmental adjustments are also part of that toolkit and infectious disease surveillance is definitely part of that toolkit.

Department of Public Health postdoctoral researcher Dustin Hill.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a burden on the U.S. health care system since its arrival in early 2020. COVID remains a threat to our communities, particularly during the winter months when new cases and hospitalizations are likely to surge. The ability to predict where and when new patients will be admitted to hospitals is essential for planning and resource allocation.

“Our findings indicate that wastewater surveillance improves prediction models for hospitalizations by 11 percent over models that use case data at the county level and by 15 percent for regional hospitalization estimates,” says Hill, an environmental data scientist and epidemiologist who works in the in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. “When looking at how many beds a hospital has available, those percentages can make a big difference in whether that hospital is going to have space for new patients or not, and this data can help them get ready for changes.”

Hill led a project that used wastewater surveillance data in predictive models to improve estimates for new COVID hospital admissions in New York state. The research team’s results were published recently in the peer-reviewed journal and were gathered in collaboration with State University of New York at Albany, University at Buffalo, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Stony Brook University and the New York State Department of Health.

Throughout the pandemic, hospitalization forecasting models have relied heavily on clinical data collected from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antigen tests. But this data can be biased because of a lack of widespread testing and may not be quick enough to indicate a surge.

In their study, the researchers combined wastewater surveillance data (how much SARS-CoV-2 is found in wastewater) with clinical case and comorbidity data to predict the seven-day average of new hospital admissions 10 days after the wastewater sample collection.

Pruthvi Kilaru, who earned his master’s of public health in 2020 and is now a third-year medical student at Des Moines University in Iowa, is shown here in 2020 collecting wastewater near the Women’s Building for COVID-19 testing.

Wastewater data are being collected across New York state through the , and that data can be used to continuously update forecasting predictions each week. According to the research, the average difference between predicted hospitalizations and observed hospitalizations was 0.013 per 100,000 population, or 1.3 in 10,000,000 population, providing high accuracy.

The New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network is testing for COVID in at least one wastewater treatment plant in each of the state’s 62 counties, covering a population of more than 15.3 million. The provides the most recent statistics regarding the network.

The research team is exploring how their methods to predict COVID hospitalizations can be further refined and applied to other infectious diseases such as RSV and influenza as wastewater surveillance expands to cover these public health threats.

“Predicting future hospitalizations using wastewater data helps get our public health partners in front of surges before they happen so they are prepared when new patients need to be admitted and can distribute resources accordingly,” Hill says. “The methods we developed here are going to be instrumental for tracking the diseases we already know about, and perhaps even more important for the diseases that could arise in the future.”

Public Health Professor Dessa Bergen-Cico (left), shown here speaking at the International Drug Policy Academy (IDPA) in Strasbourg, France, this past June, is the coordinator of the addiction studies program at the Falk College and co-developed the IDPA’s curriculum.

Needing one more class or an independent study to complete a , Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics student Emily Graham turned to Public Health Professor for advice and Bergen-Cico offered the opportunity of a lifetime–a four-day immersion program in Strasbourg, France, in early June to participate in the International Drug Policy Academy (IDPA).

Bergen-Cico has been working with the Council of Europe’s and International Cooperation Group on Drugs and Addictions since 2010, and she co-developed the IDPA with the Pompidou Group’s leadership team in 2018. The IDPA, an intensive professional development program divided into three modules over a period of one year, is designed for professionals from all over the world who work as managers or senior team members in the areas of drug policies and addictions.

Emily Graham

For Graham, the IDPA showed her the value of cross-collaboration and understanding that there is more than one solution to substance abuse issues.

“The biggest takeaway for me was asking for help,” says Graham. “Sometimes when you get into executive positions, you feel like you need to figure it all out. But it’s OK to reach out and say, ‘Hey, what did you guys do and what were your results and how can we improve from that?’”

The IDPA is one of several unique opportunities for ���ϲ����� students to work with faculty and obtain global experience that exposes them to new ways of thinking about substance abuse and addictive behaviors. These opportunities are available to students who participate in the Falk College’s program that Bergen-Cico coordinates, and students like Graham who are involved with addiction studies in other ways.

As an undergraduate student and Barnes Center at The Arch peer educator, Emily Graham was asked to oversee the program for students who are in recovery from substance use disorder or sober curious. Soon after she received a bachelor’s degree in public health in 2022, she became assistant director for the in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The Lerner Center’s mission is to improve population and community health through research, education, outreach and health promotion programming focused on the social, spatial and structural determinants of physical, mental and behavioral health and health disparities.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Graham is particularly interested in health and wellness for military veterans, who have a high rate of substance use disorder. She says the IDPA gave her a global perspective on prevention that she couldn’t get anywhere else.

“Being in the U.S., you can get single-minded about how we’re handling it here,” says Graham, who recently received the Maxwell Staff Rising Star award. “But you’re seeing that drugs affect everybody, and we’re all trying to find a common solution and work toward a common goal.”

From ���ϲ����� to Strasbourg

When he was the center director of ���ϲ����� Strasbourg, Raymond Bach created an internship program for ���ϲ����� Abroad students through his collaborations with Pompidou Group Deputy Executive Secretary Thomas Kattau. The Pompidou Group consists of representatives from countries throughout the world who “provide knowledge, support and solutions for effective, evidence-based drug policies, which fully respect human rights,” according to its website.

Dessa Bergen-Cico (left), Emily Graham (center) and McKenna Moonan, a master’s student of public diplomacy and global communications, stand in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Moonan was working as an intern for the Pompidou Group.

In 2010, Pompidou Group leaders expressed an interest in having U.S.-based experts in addiction and drug policy work with them on executive training programs for European-based drug policy administrators and Bach connected them to Bergen-Cico, who had emerged as an innovative expert on substance abuse and addiction. By 2011, Bergen-Cico started providing opportunities for students from the addiction studies program to participate in the Pompidou Group’s executive training programs and their first collaboration was held in Budapest, Hungary.

“Sasha Almasian Menkes ’13 was a public health and addiction studies student who participated much in the same way that Emily did this year,” Bergen-Cico says. “For the participants in 2011, the course was focused on emerging democracies in a lot of the former Soviet Union countries that were establishing independence and trying to find public health-based approaches to dealing with substance use and addiction.”

Over the years, the executive training expanded into the IDPA, which has evolved into a three-module program to accommodate increasingly complex topics and the growing number of attendees from all over the world. This year, Module 1 was held at ���ϲ����� Florence, Italy, in March; Module 2 was held in Strasbourg in June; and Module 3 will be held in Valletta, Malta, in October.

“Drug policies have changed dramatically, certainly in the U.S and in the past 15 years globally,” Bergen-Cico says. “For example, we went from heavy prison sentences for possession of cannabis to it being recreationally legal or decriminalized for anybody 21 and over in the majority of U.S. states and many countries are following a similar path. That just gives you an idea of the landscape and the people who are working in this area need a lot of training to be brought up to speed.”

Please and other opportunities for students interested in addiction studies.

If you’re interested in learning more about the addiction studies program at the Falk College, visit the or contact Bergen-Cico at dkbergen@syr.edu.

A short time ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved a new round of COVID vaccinations. As ���ϲ����� has in the past, we will be once again offering COVID vaccine clinics, as well as flu shot clinics, on campus. The University does not yet have a supply of the new COVID vaccine doses; however, once we know when they will arrive, we will share a schedule of clinics with our campus community.

As I mentioned in my last email on Aug. 23, I will be periodically providing important public health information and reminders to help our students, faculty and staff keep themselves and those around them informed and healthy. Today, I want to share a few brief reminders about the following areas:

1. How to report a positive COVID test
2. Student isolation protocols and procedures
3. Staying healthy this cold and flu season

How to report a positive COVID test

If you test positive for COVID, we ask that you immediately self-report and take the appropriate action.

• Students: If you are a student who takes in-person classes on campus, you must report a positive COVID test. To do so, please visit the Barnes Center at The Arch website and . If you test positive during a health visit to the Barnes Center, this information will be entered by your provider. More information on student isolation protocols and procedures is included below.
• Faculty/Staff: If you receive a positive test result, please notify your supervisor and HR Shared Services by phone at 315.443.4042. Following notification, if you are symptomatic, you are required to isolate for five days. If you are asymptomatic or if your symptoms resolve after five days, you may exit isolation. If your symptoms persist, you should wait until you are fever free. Once you are fever free, you may exit isolation. All those exiting isolation should wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional five days.

If you have any questions about what you should do in the event of a positive COVID test, please visit our and review the .

Student isolation protocols and procedures

As a reminder, students who test positive for COVID are required to follow isolation protocols and procedures. This means isolating in your residence—either on campus or off—and taking the necessary precautions to keep those around you safe. We encourage our students to follow the guidance of the CDC for best practices as it relates to isolating. This means remaining home for five days; wearing a high-quality mask if you must be around others while home; avoiding sharing any personal items like cups, towels and utensils; using a separate bathroom (if possible) and staying away from your roommates as much as possible. To learn more about our isolation protocols and procedures, visit the .

We know how important it is to maintain your academic efforts, even while under the weather. Upon notifying the Barnes Center of your positive COVID test, we will work with you to ensure you have access to the services and resources you need to continue your studies.

Staying healthy this cold and flu season

There are a number of steps you can take to stay healthy this cold and flu season, and to avoid becoming ill with COVID. They are the following:

1. Get vaccinated! The most important step you can take to prevent serious illness is to get your vaccines. This includes the COVID and influenza vaccines. To find a vaccine clinic near you, visit .
2. Monitor for COVID- and cold/flu-like symptoms. If you’re a student experiencing symptoms, please take a home COVID test as your first step. If you test positive, please take the action as described above. If you test negative, but your symptoms persist, contact the Barnes Center at 315.443.8000. Barnes Center staff will direct you on what actions to take next. Faculty and staff should contact their primary care provider.
3. If you are feeling under the weather, stay home! If you have to be around people, wear a mask to limit the spread of your symptoms. Anyone who wishes to wear a mask is welcome to do so and should be supported.
4. Cover your cough and sneezes.
5. Wash your hands often.
6. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
7. Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently, especially your residence hall rooms.
8. Avoid sharing cups, utensils, lip balm, etc.

The University continues to monitor all developments related to COVID, influenza and other communicable diseases. As always, you will continue to receive messages throughout the semester if there is any new or pertinent public health information to share.

