The document summarizes the progress and accomplishments of the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program at Wright State University. It notes that the program has graduated over 190 students since its founding 10 years ago. Many graduates now work in Southwest Ohio and across the U.S. and internationally. The program offers concentrations in public health management, health promotion and education, global health, and emergency preparedness. It is complemented by affiliated dual degree and certificate programs. Current students and faculty are praised for their enthusiasm and commitment to community health leadership.

1. Spring semester 2014 is in full swing. As we gathered the new
students together for their class photo last semester, it was a
proud moment that gave me pause. No longer a brand-new
program, we have matriculated our tenth class this fall, and
have conferred the M.P.H. degree upon more than
190 students thus far. Many of the graduates are working in
the Southwest Ohio region, which has been one of the goals
of the program since its founding. However, the reach of the
program is well beyond Southwest Ohio. The M.P.H.
Admissions Committee continues to receive a number of international applications above
and beyond an increasingly competitive pool of U.S. applicants. WSU M.P.H. alumnae can
now be found across the map of the United States—and some internationally. Several of our
graduates have become health commissioners, and most have risen to positions of increased
responsibility since completing their degree.
Our M.P.H. program is complemented by affiliated programs including the dual degree
Physician Leadership Development Program, the Certificate in Health Care Management
program, the Wright State University Raj Soin College of Business M.B.A. program, and an
exciting Global Health Program.
Our current four concentration areas of Public Health Management, Health Promotion and
Education, Global Health, and Emergency Preparedness remain robust with dynamic
leadership. You will be hard-pressed to find a more enthusiastic and student-centered group
of faculty, or a more interesting, dedicated, and diverse group of students. It is indeed my
honor and pleasure to lead this M.P.H. program as it continues to mature and excel.
Academic Year
Annual Report 2012-13 From the director
From the director 1
M.D./M.P.H. PLDP update 2
Practice placement making
a difference 2
Student Recognition Ceremony
and Reception 3
Leader feature 3
M.P.H. graduates for 2012-2013 3
Public health students work
on statewide school wellness
initiatives 4
Dean gives Delta Omega
Lecture 5
Alumni presentations, abstracts,
publications, and awards 5
Faculty presentations, abstracts,
publications, and awards 6
Student presentations, abstracts,
publications, and awards 7
Contact information 8
Public Health Grand Rounds series 8
Mission
To advance the public health of
western Ohio and beyond by providing
interdisciplinary graduate education,
research, service, and leadership.
Vision
To be the Master of Public Health degree
program of choice for professionals who
are committed to community and global
health leadership.
M.P.H. Student Cohort—fall 2013

2. The Physician Leadership Development
Program (PLDP) offers medical students
management and leadership skills, as well as
knowledge of health economics and
population-based medicine. It is designed
to develop future leaders of the health care
system, including CEOs of health care
organizations, such as hospital systems,
government agencies, nonprofit
organizations and for-profit health
care companies.
In August 2012, Colleen McCormick (’13)
was recognized by the American Medical
Association (AMA) Foundation with a
Physicians of Tomorrow Award.
In September 2012, the PLDP hosted an
advance screening of Escape Fire: The Fight
to Rescue American Healthcare. Over 125
students, faculty, and community members
attended the screening.
The PLDP students also presented the first
Medical Student Leadership Conference in
October 2012. This half-day conference
provided 57 medical students with
information, networking opportunities, and
small group workshops led by community
physician leaders.
Colleen McCormick (’13) and Betty
Cheney (MS-3) presented “Creating
Educational Experiences for Dual Degree
Students: The Longitudinal Clinical
Experience” at the Association for
Prevention Teaching and Research
Annual Conference, in Washington, D.C.,
March 11-12, 2013.
Kiran Faryar (MS-4) presented “Students
Teaching Students: An Introduction to
Healthcare Leadership for First Year Medical
Students” at the Association for Prevention
Teaching and Research Annual Conference,
in Washington, D.C., March 11-12, 2013.
In May 2013, five PLDP students completed
their M.D./M.P.H. dual degrees and are
currently in their residencies: Meaghan
Ebetino (Family Medicine, Wright State
University), Robert Eick (Family Medicine,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill),
Kiran Faryar (Emergency Medicine,
University of Louisville), Matias Iberico
(Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, San
Francisco), and Colleen McCormick
(Pediatrics, Northwestern University,
Chicago).