Sincerely,

Ramesh Raina
Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

On behalf of everyone at ���ϲ�����, I am delighted to welcome our new community members to the Orange family and welcome our returning students, faculty and staff back to campus. I will be coordinating the University’s ongoing response efforts to the various communicable illnesses we face in a communal living setting, including COVID-19 and influenza, among others this academic year. As we start the fall semester, I am writing to share public health reminders that can help keep you and those around you healthy this semester.

COVID-19

Although the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic declaration ended earlier this year, the illness remains present. As such, we hope you will continue to take necessary steps to protect yourself and our community from COVID-19. Please be sure to continue taking these simple actions:

• Vaccination is no longer a requirement for residential students; however, we encourage our community to consider vaccinations against common communicable illnesses, including COVID. COVID vaccination clinics for students, faculty and staff can be searched at the .
• Monitor for COVID-like symptoms. If you’re a student, contact the Barnes Center at 315.443.8000 if you’re exhibiting symptoms. Barnes Center staff will direct you on what actions to take next. Faculty and staff should contact their primary care provider.
• If you are feeling under the weather, consider wearing a mask to limit the spread of your symptoms. Anyone who wishes to wear a mask is welcome to do so and should be supported.
• Cover your cough and sneezes.
• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently, especially your residence hall rooms.

The University will also continue to:

• Provide broad access to at-home COVID test kits for residential students, faculty and staff (low-cost tests are available through );
• Conduct enhanced cleaning and ventilation of campus facilities; and
• Implement isolation protocols for students who test positive for COVID. Students who test positive will be asked to isolate in their residence hall room or in their off campus residence. For more information on the updated isolation protocols, please visit .

Influenza

Like other universities, and other communal living environments, we may experience an uptick in influenza cases later in the fall semester. Please keep in mind the following health practices as the semester goes on:

• Consider getting a flu shot! We strongly encourage our community members to get a flu shot to protect themselves and those around them during flu season. The University hosts flu clinics each fall semester; information regarding flu clinics will be shared in the next several weeks.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are feeling sick, limit your contact with others as much as possible and contact the Barnes Center at 315.443.8000.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Avoid sharing cups, utensils, chapstick, etc.
• Clean and disinfect regularly touched surfaces and objects.
• If you have the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone, without the need for a fever-reducing medicine.

To learn more about any of these illnesses, I encourage you to visit the .

I recognize I am sharing a lot of information with you. Employing these good health practices can also help prevent widespread illness on our campus this academic year.

I wish you a healthy, fulfilling and enjoyable fall semester.

Sincerely,

Ramesh Raina
Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

Led by , Ph.D., M.P.H., the Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health in the Falk College, the research group considered arsenic exposure and health data of 245 children in the ���ϲ�����, New York, metropolitan area. It is the first study to directly measure the associations between arsenic exposure and precursors to cardiovascular disease in children.

The study’s findings are important because they highlight the need to reduce arsenic exposure in children. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can be found in soil and water. It can also be released into the environment from industrial activities.

Brooks Gump

In this ���ϲ����� Q&A, Professor Gump shares details about how this research can contribute to safer public health standards, and how arsenic exposure in children potentially accelerates the development of cardiovascular disease in adults.

Q: Can you briefly explain your research findings related to arsenic exposure and the health impacts on children?

A: Arsenic was measured in urine as well as several measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease. This arsenic exposure was significantly associated with some of the health outcomes, including increasing vascular “thickness” and heart changes. These particular cardiovascular changes can predict later disease. Given this was not a clinical trial (it would be unethical to purposively expose children to arsenic), we made a point of controlling for many other factors, such as poverty.

Q: How do you measure “arsenic exposure”?

A: Arsenic exposure is best assessed using urine, as we did in this study. These levels are considered an indicator of cumulative but relatively recent arsenic exposure.

Q: How do the results found in children compare to adults who have been exposed to similar conditions?

A: Adults have shown some of the same associations between arsenic and cardiovascular disease—this is the first study to document these associations in a group this young. However, it should be made clear that this is not actual disease but rather a risk factor for future disease (such as elevated cholesterol),

Cardiovascular disease develops very slowly, beginning at a very young age and potentially developing into a diagnosable disease later in life.

Q: From a prevention standpoint, what can parents and caregivers do to protect their kids?

A: Given arsenic is now so commonly found in our environment, one of the best actions we can take is to first lower what is considered a “normal” level (<50 mcg/L; although CDC now states that any level is considered too much). This will automatically move many children into “elevated” levels which should precipitate a federal response to address this “new” public health issue. We are also planning new research to consider specific foods we could eat to reduce arsenic in the body.

Q: Your findings suggest an area southeast of Onondaga Lake could be a sort of “hotspot” for arsenic exposure, potentially tied to past industrial pollution. Can you explain how pollutants persist in the environment?��

A: Because metals such as arsenic are elements (not chemical compounds), they cannot degrade in the environment. As such, they may move around or recombine in the environment but do not disappear over time. Although water in some geographic areas has harmful but naturally occurring arsenic, arsenic is also used in industry and agriculture and thereby has spread into the community.

Q: Your findings were specific to ���ϲ�����, but the infrastructure features and historic pollution of ���ϲ����� are conditions seen in many other U.S. cities. How could your research provide answers for other locations?

A: Although arsenic urine levels in our cohort were slightly elevated relative to national averages—there are numerous such hotspots around the country and therefore it is very likely that other communities in the U.S. would also show similar associations between arsenic and disease.

Q: Was there anything that truly surprised you during the research process or in the findings?

A: Although hypothesized, we were still struck by the effect of arsenic being seen at such a young age (9-11 years old). There are many risk factors for cardiovascular disease, even in children, including stress, diet, lack of exercise and cholesterol. Perhaps arsenic should be added to this list of risk factors that should be monitored and addressed.

To get more information or connect with researchers, please contact:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations

University Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu��|��

news.syr.edu��|��

���ϲ�����

I am writing today to share an important update to the University’s public health guidelines.

On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency expired. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicates that the health emergency declaration will not be renewed, citing a dramatic decline in new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations since January of 2022.

Given the end of the federal health emergency, and in consultation with Barnes Center medical staff and local health officials, effective today, May 15, 2023, ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff are no longer required to be vaccinated for the virus that causes COVID-19. This includes new students, faculty and staff, who will not be required to demonstrate proof of vaccination as a condition of attendance or employment.

This amended policy is consistent with similar actions recently announced by most of our peer institutions in New York state, including the State University of New York (SUNY) system and Cornell University, and others across the United States. Although the University will no longer require a COVID-19 vaccination, we strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others from illness. Vaccination is a proven, effective method to help reduce or mitigate the adverse health effects of COVID-19. For that reason, the University will sponsor free, on-campus vaccination clinics for residential students, faculty and staff in late summer and early fall.

Continuing Resources and Protocols

While the University will no longer mandate vaccination as a condition of residential attendance or employment, we remain committed to monitoring and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 among our community. To that end, we will continue past practices related to several important COVID-19 resources and protocols proven to support health and well-being on campus and in the community. These include:

• Providing broad access to at-home COVID test kits for residential students, faculty and staff.
• Hosting free COVID-19 vaccination clinics for residential students, faculty and staff.
• Continuing enhanced cleaning and ventilation of campus facilities.
• Extending COVID-19 vaccination coverage for faculty and staff with health insurance through the University. For further information on how certain COVID-related services are covered by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield/Optum Rx, visit the SU News story.
• A commitment to ongoing monitoring and communication with students, faculty and staff.

For further information about the University’s COVID-19 response and guidelines, please visit .

Thank you once again for your commitment to each other and to our ���ϲ����� community. My best wishes for a healthy, restful and productive summer.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

• COVID-19 vaccines (including boosters) will be covered in full with no cost share if received from an in-network provider or pharmacy. Vaccines that are received from an out-of-network provider will be subject to a cost share in the form of deductible, coinsurance and/or copay.
• COVID-19 lab-based tests, treatment and related services will be covered under the plan, subject to the same cost share provisions that apply to other services.
• COVID-19 at-home tests will not be covered under the plan. Faculty and staff who contribute to a Health Care Flexible Spending Account may be reimbursed from their account for the purchase of a test kit.

For specific questions about coverage through Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS), contact the University’s dedicated customer care team at Excellus BCBS at��800.493.0318 (TTY: 800.662.1220)��Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET or by email to��cc.select.dedicated@excellus.com. Inquiries about faculty/staff prescription drug coverage through Optum Rx should be directed to Optum Rx at��866.854.2945 (TTY:711).

Employees with other concerns may contact Human Resources (HR) Shared Services at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu, or visit HR’s for the most up-to-date information about health plan coverage through the University.

The new programs—an undergraduate public health/business degree and a master of public health (M.P.H.) combined with the master of business administration (MBA)—will prepare students to be versatile, multidisciplinary and future-leading thinkers who will meet important challenges related to public health and business.

Each dual degree program is offered in a streamlined format. For the undergraduate dual degree, students can graduate with both degrees with a minimum of 152 credits and can graduate within four years of study. For the M.P.H./MBA dual degree, students will take a minimum of 81 credit hours and can complete the program in three years.

Whitman School Interim Dean Alexander McKelvie says the students who complete these programs will be prepared to solve increasingly complex problems that require knowledge of public health and business.

“This became increasingly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also where the societal and community issues we see taking place around the world would benefit from an interdisciplinary understanding of both public health and business. Whether these problems relate to supply chain management, entrepreneurship and innovation, working with others, or even financing public health projects,” McKelvie says. “Both students and employers recognize the benefits of well-rounded students who possess the skills and abilities to navigate complex topics at the intersections of these areas.”

Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy says the new dual degree options between Falk and Whitman will provide a strong interdisciplinary education that prepares future public health and business administrators for leadership and positive impact in these influential areas of industry and practice.

“Every day we face new questions, threats and opportunities in public health around the world. Increasingly we see how promoting public health, health equity and social justice requires advanced knowledge and skills in both public health and business,” Murphy says. “The two fields are inherently connected, and it is within these synergies that we can find inventive solutions to existing and emerging global health issues.”

Graduates of these programs will be prepared for a range of careers in the public and private sector, social organizations, health care leadership, federal and local agencies, nonprofit management and consulting, and as founders and at transnational NGOs.