Colleen McCormick, M.D., M.P.H. (’13)
was presented with the Reach Out of
Montgomery County Student Volunteer
Appreciation Award and with the American
Medical Women’s Association
Glasgow-Rubin Citation for Academic
Achievement. Meaghan Ebetino, M.D.,
M.P.H. (’13) was recognized with the
Geriatric Medicine Award at graduation.
2
Roopsi
Narayan is a
current second
year M.P.H.
student whose
practice
placement
project was
recently
featured in the
Yellow Springs
News. A practice placement is an
opportunity for each student to get involved
in a public health organization to see how
they collaborate with the community to
achieve objectives and for the student to
take part in a project that assists the
organization in achieving its mission. As a
student in the Emergency Preparedness
concentration of the program, she decided
to explore options within her local health
department which developed into a
connection with Dr. Don Brannen, an
epidemiologist at the Green County
Combined Health District (GCCHD).
He was very welcoming of her as he had
previously worked with several WSU
M.P.H. students.
Through her connection with Dr. Brannen,
she was able to take part in three distinct
projects: Radiological Disaster Preparedness
Training for Public Health Workers for
Medical Reserve Corps and interested
citizens; Sleep Safe Infant Study; and the
study in which Roopsi Narayan was
published regarding water de-fluoridation in
Yellow Springs’ municipal water supply. The
de-fluoridation surveillance study done by
the GCCHD preliminarily found that local
children who have been exposed to fluori-
dated water for a shorter period of time had
higher rates of tooth decay. The overall
hopes of the study are to examine a larger
number of children over a longer period of
time in order to evaluate the long-term
effects of de-fluoridated water. The results
from the study come with a caveat as more
participation is needed to strengthen the
research data, but unbiased long-term
research is essential in determining the
health impact that public health policies are
having on populations.
“Ms. Roopsi Narayan is highly intelligent
and capable. I had the opportunity to host
her during her practice placement rotation
for her M.P.H. degree. Without reservation,
she has been the most outstanding student
I’ve had,” Dr. Brannen said.
Aside from data analysis, Roopsi was given
the opportunity to sit in on multiple
tabletop exercises, some of which were held
within the health department and others
where several agencies such as the MMRS,
Red Cross, the National Guard, and other
health departments participated. During
these exercises, she met with several WSU
M.P.H. graduates who are now working
with public health agencies around Ohio.
Roopsi was excited to be given the
opportunity to not only take part in a real
public health study, but also to watch public
health leaders make decisions in different
stimulated situations. “It was a rewarding
experience to spend so many hours with
public health leaders, listening to them, and
talking with them about their roles, plans,
and goals for the future of our community,”
she said. “With the de-fluoridation project I
hope to make a difference, even if it is tiny,
in the dental health of Greene County
residents.”
Read the Yellow Springs News article:
ysnews.com/news/2013/10/fluoride-free-
water-may-lead-to-decay-study-looks-at-
defluoridation
Practice placement making a difference
M.D./M.P.H. PLDP Update

3. 3
The Center for Global Health held its
annual Student Recognition Ceremony and
Reception on April 26, 2013. Prior to the
ceremony, the M.P.H. program held its first
annual Culminating Experience (CE)
poster session.
M.P.H. CE Poster Presentation Winners
1st place Daniel Shea
2nd place Ethan Jones
3rd place Antoinette “Matie” Sangye
and Chris Buck
M.P.H. Student Excellence Awardees
The following M.P.H. students were
recognized at the Center for Global Health
student recognition ceremony: Kathleen
Henschel, WSU Graduate Excellence
Award; Ajiri Ikede, Environmental Health;
Maalinii Vijayan, Epidemiology; Angela
Albrecht, Emergency Preparedness
Concentration; Melissa McMillian
Michener, Global Health Concentration;
Meaghan Ebetino, Public Health
Management Concentration
Student Recognition Ceremony and Reception held M.P.H. Graduates for
2012-2013
Angela Albrecht
Ahmed Askar
Katherine Blossom
Brenda Bodenmiller
Christopher Buck
Sequoia Butcher
Jasmine Cheeks
Betty Cheney*
Meaghan Ebetino*
Robert Eick*
Sylvia Ellison
Maleka Embry
Athena Fannin
Kiran Faryar*
Andrew Ford
Shaun Hamilton
Jamie Hartig
Kathleen Henschel
Alexis Holmes
Londa Holliday
Matias Iberico*
Ajiri Ikede
Ethan Jones
Jessica Kruse
Ameer Matariyeh
Melissa McMillian Michener
Colleen McCormick*
Daziah Merideth
Lan Nguyen
Hibo Noor
Chika Okere
Danny Pizzino
Ashley Rhoby
Karen Rupp
Antoinette Sangye
Daniel Shea
Danielle Tong
Usha Bala Vayuvegula
Ashlee Young
Chengwu Zhang
*M.D./M.P.H. dual degree students
Michele Battle-Fisher, Maalinii Vijayan,
Melissa McMillian Michener, and Dr. James
Ebert
Dan Shea discusses his poster with Dr. Naila
Khalil
…Ohio’s public health leaders tell their stories
The new Leader Feature will appear in each
edition in our newsletter. In it, some of
Ohio’s public health leaders will share their
personal stories and journeys of leadership.