“We are confident that our dual degree public health programs with Falk will attract highly qualified and diverse students based on the quality and unique approaches of both schools,” McKelvie says. “This also helps to support Whitman’s increased partnerships in the health space, such as the dual M.D./MBA we launched last year with SUNY Upstate Medical University. Whitman’s STEM designation for our MBA concentrations is also attractive for international candidates.”

Admission requirements will remain the same for each program with both emphasizing academic credentials, leadership experience and potential. Dual degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are highly demanding, and students should possess the strong analytical abilities and the soft skills needed for leadership positions.

Competitive scholarships at the graduate level are available based on merit. In addition, the Whitman School partners with Management Leadership for Tomorrow and the National Black MBA Association, which provides scholarships for underrepresented minority MBA candidates based on application.

For more detailed information about these new dual programs, visit the and the .

“The rise has been particularly alarming over the last decade. And it’s a major reason why overall life expectancy in the US stopped increasing around 2010 and started to decline around 2014,” said co-author Jennifer Karas Montez, director of the Center for Aging and Policy Studies at ���ϲ�����. “While some states have invested in their populations’ wellbeing – for example, raising the minimum wage, implementing an EITC, expanding Medicaid, enacting clean indoor air laws – other states have either not invested or even divested. It’s this latter group of states where the lives of working-age adults are being cut particularly short.”

The decisions being made in state houses increasingly having life and death consequences for working-age Americans.

Jennifer Karas Montez

The researchers, including Jennifer Karas Montez, Nader Mehri, and Shannon Monnat of ���ϲ�����, analyzed data from 1999-2019. They combined mortality information from the National Vital Statistics System and state-level data on policy domains including gun safety, the environment, labor, and tobacco. Their study found that more liberal policies in most domains were associated with lower mortality, including some connections that were particularly notable.

“For example, more firearm safety policies are strongly connected to men’s suicide risk, with more liberal policies predicting smaller suicide risk,” Montez said. “Also interesting, we found that labor policies are strongly connected to alcohol-induced causes of death and suicide deaths for men.”

Researchers did find one domain where more conservative policies were associated with lower mortality. Conservative marijuana policies were associated with lower working-age mortality from suicide and alcohol-induced causes. But researchers caution that while the link between policies and mortality rates is straightforward in some cases, like tobacco use, others like labor are more complex.

“Labor policies like raising the minimum wage and mandating paid leave can help prevent economic hardship, allow workers to take time off when they are sick or need to care for loved ones without fear of losing their jobs or income, reduce stress, and prevent stress-related coping behaviors such as smoking and heavy alcohol consumption,” Montez said.

Researchers say their simulations estimate that changing to more liberal policies in the eight domains across all states might have saved more than 170,000 lives in 2019. The study concludes that fixing the high and rising mortality among working-age adults requires lawmakers to pay close attention to the policies they enact.

“The decisions being made in state houses increasingly having life and death consequences for working-age Americans,” Montez said. “Much of the narrative about the rising death rates of working-age Americans has pointed to opioid manufacturers and businesses leaving certain parts of the country. Our analyses points to another major player, and that’s state policymakers.”

The full study is published online by .

is a sociology professor at ���ϲ����� and director of the Center for Aging and Policy Studies.

is a postdoctoral fellow at ���ϲ�����’s Aging Studies Institute.

is a sociology professor at ���ϲ����� and the Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion and Population Health.

Brittany Kmush

For your continuing coverage related to the monkeypox virus, ���ϲ����� public health expert is available for interviews.

Kmush is an assistant professor in the at ���ϲ�����’s Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Her areas of specialization include vaccines, infectious diseases, epidemiology, global health, and immunology and environmental exposures, particularly within the context of risks for infectious diseases.

Kmush has been interviewed by the media multiple times for stories about monkeypox. Her comments have recently appeared in . She also can speak about COVID-19, anti-vaccination trends, and measles outbreaks. Her comments have been featured in outlets that include , , , and many others.

For more information or to request an interview:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

Gretel Pelto with her collection of cookbooks recently gifted to ���ϲ����� Libraries.

Gretel Pelto, an internationally recognized scholar in nutrition and public health, recently gifted ���ϲ����� Libraries with cookbooks to add to the Libraries’ already significant cookbook collection. The Libraries’ cookbook collection supports academic programs and courses in health, food studies, history, anthropology, geography, literature and more. The collection is used for exploring social history and culture, international cuisines and diets, practicing cooking and baking techniques, revising recipes for community food distribution or modifying nutritional values, understanding people’s relationship to food and how it can be used to gather and build community, as well as restore and celebrate our connection to the land.

Anita Kuiken, librarian for Falk College, selected the titles from Gretel Pelto’s personal collection. Titles from this gift can be found in the Libraries’ catalog by searching “”. The cookbooks from this gift would normally be shelved in Carnegie Library, however, they are currently available on the fourth floor of Bird Library. Additional titles from the gift will be available at Falk College. The generous gift also includes additional food studies books that can be located throughout the collection.

Pelto is a graduate professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. She also taught in the Department of Nutritional Science at the University of Connecticut. Her work focuses on bridging the interface between academic research and actions to improve nutrition and public health in communities, and bringing social science methods, particularly those of ethnography, to bear on nutrition and child health research. She has written and edited several books and numerous articles on theoretical and empirical issues in the academic nutrition community. Pelto conducted field research in Mexico, Latin America and Finland. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Helsinki in recognition of her work and contributions to the development of nutrition research and teaching. Her experience led to an eight-year appointment at the World Health Organization as the senior social scientist responsible for creating research tools and implementing their application to improve household management of acute respiratory infection and diarrheal diseases in developing countries. She received the Malinowski Award from the Society for Applied Anthropology and is a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition and the Society for Applied Anthropology. She was a founding editor of the journals Medical Anthropology and Reviews in Anthropology and collaborated with colleagues to establish a group within the Society for Medical Anthropology, now an independent organization (The Society for Food and Nutrition) that operates under the umbrella of the American Anthropological Association. She currently serves on the editorial board of several nutrition and health journals.��Several books and articles written by Gretel Pelto can be found in the ���ϲ����� Libraries’ collection by searching .

About ���ϲ����� Libraries:

���ϲ����� Libraries provides expertise, information, and tools for students, faculty and staff, alumni, and the community. With over 4.8 million volumes of resources accessed by millions of physical and online visits annually, the Libraries provides information services, responsive collections, knowledgeable staff, and safe and accessible physical and digital spaces that encourage intellectual exploration. In so doing, the Libraries enable the creation of new knowledge, catalyze scholarly collaboration and cultural exchange, and advance ���ϲ�����’s teaching, learning and research mission.

Gump added that it is crucial that the U.S. still works to actively combat the virus. “The idea that we can just set a policy and walk away is a pipe dream. If we want to keep some control of these rates, we need to modify our approach each time the situation on the ground shifts,” he said.

As you may be aware, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending indoor masking in Onondaga County. This recommendation is based on three data points, including active COVID cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity. The CDC’s action does not represent a federal masking order but is instead a recommendation to our community. The University has no new information to indicate that the Onondaga County Health Department or the New York State Department of Health intend to issue a local masking order in response to the CDC’s most recent guidance.

As a reminder, the University’s current COVID level of “Yellow” recommends indoor masking when in the presence of others, which is consistent with the most recent CDC guidance. At this time, the University will not make any immediate changes to its campus masking policy. We continue to urge our students, faculty and staff to take appropriate steps to safeguard your health, especially when visiting public spaces and places across our region.

Based on our most recent testing and case data, our campus community is not experiencing the same surge in transmission and new cases that are being reported elsewhere in the county. The University’s random surveillance test positivity rate for the most recent seven-day period was 1.2%, as compared to 9% in Onondaga County over the same period. As always, we will continue to monitor public health conditions.

The University is in close contact with our partners at the New York State Department of Health and Onondaga County Health Department. Should they recommend or require changes to our masking guidance in the days to come, we will communicate with our community promptly.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

Rein, Kopp and King interned in the Fall 2021 semester through Sustainability Management’s for-credit internship program that allows students to pursue projects that complement their major and explore their interest in sustainability.

Falk College students, from left to right, Tucker Kopp, Claire Rein and Caroline King, worked this past fall as interns for the Office of Sustainability Management, where they “gained both a professional network and some great friendships,” Rein says.

“Our internship program is designed to allow students to explore their passions outside of the classroom environment while recognizing the broad impact sustainability has on all majors,” says sustainability coordinator Meg Lowe G’18, who manages the internship program. “At the same time, each project a student works on helps us achieve our goals with a current program or develop a new initiative on campus.”

Rein’s internship project focused on reducing plastic consumption, Kopp explored food insecurity, and King drafted a plan to implement more renewable energy on campus. Rein, who transferred to ���ϲ����� in the fall of 2019, says her internship has so far been the highlight of her ���ϲ����� experience.

“My internship made up for many of the things that I missed out on (because of pandemic restrictions),” Rein says. “I have incredibly supportive and friendly supervisors, as well as other amazing student interns that have made my experience so amazing! While I have learned a lot by doing my research project, I have also gained both a professional network and some great friendships.”

Sustainability Management works with each student’s advisor to ensure the internship aligns with the student’s academic goals, and a single internship can offer the chance to become immersed in several aspects of sustainability.

“We work closely with academic advisors to ensure we’re meeting the needs of every program,” Lowe says. “We hope each student walks away with a thorough understanding of sustainability in a way they can carry it throughout their life.”

As the three Falk College students concluded their internships, they shared more about their projects and experiences with us. Here are their stories:

Claire Rein: Set Up for Success

Growing up in ���ϲ����� just a few miles from the University, Rein enjoyed singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and, of course, attending ���ϲ����� Orange sporting events. She was attracted to Falk College’s because of its experiential learning–the “the real-life application of knowledge” that she says has prepared her for a successful career in medicine.

“In my studies of public health, I have gained significant knowledge about the American healthcare system, healthcare disparities and social determinants of health, and how to do scientific research,” says Rein, who currently works as a patient care technician at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital in ���ϲ�����. “I have been able to work with a high school equivalency class, participate in PTSD research, work at the Office of Sustainability Management for my internship, and much more.”

For her internship project on reducing plastic consumption on campus, Rein researched microplastics and their connection to public health, the issues with plastic recycling, and the social justice issues surrounding the plastic industry. She determined that aluminum cans are the best alternative and created a proposal for the University to transition to aluminum packaging for its vending machines.

Claire Rein

“While the goals of recycling are great, the actual implementation does not match up,” Rein says. “Oftentimes, recyclables get contaminated and never end up being recycled, meaning they are either put in a landfill, incinerated, or end up polluting the natural environment.

“The industry was never designed to support such a large volume of recyclables,” Rein adds, “so our lack of recycling infrastructure in America has made it so that it’s sometimes not worth it economically to recycle.”

As she looks forward to graduation, Rein says she wants to positively influence the health care sphere by improving the experience for patients who are often overlooked and vulnerable.

“This could be, for example, implementing policies within my practice to better educate care plans to people with low healthcare literacy or language/cultural barriers; focusing care plans on the individual needs, perspectives and abilities of the patient; or finding ways to prevent socioeconomic status from hindering the ability to receive excellent long-term care,” Rein says. “I believe being a public health major at ���ϲ����� has really set me up for success when it comes to achieving these goals.”

Tucker Kopp: Ending Food Insecurity

Kopp grew up about 20 miles southeast of ���ϲ����� in Cazenovia, where he started to ride horses when he was just 3. He also enjoyed baking and would spend hours baking with a friend, who sadly passed away last year.

Kopp enrolled at the University through , which provides opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want to experience college life in a fully inclusive setting. Kopp is a major in Falk College, where his passion for baking and food is matched only by his enthusiasm for making friends.

“I’m a people person,” Kopp says, “I love to meet new people and make friends.”

Kopp is in his internship year at InclusiveU, and with Sustainability Management he studied food insecurity on college campuses. As Kopp points out, the is stocked with food and personal care items that are available at no cost to all students with a valid ���ϲ����� or SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ID.

Tucker Kopp

“The most important thing I wish people knew about food insecurity on a college campus is how to use a food pantry if you don’t have enough money to buy food for yourself,” Kopp says.

InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults says Kopp grew “personally and professionally” from his internship, which was a valuable piece of his experience at the University and tied together his certificate in Culinary Arts with his career goals.

“After working alongside Meg (Lowe) and his other colleagues, Tucker better understands where food comes from and how hard it can be for some to access it,” Shults says. “Tucker valued his opportunities to participate in other projects, such as the virtual cooking class. His work at Sustainability Management really allowed him a new view on how food is experienced and accessed outside of traditional food services.”

Kopp’s education at Falk and his internship with Sustainability Management has given him options as his looks forward to his life and career after graduation.

“I want to do something with horses,” Kopp says. “But if that doesn’t work out, I want to do something culinary-related!”

Caroline King: Quality Health Care for All

King grew up in the mountains of central Pennsylvania, where hiking and backpacking trips became her favorite hobby (she and her father still go on multiple backpacking trips every year). She entered ���ϲ����� as a nutrition student but switched to a dual major in public health at Falk and policy studies at the .

“As I aged, I began learning more about health disparities and the adversities faced in the healthcare system by minority communities,” King says. “I quickly developed a passion to be a part of the shift to providing equitable, affordable access to quality healthcare for all.

“Additionally, public health includes the health of the environment, which was an added attraction as my connection to the earth is strong,” King says.

Caroline King

For her internship, King researched renewable energy (RE) from a public health perspective. She looked at the sustainability of RE throughout its entire life cycle, from sourcing precious metals to the disposing of end-of-life RE systems.

With the information she gathered, King drafted a policy to propose to the University to use more RE on campus.

“I wish people would take the time to think about their energy consumption, where it’s coming from, and how big of an impact it’s causing on the planet,” King says. “It’s easy to put your consumption out of mind when the effects are out of sight, however, we need to be conscious of the impact that the things we do and purchase have on other people and the environment.”

King is a student and member of the , where she has met students with various majors who share her vision of being part of a team that makes a difference in the lives of others.

“I wish people would understand the privilege they have to live the life they do so that they are able to empathize with people of all types around them,” King says. “As I move through jobs, careers and life, I hope to be in a position where I can be a part of a team that makes a large impact on a community, population or the environment.”

Free COVID-19 testing is available to the Central New York community at the University’s stadium through Jan. 14.

With access to COVID-19 tests becoming increasingly scarce in and around Central New York, ���ϲ����� began offering free COVID-19 testing to the Central New York community on Jan. 4.

Announced earlier this month by New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80, as part of a concerted, statewide effort to quickly detect and isolate the presence of the virus and limit transmission, the drive to administer free tests to community members came as COVID cases began to spike in and around Onondaga County at the beginning of the new year.

Through the initiative’s first week, nearly 1,700 Central New Yorkers have taken advantage of these free community COVID tests at the Stadium Testing Center on campus.

“The community response has been overwhelmingly positive so far. It has really been heartening to see so many community members take advantage of this resource, and we feel confident we will be able to accommodate everyone who comes out for a test,” says Adam Hepburn, executive director of operations in the University’s Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation.

When the announcement was first made, Hepburn admits he wasn’t sure how the greater community would respond to the free tests. He soon learned just how great of a need there was for complimentary COVID tests. Hepburn says many of the community members who have benefited expressed their gratitude over the University opening up its doors and making these tests available.

“There was a mother of five who brought her children with her to the Stadium Testing Center. As she came through the site, she explained to us just how difficult a time she had in finding tests for her children in the community, and that it would have cost her hundreds of dollars to get her kids tested. She was exceedingly pleased to have access to this testing resource on our campus,” says Hepburn, who credits the campus community for coming together to make this resource available.

Hepburn says the PCR direct saliva tests being administered at the Stadium Testing Center are accurate and reliable, with results known within 24 to 48 hours. Instead of requiring an appointment, interested community members can just walk up to the Stadium Testing Center and receive their saliva test, with very little wait time.

Members of the ���ϲ����� community make their way through the Stadium Testing Center.

“The testing lab has been quite busy with this extra testing; however, we are still able to meet the 24-to-48-hour turnaround time to get test results back to community members,” adds Ramesh Raina, the University’s interim vice president of research and a member of the University’s Public Health Team. “These people who are benefiting from these tests are members of our community. With increased testing needs, combined with limited testing resources, anything we can do to help with testing is a good thing. We’re happy that we can help our community.”

In addition to the Public Health Team members and University staff facilitating the community testing, 10 members of the National Guard were deployed to the Stadium Testing Center to assist with this effort. Both Hepburn and Raina credit the University’s on-campus partners with ensuring the testing process runs smoothly.

Community members can continue to take advantage of free COVID tests at the stadium through Friday, Jan. 14. Testing hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The University will continue providing testing to its campus community, including students, faculty, staff and the families of employees, at Kimmel Dining Hall through Friday, Jan. 14. Testing for campus members will resume at the Stadium Testing Center beginning on Sunday, Jan. 16. Hours for campus community testing are available on the��.

���ϲ�����’s testing available to asymptomatic individuals. Individuals experiencing COVID-like symptoms should not visit the stadium; instead, they should contact their health care provider or visit a local urgent care facility. Individuals who plan to test at the Stadium Testing Center, be advised:

• No appointments are necessary; simply visit the testing center at a time that is convenient for you during operating hours.
• Parking is available at the Raynor Avenue Lot and Irving Garage; handicap accessible parking is available in the Quad Lot. A parking lot map can be accessed by visiting the��.
• Enter the stadium through Gate N.
• Do not eat, chew gum, drink, use mouthwash or use any tobacco products for 30 minutes before testing.
• Deposit enough saliva to reach the line marked on the tube.
• Only deposit saliva into the tube (no mucus or phlegm)!
• Hydrate well earlier in the day to prevent dry mouth.
• Masks must be worn at all times, except when actively depositing the test sample. Surgical masks will be available at the stadium.
• Individuals will receive test results via email with any appropriate guidance.
• Individuals who have tested positive in the last 90 days should not participate in this surveillance testing.

To learn more about ���ϲ�����’s testing strategy, visit��.

To learn more the public health benefits of the network, you are invited to join a free webinar called “Introduction to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network” from 10 to 11 a.m. Jan. 19. is required to attend.

The webinar is organized by the�� and the University’s Environmental Finance Center, and co-sponsored by the and .

Epidemiologist David Larsen leads the ���ϲ����� public health team that’s partnering with the state Department of Health to create a statewide wastewater surveillance network.

In mid-December, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80 announced that the and the ���ϲ����� public health team led by epidemiologist , an associate professor of public health at Falk College, will to analyze wastewater for COVID-19 to include at least one wastewater treatment plant in each of the state’s 62 counties.

In the last year, 20 counties have participated in wastewater surveillance with test results providing evidence of COVID-19 in communities that are home to more than 2 million New York residents. New York City has also conducted wastewater surveillance in its five boroughs, and the expansion of the statewide network will improve coordination and provide an opportunity for participation from many more municipalities.

Studies have shown that wastewater surveillance detects variants of the virus such as omicron. New York State reported 22,478 new COVID cases on Dec. 19 and 60,000 from Dec. 17-19, each a record for the state.

“We’re learning new things about the COVID-19 virus every day, and in order to stay ahead of it, we’ve had to adopt new and innovate strategies for prevention and detection, particularly when it comes to variants,” Hochul says on the official New York State website. “I thank our nation-leading scientists and researchers at the Department of Health,��and our academic partners at ���ϲ�������University and SUNY Buffalo, SUNY ESF and SUNY Stony Brook��for their efforts to track the virus through the��cutting-edge��wastewater surveillance program that will undoubtedly be used to inform public health issues well into the future.”

The Jan. 19 webinar will feature Larsen; , associate professor of environmental studies at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF); and other experts who will discuss details of the network and answer questions about the real-time monitoring of wastewater for coronavirus RNA. Larsen’s team and the Department of Health are working with the state to develop the network throughout the state.

“Establishing wastewater surveillance in every county throughout the state will give us better understanding of COVID-19 transmission,” Larsen says. “This system will help the public and policymakers better respond to the pandemic.”

The webinar is designed to inform wastewater treatment plant operators, county and municipal government officials, elected officials and staff, and public health officials, but will be structured in a way that any New York State resident can learn how the network will work and the health benefits derived from it.

Testing wastewater for the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t depend on testing individuals. The statewide network will help participating municipalities establish the baseline level of virus and identify which communities experience an increase. This information will complement other state testing and surveillance efforts to better understand the risk of COVID-19 transmission throughout the state and allocate public health resources.

While the wastewater surveillance network will initially focus on COVID-19, it will remain a vital public health resource as it will be able to detect other infectious diseases and provide estimates of opioid use.

For more information, visit the website. Visit the to attend the free Jan. 19 webinar “Introduction to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network.”

is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Professor of International Relations at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School. His research expertise includes medical anthropology and public health. He works within the city of ���ϲ����� to reduce lead poisoning.

Professor Rubinstein says:

“Replacing lead pipes is an important step for addressing lead poisoning. Yet, the focus on replacing lead pipes should not divert us from addressing other environmental sources of lead. Among these are the lead remaining from industrial enterprises, lead in the soil around older, especially inner-city homes, and ensuring that the infrastructure work that will soon begin across the nation mitigates the release and dispersion of lead into the environment, which will involve demolition and other work.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Marketing and Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Public health senior Mohamed Khan (pictured far right) at the First-Generation Celebration at the Intercultural Collective office in Schine Student Center celebrating the success of first-generation college students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Mohamed Khan ’22 is preparing for medical school by integrating natural and social sciences as a double major in public health and history. “As a first-generation college student and student of color, the most important thing I want to do with my public health knowledge is increase the health quality for people from all walks of life in my long career in medicine,” says Khan. He first enrolled at ���ϲ����� as a biomedical engineering major, but after taking a course in the Falk College on health disparities, he switched his major to public health. “I wanted to learn more about the social determinants of health.”

One of Khan’s public health professors, Luvenia Cowart, Ed.D., RN, is an expert in minority health and directs initiatives to develop academic and community partnerships to reduce health disparities and promote health and healthy lifestyles among minority communities. “Many people from racial and ethnic minority groups are at higher risk for various diseases due to historical health and social inequities,” says Cowart. “Social determinants of health, such as poverty and access to health care have prevented them having equal opportunities for total health. To achieve health equity, barriers must be removed so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be healthy.”

In her course, Promoting Health Through Literacy and Cultural Competence, students like Khan learn how and why limited health literacy and the lack of culturally competent health care fuel health disparities, resulting in poor health outcomes. “The course explores the multilayered linkages between culturally competent health care, health and literacy, and health outcomes,” says Cowart. “Literacy, health literacy and cultural competence are all factors that impact quality of health care delivery and health outcomes among all populations.”

Among the requirements of the course, students gain exposure to different cultures throughout the community as part of a 25-hour academic service-learning course requirement. In fall 2021, Khan and his classmates tutored with RISE (Refugee and Immigrants Self-Empowerment) in the city of ���ϲ�����. In addition, every student in the course registers for the Conversations About Race and Ethnicity (CARE) program, a six-week dialogue space for community members of ���ϲ����� to engage in meaningful, challenging and vital conversations about race and ethnicity. “Both of these experiences reinforced the learning objectives of the course, as well as emphasized the need for more culturally competent physicians, which is what I hope to become,” says Khan.

He has big plans for life after ���ϲ�����, including medical school to become a doctor of allopathic or osteopathic medicine. “I am also planning to work as a graduate medical officer for the Navy for seven years, active duty, right after medical school,” he says.

“I believe public health at a population level is the key to my personal and professional goals,” Khan adds. And he’s not the only one.

Public health alumna Bijal Patel ’20 completed study abroad programs in South Africa and India. “Both of these experiences taught me so much about cultural humility and community engagement,” she says.

Public health alumna Bijal Patel ’20 says the skills she gained at Falk translated directly into her work as a health educator in a local nonprofit family planning clinic. “Professor Cowart’s course taught me about the importance of sharing accurate, accessible and reliable health information,” says Patel. “This was especially relevant to my work as a health educator teaching reproductive health in ���ϲ����� after graduation. In this role, I developed health messaging for our social media, website and clinics and the lessons I learned in her course have been so useful!”

Patel chose public health to pursue her interest in communities, environmental health and disparities. “I wanted to learn about health and illness beyond biology,” she says. She completed degrees in both biology and public health. “I’m glad I was able to study health all the way from cells to populations!”

In summer 2022, she starts medical school, where she looks forward to learning more about the intersection between public health and medicine. “I am most excited to apply what I’ve learned to a clinical setting and emphasize prevention and equity in my work,” says Patel. “My biggest goal as a physician is to provide equitable, inclusive care to all patients.”

Her public health education, she says, will help her reach that goal. “One thing that stuck with me from my public health education is the importance of meeting people where they are at in health care. People are coming from various cultural backgrounds, literacy levels and life experiences.”

Students in Cowart’s classroom benefit from her professional and academic experience, as well as her personal passion for health equity. “The prevalence of health disparities and increasing evidence of inequities in social determinants of health among African Americans in underserved communities compels a ‘call to action,’” says Cowart reflecting on her own interest in public health. “As a public health professional, it is needful to respond to the identified health and social needs, as well as social injustices, in your community. If not me, then who will answer the call to work in non-traditional settings, such as churches and barbershops, to engage, educate and promote healthier lifestyles among African Americans in underserved communities?”

Among her academic research and community work, Cowart leads community-driven, culturally competent interventions to reduce health disparities among African Americans, who are at higher risk for chronic diseases and health problems, and to adopt healthier lifestyles across the lifespan. One example of her work is The Genesis Health Project Network, a collaborative effort with faith-based communities and other health-related agencies to develop a culturally appropriate program church members want, need and will sustain. “The approach to the work is simple; recognize, respect and integrate,” Cowart says. “We must recognize cultural differences, values, traditions and health beliefs, and respect and integrate those differences into our health care and health care delivery system. Our theme is: Community First. That is, working to address the health and social needs identified by the community, for the community and with the community.”

Future physicians Khan and Patel are keeping issues of health equity at the forefront of their careers in medicine. “Low health literacy along racial and socioeconomic lines is not only a direct consequence of health disparities, but it is evident of institutionalized racism in our nation,” says Khan.

“Health should not be a consequence of race, geographic location, gender, socioeconomic status or sexuality. Health disparities are deeply rooted in systemic inequities, but we can and should work towards a solution,” says Patel. “Equity is possible!”

For additional media assistance, please contact:

Ellen Mbuqe, Director of News and Public Relations�� ��| ����ejmbuqe@syr.edu
Keith Kobland, Media Relations Manager�� ��|�� ��kkobland@syr.edu
Daryl Lovell, Media Relations Manager�� ��|�� ��dalovell@syr.edu

Public Health

Brittany Kmush�� ��|�� ��blkmush@syr.edu
Brittany Kmush is an assistant professor of public health in Falk College. Kmush’s specialties include epidemiology, immunology and vaccines, and infectious diseases. Her expertise is particularly well suited for information related to the vaccine and subsequent booster shots.��

• • Expert Available to Discuss COVID-19 Vaccine for Children (SU News Pitch)
  • Lack of Data Available To Determine Booster Shot Efficacy (Politico)
  • How long will it take to reach full COVID-19 protection? (CNY Central)
  • From vaccines to safe socialization: Here’s what to expect in 2021, according to experts (CNBC)

David Larsen�� ��| ����dalarsen@syr.edu
David Larsen is an associate professor of public health in Falk College. Larsen’s expertise includes global health, large data analysis and spatial statistics, and sanitation. During the 2020-2021 academic year, Larsen helped lead ���ϲ�����’s wastewater surveillance program to monitor COVID-19 on campus.��

• • ���ϲ����� Experts on Vaccine Hesitancy (SU News Pitch)
  • Covid still a threat in CNY, but as one expert says: ‘The worst is behind us’ (���ϲ�����.com)
  • COVID devastated New York, but here’s why it fared better in the fall surge (ABC News)
  • A Covid test that really stinks (Politico)

Brooks Gump�� ��|�� ��bbgump@syr.edu
Brooks Gump is the Falk Family Endowed Professor of public health in Falk College. Gump’s specialties include the effects of psychosocial factors on overall health, discrimination and health, and epidemiology. He has commented on various aspects of the pandemic’s effect on public health guidance.��

• • On Covid-19, should we be optimistic? Or pessimistic? (Or both?) (The Buffalo News)
  • Experts Predict When You Can Have Your Maskless Wedding (Elemental)
  • America is Epically Failing in Combating COVID-19 (U.S. News & World Report)

Bryce Hruska�� ��|�� ��bjhruska@syr.edu
Bryce Hruska is an assistant professor of public health in Falk College. Hruska’s specialties include the impacts of occupational stress and traumatic event exposure related to PTSD. He is available to comment about the effects of the pandemic on healthcare workers.��

• • Certain Recovery Activities Can Protect First Responders’ Well-Being (Relias Media)
  • Dealing With Difficult Mental Health Conditions At Work (EMS World)
  • Health Care Heroes Need a Break, Too (SU News Pitch)

COVID and Politics

Shana Kushner Gadarian�� ��| ����sgadaria@maxwell.syr.edu��
Shana Kushner Gadarian is professor and chair of political science in the Maxwell School. Gadarian’s specialties include American politics, political psychology, and public opinion. She was recently named a 2021 Carnegie Fellow for her quantitative research studying the long-term impacts of the pandemic on health behaviors and evaluations of government performance.��

• • Legal, Political, and Historical Perspectives on Biden’s COVID Vaccination Mandate (SU News Pitch)
  • Partisan politics at the root of vaccine hesitancy, according to new article (SU News Pitch)
  • How political polarization broke America’s vaccine campaign (Vox)
  • As COVID surges, Americans remain divided on the threat. What will it take to bring them together? (USA Today)

Mandates

Doron Dorfman�� ��| ����ddorfman@syr.edu
Doron Dorfman is an associate professor of law in the College of Law. Dorfman’s expertise includes anti-discrimination and equity law, disability law and policy, and public health law. His legal specialties are particularly well suited for news related to mask and vaccine mandates.��

• • 4 potential pitfalls lie ahead for OSHA’s vaccine mandate, say experts (Fortune)
  • Lawmakers Split Over COVID Vaccine Mandate for Workers (Medpage Today)
  • COVID vaccine mandates: The key question challenging United Airlines’ policy (Yahoo!Money)
  • Fact check: ADA does not provide blanket exemption from face mask requirements. (USA Today)

Mark Nevitt�� ��| ����mpnevitt@syr.edu
Mark Nevitt is an associate professor of law in the College of Law. Nevitt’s specialties include military law and national security law and policy. He is available to comment on the legality and policies surrounding COVID-19 vaccine enforcement for military members.��

• • Should the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Required for the Military? (Just Security and Slate)
  • Potential Op-Ed: Should the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Required for the Military? (SU News Pitch)

Kyla Garrett Wagner�� ��| ����kpwagner@syr.edu
Kyla Garrett Wagner is an assistant professor of communications in the Newhouse School. Garrett Wagner is an expert on the relationship between public health and the First Amendment, focusing on the impacts of health-driven media regulations on freedoms of speech. She can discuss the history of people fighting against public health mandates.��

• • Legal, Political, and Historical Perspectives on Biden’s COVID Vaccination Mandate (SU News Pitch)
  • We’ve always protested against public health mandates (SU News Pitch)

Nursing Homes and Elder Care

Nina Kohn�� ��| ����nakohn@syr.edu
Nina Kohn is the David M. Levy Professor of law and faculty director of online education in the College of Law. Kohn’s expertise lies in elder care, nursing homes, and the civil rights of older adults with diminished cognitive capacities. Kohn has frequently commented on the situation regarding COVID-19 within nursing homes.��

• • Covid Awakened Americans to a Nursing Home Crisis. Now Comes the Hard Part. (The Washington Post)
  • New York nursing homes granted legal protection, but not ‘blanket immunity’ (PolitiFact)
  • Why ‘Cuomo’s death order’ didn’t really cause New York’s nursing home carnage. A reality check. (���ϲ�����.com)

Pandemic’s Impact on Society

Scott Landes�� ��| ����sdlandes@syr.edu
Scott Landes is an associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School. Landes is an expert on medical sociology and the sociology of disability. His current research focuses on the impact of the pandemic on those with physical and mental disabilities, as those with developmental disabilities are at a much higher risk for COVID-19.��

• • Workers Who Aid People With Disabilities Must Be Fully Vaccinated by Nov. 30 (LAist)
  • Relative invisibility makes for uphill battle to get COVID vaccines for Americans with IDD (PBS NewsHour)
  • People with disabilities desperately need the vaccine. But states disagree on when they’ll get it. (The Washington Post)

Shannon Monnat�� ��| ����smmonnat@syr.edu
Shannon Monnat is an associate professor of sociology and the Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion in the Maxwell School. Monnat’s expertise lies at the intersection of place, public policy and health. Most notably, Professor Monnat will serve as lead researcher for a project examining the impacts of state COVID-19 mitigation policies on adult psychological health, drug overdose and suicide. The five-year project is funded by $1.95 million from the National Institutes of Health.��

• • Why COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Are Lower in Rural Areas of the U.S. (SU News Pitch and Associated Press)
  • Pain and Isolation Are Driving America’s Lockdown Overdose Surge (VICE)
  • Epidemic of Despair Could Haunt America Long After COVID (Institute for New Economic Thinking)
  • Exit polls suggest significant polarization about the pandemic and its economic fallout (Vox)

Colleen Heflin�� ��|�� ��cmheflin@syr.edu����
Colleen Heflin is a professor of public administration and international affairs in the Maxwell School. Heflin’s specialties include policy related to child and family poverty. Her most recent work focuses on the impacts of food insecurity in American households, particularly during the pandemic.��

• • Material hardship taking a mental and physical toll on young adults during pandemic (Medical Xpress)
  • (Common Dreams)
  • (Schenectady Daily Gazette)

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern�� ��|�� ��lminkoff@syr.edu
Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern is an assistant professor of food studies in Falk College and an affiliated faculty member of geography in the Maxwell School. Minkoff-Zern’s expertise lies at the intersection of food, racial and social justice, and agricultural policy. Her most recent work focuses on the impact of the pandemic on food systems and farm workers.��

• • Why aren’t NY farm workers in the Covid-19 vaccine line? (���ϲ�����.com)
  • Farm, Food Workers Lagging When It Comes to COVID Vaccinations (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)

Pandemic’s Impact on Veterans��

Nicholas Armstrong�� ��|�� ��narmstro@syr.edu
Nicholas Armstrong is the senior director for research and evaluation at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). Armstrong’s expertise lies in veteran public policy for the societal and economic needs of veterans. His current work focuses on advocating for policies and programs to support veterans during the pandemic.��

• • Partnerships Needed to Support the Military-to-Civilian Transition (SU News Pitch)
  • Military families in need of food assistance amid pandemic (MSNBC)
  • Understanding Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Veterans and Military Families (Military Times)

Rosalinda Vasquez Maury�� ��|�� ��rvmaury@syr.edu
Rosalina Vasquez Maury is the director of applied research and analytics at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). Maury has extensive experience studying veteran and military spouse employment and education. Her recent work relates to the positive impacts of�� veteran entrepreneurship during the pandemic.��

• • Some Veteran Entrepreneurs Say Military Experience Is Helping Them Withstand The Pandemic (The American Homefront Project)
  • What Today’s Veterans Should Know About Entrepreneurship (Military.com)
  • COVID One Year Later: Insights from the Military-Connected Community (SU News Pitch)

Business and Supply Chains

Julie Niederhoff�� ��|�� ��jniederh@syr.edu
Julie Niederhoff is an associate professor of supply chain management in the Whitman School. Niederhoff’s expertise lies in supply chain contracting, human behavior related to supply chain, and operations. She has commented frequently on the challenges impacting global supply chains throughout the pandemic.��

• • Closing Meat Processing Plans Might Mean Less Food and Less Variety (CNN)
  • The state of the workforce 2020: COVID-19 catalyzes a reckoning (Provisioner Online)
  • ��(Daily Beast)

Patrick Penfield�� ��|�� ��pcpenfie@syr.edu
Patrick Penfield is a professor of supply chain practice in the Whitman School. Penfield’s research focuses on green supply chains, manufacturing and warehousing, and strategic sourcing. His expertise has been a leading voice on issues within supply chains during the pandemic.

• • New Plan to Address the Supply Chain Crisis (Forbes)
  • Food prices steadily climb nearly 1 year into pandemic (Good Morning America)
  • What do toilet paper, lumber, and computer chips have in common? (News Channel 9)

Burak Kazaz�� ��|�� ��bkazaz@syr.edu
Burak Kazaz is the Steven R. Becker Professor of supply chain management and the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence in the Whitman School. Kazaz’s research focuses on the integration of supply chain operations, marketing and pricing, and the management of uncertainty and risk. His expertise relates to the manufacturing and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.��

• • These containers used to ship fresh tuna. Now they’ll deliver COVID-19 vaccines (CNN)
  • Looking at the ingredients behind the different vaccine brands (KCBS Radio)
  • SU Supply Chain Expert: Direct Shipments of Vaccine Ensure Product Integrity (WAER Radio)
  • COVID Vaccine Concerns: How Long Might It Take to Get One? (SU News Pitch)

Mental Health

Afton Kapuscinski�� ��|�� ��ankapusc@syr.edu
Afton Kapuscinski is an associate professor of psychology and director of the Psychological Services Center in the College of Arts and Sciences. Kapuscinski’s research relates to the treatment and prevention of mental health issues in adults, and college students in particular. She is available to comment on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both adult and young adult’s mental health.��

• • ���ϲ����� Experts on Vaccine Hesitancy (SU News Pitch)��
  • (Newsweek)
  • (RTE – Irish National Broadcast)

Ken Marfilius�� ��|�� ��kjmarfil@syr.edu
Ken Marfilius is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Social Work in Falk College. Marfilius’ areas of interest include social work intervention, military culture and mental health, and suicide prevention. He is able to comment on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on veteran’s mental health.

• • Professor comments on PTSD Awareness Day, especially important this year with the COVID-19 pandemic (SU News Pitch)

Rashimi Gangamma�� ��|�� ��rgangamm@syr.edu
Rashmi Gangamma is an Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy in Falk College. Gangamma’s expertise includes providing trauma-informed mental health treatment for refugee families. Her current research focuses on the benefits of teletherapy and telehealth services during the pandemic.

Race and COVID-19

Danielle Taana Smith�� ��|�� ��dsmith33@syr.edu
Danielle Taana Smith is a professor of African American studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. Smith’s research focuses on global public health and issues of social justice and human rights. Her current work covers the impact of COVID-19 on people of color.��

• • Faith in the COVID vaccine? (The Cortland Standard)
  • The Crisis of Democracy: A Marshall Plan for the Biden Administration (LA Progressive)

Education

George Theoharis�� ��|�� ��gtheohar@syr.edu
George Theoharis is a professor of education leadership and inclusive elementary and early childhood education in the School of Education. Theoharis has extensive experience in educational leadership as a former principal and teacher. He is currently focused on the impact of the pandemic on the education system and students.

• • (���ϲ�����.com)
  • The Path to Systemic Change: Equity-Focused School Leadership (SU News Pitch)

Tiffany Koszalka�� ��|�� ��takoszal@syr.edu
Tiffany Koszalka is a professor of instructional design, development and evaluation in the School of Education. Koszalka studies the integration of learning, instruction, and technologies in instructional and learning environments. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Koszalka’s work and research is especially important given the transition to online or hybrid work for students of all ages.��

• • (WSYR)

Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion

in the Maxwell School leads the way in community health research, education, and outreach related to the social, spatial, and structural determinants of physical, mental, and behavioral health. The center consists of over 20 faculty affiliates from various disciplines including public health, sociology, psychology, economics, and public administration.

The Lerner Center has published dozens of studies and research briefs during the pandemic related to various aspects of COVID-19. You can find them Recent examples:

• • ?

Jennifer Stromer-Galley

Social media researcher , professor at the iSchool at ���ϲ�����, can offer insight on the proliferation of misinformation and how to stop it. Prof. Stromer-Galley has been studying social media before it was called social media, and has embarked on a new research project on misinformation.

Here are her comments about the toolkit:

“The communication and information science research supports the approach the CDC is pushing – the greatest influencers are people in our network who we trust: parents, doctors, religious leaders, close friends,” said Stromer-Galley.

“When someone believes misinformation, it can be quite hard for that person to be corrected. Misinformation often aligns with our beliefs and worldviews – it fits our story of the world (which is why we end up believing it). And, if a friend comes along and says, in effect, “your beliefs are wrong,” that’s threatening. It causes the misinformed person to get defense and stop dialogue,” said Stromer-Galley.

“So, the guidance in the toolkit is a better approach – to not ‘fact check’ or try to discredit what someone believes, but instead to listen and to encourage that they seek counsel from people they trust, like their doctor. Sharing why you got vaccinated and what it means to you can help, if the person you’re talking to is open to the conversation. The best way to counter misinformation is to provide better stories that can ultimately replace the story that false information provided.”

“The guide itself definitely isn’t for the general public, though. Given that it’s a 22 page document, it’s not going to be something an ordinary person picks up and reads! But, for community leaders – doctors, pastors, teachers – this toolkit provides key resources and guidance on how to start the conversations with people who are unvaccinated to help slowly undo the toxic information environment we have been since the start of COVID. Because that’s how opinions and behavior changes – one conversation at a time,” said Stromer-Galley.

To schedule an interview, please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of media relations at ���ϲ�����, at��ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551

Ortiz, researcher of health communication and social marketing, discussed why it may be difficult to convince those who remain unvaccinated to ever get the vaccine. She said, “We know that the longer that people are hesitant, the longer they will continue to be hesitant. It becomes what we call a ‘commitment consistency’ issue — where the longer you say this is not something I’m going to do, or this is something I disagree with, the more it becomes ingrained in your personality.”

While we continue to look forward to a well-deserved break in a little over a week, campus remains busy with activities throughout the weekend, some of which are outlined below. I encourage you to make the most of it by taking part in the opportunities to engage, connect, reflect and recharge.

With that, I also want to remind you of the importance of maintaining good health practices while you socialize as we are experiencing an early onset of flu. Getting vaccinated is the best protection against illness. If you haven’t already received a flu shot, with the Barnes Center to attend one of the additional flu clinics scheduled. In addition, washing your hands often with soap and water, wearing a mask and avoiding contact with others when you are feeling sick can all help to prevent the spread of illness.����������������

Thursday, Nov. 11

Friday, Nov. 12

Saturday, Nov. 13

Sunday, Nov. 14

Please continue to visit the , , and regularly to access all the events, programs and activities planned now through the end of the semester on Dec. 17.

Stay well and enjoy the weekend!

Sincerely,

Robert D. Hradsky, Ed.D.
Vice President for the Student Experience and Dean of Students

In this radio show, Ortiz discussed parents’ instinct to protect their children and how this will encourage them to allow their young children to get vaccinated. She said, “Parents will inherently want to protect their children even more than they want to protect themselves,”��she said.��“Those are the potential for misinformation that happens to that emotional response. I think it’s even more powerful that we have to be careful.”

Kmush, an epidemiologist, addressed concerns related to small children receiving a vaccine dose. She said, ��“Vaccines are different than medication in the dosing strategy and it has more to do with the maturity of the immune system rather than weight or metabolism.”

Kmush discusses how vaccines will affect the immune systems of individuals of different ages, saying, “Vaccines are different than medication in the dosing strategy and it has more to do with the maturity of the immune system rather than weight or metabolism.”

]]> /blog/2021/10/25/disability-justice-advocate-eli-clare-is-cny-humanities-corridors-2021-distinguished-visiting-collaborator/ Mon, 25 Oct 2021 22:57:52 +0000 /?p=170179

Eli Clare

The��, in partnership with the��, welcomes author and social justice educator,��, as a Distinguished Visiting Collaborator in the��. A leading thinker at the intersection of queerness, race and disability, Clare is widely recognized for his work highlighting how mental and physical processes interrelate. He will engage faculty, students and wider audiences with two presentations on Oct. 28 and 29.

Brittany Kmush

For your continuing coverage as these meetings unfold and for other issues related to the vaccines, vaccine expert����is available for an interview.

Kmush is an assistant professor in the����at ���ϲ�����’s Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Her areas of specialization include vaccines, infectious diseases, epidemiology, global health, and immunology and environmental exposures, particularly within the context of risks for infectious diseases.

As a student investigator at the Centre for Child and Adolescent Health in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the National Institute for Diagnosis and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases at Xiamen University in Xiamen, China, Kmush implemented a study examining the persistence of antibodies after hepatitis E virus infection.

Kmush has been interviewed by the media multiple times for stories about COVID-19, anti-vaccination trends, and measles outbreaks. Her comments have appeared in��,��,����and many other media outlets.

In March 2020 she provided a commentary to U.S. News & World Report called��, and in August 2020 she was interviewed about COVID-19 vaccine candidates by��. This past February, Kmush was interviewed by the����for a story about “anti-vaxxers” who were concerned about vaccinated people donating blood.

Thank you for your consideration. For more information or to request an interview with Kmush, please contact Matt Michael, media relations specialist, at mmicha04@syr.edu or 315.254.9037

The researchers conclude that as the pandemic enters its second winter and vaccination rates vary widely across the U.S., mandates may be the most effective strategy for increasing vaccination rates and saving lives in rural areas.

“Very few people who haven’t gotten vaccinated are going to change their minds at this point; they’ve dug in their heals, and misinformation is rampant,” said researcher , an associate professor of sociology at ���ϲ����� and director of the . “The most effective way to prevent continued spread, reduce hospitalizations and save lives is to mandate vaccines.”

According to public health officials, achieving high vaccination coverage is the best way to prevent coronavirus spread, promote economic recovery and save lives. But as of September 2021, only 66.6% of U.S. adults had been fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In their published study, “,” researchers Monnat and Lerner Graduate Fellow compared COVID-19 vaccination rates across the U.S. rural-urban continuum and identified the major contributors to lower rates of vaccination in rural counties.

The study is summarized in the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion research brief, “”

Here are the researchers’ key findings:

• COVID-19 vaccination rates vary substantially across the United States, with some counties nearing 100% vaccination while others have rates under 5%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• As of August 11, 2021, 46% of adults in rural counties had been fully vaccinated compared to 60% in urban counties.
• Higher Trump vote share in the 2020 presidential election and lower educational attainment collectively explain lower rural vaccination rates.
• Nationally, Trump vote share is the single largest contributor to county-level variation in COVID-19 vaccination rates; each standard deviation increase in Trump vote share is associated with a 6.25 percentage point decline in the vaccination rate.
• Counties with larger shares of residents who are non-Hispanic Black also have significantly lower vaccination rates, whereas counties with higher median household income and more physicians per capita have significantly higher vaccination rates.
• In rural counties, vaccination rates are lowest in farming and mining-dependent counties and highest in recreation-dependent counties. The differences are explained by a combination of educational attainment, health care infrastructure and Trump vote share, the researchers said.

“The vaccination rate disparity is concerning given that COVID-19 infection and mortality rates are higher in rural areas, and rural hospitals have less capacity to deal with surges in severe cases,” Monnat said. “Right now, unvaccinated people are filling up emergency rooms and putting us all at risk. What happens when there are no beds available for people who have other serious illnesses or injuries?

“Vaccines are an effective tool we have at our disposal to get us out of this pandemic,” Monnat added. “We simply must get vaccination rates up across the entire country.”

For more information or to schedule an interview with a researcher, please contact Matt Michael, media relations specialist, by email at mmicha04@syr.edu or by phone at 315.443.2990 or 315.254.9037

By the start of the Spring 2022 semester, all students must have a flu shot or a documented exemption to attend in-person classes, participate in on-campus activities and use on-campus facilities. Faculty and staff must complete a brief once they’ve received the flu vaccine or to claim an exemption, unless they receive the vaccine at on-site flu clinic (more information below).

The flu vaccine not only helps reduce the impact of respiratory illnesses, but also supports early diagnosis of COVID-19. Keeping the rate of flu infection low in our community also helps preserve limited health care resources for the ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is how those in the campus community can get vaccinated.

Information for Students

To provide convenient access to the flu vaccine, the Barnes Center at The Arch will host flu clinics for students. Additional dates will be available soon. To sign up to receive their flu vaccine on campus, students must:

• Log in to the with their SU email and password. (Students will be prompted to complete Microsoft’s Multi-factor Authentication in advance of accessing the Patient Portal if they have not done so previously.)
• Select “Appts” on the main menu.
• In the drop-down section:
  • Under “Clinic,” select “Health Clinic.”
  • Under “Reason,” select “Flu Shot Clinic Appointment.”
  • The “Provider” will be updated to “Barnes Center 309 FluShots.”
  • Select “Submit.”
• Select an appointment day and time when posted.

Please note, the student flu clinic on Friday, Oct. 1, has no appointments available.

Upon signing up, students will receive a confirmation to their ���ϲ����� email with appointment details and needed forms. They should also bring their ���ϲ����� I.D. card, pharmacy benefit card and health insurance card to their appointment, unless they are actively enrolled in the ���ϲ����� Health Plan, in which case insurance information isn’t needed.

Students may also receive a flu shot from a medical provider or pharmacy off campus and upload documentation that they received the vaccine via the Patient Portal, or submit a Medical-Religious Waiver form in the Patient Portal. .

Information for Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff can obtain their flu vaccine in one of the following four ways:

1. Visit your primary care doctor. Members of a ���ϲ����� health plan and their eligible dependents may obtain covered vaccines through a doctor’s office using their Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) ID card. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone age 6 months or older, and a high-dose vaccine may be available to individuals age 65 years or older.
2. Stop by a local pharmacy. For maximum flexibility, faculty and staff may use either their OptumRx or Excellus BCBS member ID card when receiving covered vaccines at a participating pharmacy for a $0 copay.
3. Attend an on-site flu clinic. Flu clinics for faculty and staff will be held on Oct. 1, 6, 8 and 13. View hours and locations on the . While appointments are not required, faculty and staff must print and complete the in advance and bring it to the flu clinic. They should also bring their ���ϲ����� I.D. card; temporary employees may show an alternate photo ID.
4. Make an appointment at the Barnes Center. Faculty and staff can make an appointment to receive the flu vaccine at the Barnes Center by calling 315.443.5691. Appointments may be made Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

With questions about the flu vaccine, students may contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000 and faculty and staff may reach out to HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu.

More information about the importance of getting a flu shot for the 2021-22 flu season is available through the or the .

After sacrificing so much the last 18 months, I recognize and appreciate your excitement being back on campus. ��We cannot however disregard our community standards and resort to behavior that challenges the health and well-being of our campus community and our neighbors. Here are just a few ways you can help keep yourself and those around you safe and healthy.

Masking While in COVID Level RED

As directed by the University, you must follow the in accordance with the University’s COVID level. The campus is currently in COVID level RED, meaning masks must be worn indoors at all times, and outdoors when in the presence of others, no matter your vaccination status. Remember, proper masking means covering your nose and mouth. While we were delighted to see 5,000-plus student fans in the stadium during last weekend’s football game, mask wearing was minimal at best. Please be advised, the stadium staff will be taking action at the upcoming game to enforce mask wearing.

Concerning Behavior Off Campus

We have received too many reports of disrespectful conduct occurring in the off-campus neighborhoods. The actions that take place in the off-campus neighborhood impact your fellow students, professors, staff members, children and families living in the area. Being a part of a community means acting respectfully and responsibly, by:

• Reviewing the . Share your phone number with your neighbor so they can contact you if things get too loud.
• Staying on your own lawn and in your own driveway. Do not gather on a neighbor’s property or block their driveway.
• Picking up any trash or recycling and properly disposing of it.

Remember, any violation of the , including those that occur off campus, can be referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Consequences for Removing Public Health Signage

Signage displaying public health information that is critical to the health and safety of our community has repeatedly gone missing since the start of the academic year. Stealing or vandalizing University property, including public health signage, is a violation of the . Several community members have sent us video from various social media channels showing students carrying or dragging these signs back to their residence halls. We have referred these videos and reports to the Office of Community Standards. Please know, the presence of clear and directive signage is critical to keeping not only our campus community, but also visitors, informed about what action (i.e., mask wearing) they must take when on our campus.

Maintaining Good Health Practices

There are general health practices that you can take to minimize COVID risk and prevent the spread of other illnesses, which is important as we approach flu and cold season.

• Get a flu shot! (As a reminder, a flu shot is required prior to the start of the Spring 2022 semester.)
• Wash your hands regularly.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing (a mask is always a great preventative measure).
• Socialize in small groups and outdoors when you can. If you are indoors, open windows and use fans to circulate air.
• Avoid sharing food, drinks or smoking devices.
• Don’t be afraid to ask people how they are feeling. “Not feeling well? Let’s reschedule.”
• If you are exhibiting COVID-like symptoms, stay home and call the Barnes Center at 315.443.8000.

With a semester of robust activity planned, safely socializing and adhering to our public health measures are paramount. Please do your part, and encourage others to do so as well.

Thank you,

Robert D. Hradsky
Vice President for the Student Experience and Dean of Students

I am writing to you with reminders about two public health issues that have been the topic of questions received by the Office of Academic Affairs:

• Students missing class due to illness and requests for excuse notes;
• Masking in the classroom;
• Additional FAQ.

Missing Class Due to Illness

We have been informed that the Barnes Center is receiving a steady stream of requests from students for official notes indicating that they have missed class due to illness. As we have noted in the Syllabus Reminders and on the , medical staff (health, counseling, etc.) no longer provide excuse notes for students. This policy has been in place since 2018. When Barnes Center staff determine it is medically necessary to remove a student from classes, whether COVID-related or non-COVID-related, they will coordinate with the Dean of Students Office case management staff to provide notification to faculty through Orange Success. For absences lasting less than 48 hours, students are expected to discuss academic arrangements directly with their faculty.

As part of the , students agree not to attend in-person classes or participate in activities if they are exhibiting any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, are awaiting diagnostic test results or test positive for the virus. What this means in practice is that some students are going to miss class under circumstances where, in the absence of COVID-19, they might otherwise attend class. I know this can make managing your classes difficult, especially around the dates of exams and major assignments. Nevertheless, for the sake of our overall public health effort, we must not incentivize students to attend class when they are sick. I ask you to do your best to work with students who are absent from your classes due to illness. Your cooperation helps encourage students to follow responsible public health behaviors.

Students who enter isolation due to a confirmed COVID infection will not be permitted to attend in-person class sessions. Instructors will receive a notification from the Dean of Students Office that the student is unable to attend class. Due to HIPAA regulations, this notification will not indicate the student’s specific diagnosis. The Dean of Students Office is working with the Office of the Registrar and the Barnes Center to generate these notifications as quickly as possible.

If you receive notification that a student will be missing class for an extended period, you are required to provide the student an opportunity to keep up with the class so that they can rejoin the class at the end of their period of absence. You are free to do this in any manner that is appropriate to your class.

Masking in the Classroom

We are currently in the COVID Level RED with regard to masking requirements. Faculty and instructors are empowered to require students to observe proper mask wearing in the classroom.

Instructors and teaching assistants are invited to review from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and the Dean of Students Office for setting and managing expectations in instructional spaces, managing difficult behavior and awareness of the role that stress or trauma may play in that behavior. Instructors may ask students to leave their class and should report any belligerent, aggressive or violent behavior to Community Standards (formerly the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities) at studentconduct@syr.edu.

Additional FAQ

Answers to frequently asked questions on contact tracing, masking and other information for faculty and instructors can be found on the . If you have questions about what to do if a student in your class tests positive, please refer to the .

Thanks again for all that you are doing and please reach out if you have additional questions that are not answered on the Stay Safe site by to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Sincerely,

Chris Johnson
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

Bergen-Cico, a coordinator of the Addiction Studies program at ���ϲ�����, said, ‘the use of alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines and opioids, which Shepard said he abused during his last relapse, can all lower testosterone. Opioid agonist therapies, including methadone and suboxone, can also suppress testosterone. In these cases, experts say testosterone replacement therapy may be recommended, but only under the care of a medical professional.’

Dessa Bergen-Cico

, professor of public health in the Falk College, authored an op-ed for ���ϲ�����.com titled “” Bergen-Cico is the coordinator of Falk’s addiction studies program and has expertise in addiction, drug use and mental health.

New York State recently passed legislation legalizing marijuana for those 21 and older, a move that Bergen-Cico says was a long time in the making. She says that while legalization has been on the horizon for quite some time in New York, it was delayed intentionally until the state felt it could adequately address associated racial and socioeconomic disparities stemming from the war on drugs.

Bergen-Cico writes that marijuana has been used throughout history in medicine, and there is growth today in people over 55 using the substance. She also notes that the continued illegalization of marijuana has ruined lives and increased risks. Therefore, Bergen-Cico supports recent legislation, as she believes that the “harms caused to people by the illegal status of marijuana have far outweighed the health risks of its use.”

Marijuana’s illegal history is relativity short, as the substance has only been illegal in the United States for 84 years. Bergen-Cico explained that the initial illegalization of the substance stemmed from America’s desire to eliminate perceived competition in the workforce with workers from Mexico, as the U.S. was facing economic downturn due to the Great Depression. These policies continued well after the 1960s, as marijuana was considered “counterculture” and a threat to the American social establishment.

While Bergen-Cico recognizes that marijuana use is not without risk, she believes that regulation, education and evidence-based policies will allow for the substance to be used in safe ways. Marijuana has indeed gotten stronger, but Bergen-Cico says that we as a society have changed as well, and this change is supported by recent legislation.

To read her essay in its entirety, .

���ϲ����� media relations team members work regularly with the campus community to secure placements of op-eds. Anyone interested in writing an op-ed should first review the University’s op-ed guidelines and email media@syr.edu.

Onondaga County has informed us that they expect to make a significant number of COVID-19 vaccine appointments available for eligible ���ϲ����� students on Thursday, March 25; Friday, March 26; Monday, March 29; and Tuesday, March 30, at the OnCenter vaccination site.

We strongly encourage you to closely review all current eligibility categories given that some of those categories are less known and understood. You may be surprised to learn that you are in fact eligible to receive the vaccine right now. For example, a few of the lesser-known eligibility categories include:

• Any student with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher is vaccine eligible now. to calculate your BMI.
• Any student working on campus, whether paid or receiving course credit, is vaccine eligible now.
• Any student working part time as a for-hire vehicle driver (Uber or Lyft) or in food delivery is vaccine eligible now.
• Any student working in a childcare setting is vaccine eligible now.
• Any student volunteering to serve in a public-facing role for a community organization is vaccine eligible now.
• Any student working in an in-person role (as an intern, paid or unpaid employee) at a P-12 school or school district is vaccine eligible.
• Any student working in a paid or unpaid role in a healthcare setting is vaccine eligible.
• Any student working in support of the University’s testing, contact tracing or other COVID-19 response is vaccine eligible.

Qualifying Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions:

In addition to the above criteria, you are also eligible if you have any of the following comorbidities and underlying conditions:

• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system)
• Cancer (current or in remission)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary disease, including asthma
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Liver disease

Vaccination Instructions and Next Steps:

If you believe you are eligible, please take advantage of this opportunity made available by Onondaga County to immediately receive the COVID vaccine by taking these easy steps:

• Make an appointment: Visit the to identify an available time that works for you.
• Complete the two forms provided in your confirmation email: After you schedule your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email. This email will contain links to two forms: 1) a screening and consent form that will need to be printed and completed and 2) a form attesting to your eligibility status. The attestation form will provide a “Submission ID,” which you can show on your phone when you arrive at the OnCenter.
• Provide proof of eligibility upon arrival: Please bring with you proof of identification such as your driver’s license, government-issued identification card or your SU I.D.
  • Those eligible due to student employment should bring a recent paystub (printed or displayed on mobile device). For unpaid student employment (i.e. course credit or other unpaid campus internship), bring a letter from your supervisor verifying your on-campus employment.
  • Those eligible due to comorbidity or an underlying health condition are not required to bring a doctor’s letter or other medical documentation. However, you will be required to sign the screening and consent form where you will personally attest to your medical eligibility.
• Bring your insurance card:��You will be asked for insurance information, but the vaccine is free and there will never be a charge to you. This information is for administrative use only. You do not need to have insurance to get the vaccine.

Please note: the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines both require a second dose, which will be scheduled during your appointment for the first dose. The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose.

Free Transportation Available:

To support those of you who book appointments during this four-day window, we will run a free a shuttle from the College Place bus stop to the Onondaga County’s OnCenter Vaccination Clinic.�� Shuttles will operate from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., running on a continuous loop.

If you are eligible, we strongly urge you to schedule an appointment now. Like the flu and other communicable diseases, vaccination is the best protection against the spread of COVID-19.

Sincerely,

���ϲ����� Public Health Team