Read and/or view their stories in each
edition and be inspired!
Julianne Nesbit, RS, M.P.H.
Julianne Nesbit is the current Health
Commissioner at the Clermont County
Health Department.
How did you arrive at your current
position?
“My undergraduate degree is in environmental
management. I stumbled across a position as a
Sanitarian for Warren County Combined
Health District and was hooked on public
health from there. I received my Master of
Public Health in 2005 from Wright State
University and took a position as assistant
health commissioner with Clermont County
General Health District. April 1, 2013, I
became health commissioner.”
What advice would you have for others
who are aspiring to be public health
leaders?
“My career has been very fulfilling so far and I
look forward to the next phase. If aspiring
public health professionals are interested in the
big picture of public health, I highly recom-
mend they pursue the career they want. Within
my first two years as a sanitarian, I knew I
wanted to be a health commissioner someday,
but it takes time to learn the ropes. I have had
great mentors in my career, and I would
encourage aspiring leaders to learn all they can
from their mentors, take from them the things
that you can use, but at the same time develop
your own styles and views. You have to be your
own leader.”
Originally in The Ohio State University Center for Public Health Practice July 2013
publication cph.osu.edu/practice/leader-feature, given permission to re-print.
Leader Feature

4. My Classroom Physical Activity Pyramid
The My
Classroom
Physical Activity
Pyramid was
developed as a
teaching tool
specifically for
busy classroom
teachers. It is an
easy to under-
stand graphic
organizer to assess
the many ways in
which physical
activity can be accumulated throughout the
school day. The categories of the classroom
physical activity pyramid reflect five different
types of opportunities for integrating
physical activity into the school day:
everyday activities, activity breaks,
integrated lessons, active games and
celebrations, and physical education.
Public health professionals, directors of
physical activity, and physical educators can
use the pyramid to help teachers identify
the numerous opportunities for activity
integration, track progress, and organize a
plan to meet the recommendation for daily
physical activity. The broad categories of
the pyramid create a flexible structure that
allows teachers to tailor physical activity
goals and integration to their classroom
context—in other words, “to make it their
own.” The classroom physical activity
pyramid framework came from the
activity pyramid within the Ohio Physical
Education Academic Content Standards
Evaluation System.
The pyramid tool was highlighted in the
national U.S.D.A. Team Nutrition Fall
Newsletter and can be accessed through
the resource library at http://healthymeals.
nal.usda.gov/state-resources/create-
classroom-moves. The pyramid was
created by Marietta Orlowski, Kevin
Lorson (Department of Kinesiology and
Health), Anna Lyon (Department of
Teacher Education) and Sue Minoughan
(Fairborn City Schools).
4
ACTIVE
GAMES
&
CELEBRATIONS
PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
INTEGRATED LESSONS
Make it Count!
Order Up
Hit the Deck
Go-Go
ACTIVITY BREAKS
Yoga • Quick Hands
Let s Move BINGO
Snack attack
EVERYDAY
Recess • Walk to and from school
Active transitions • Movement in line
Organized sport or recreation
Have fun, be active each day
for 60 minutes.
My
Classroom
Physical
Activity
Pyramid
INACTIVITY
This project was funded by the Ohio Department of Education through a 2010 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Team Nutrition training grant. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
© 2013 Wright State University
Create a Classroom
that Moves!
Wright State University public health
faculty and students have been busy
implementing and collecting data on two
projects funded by the USDA Team
Nutrition. Smarter Lunchrooms – Ohio is a
statewide dissemination project to create
and evaluate smarter strategies in 50 Ohio
cafeterias. The Smarter Lunchrooms
Movement is a national program created
by the Cornell Center for Behavioral
Economics in Child Nutrition Programs. It
is based on behavioral economic theory of
nudging individuals to a more desirable
choice. My Physical Activity Pyramid
encourages classroom teachers to create a
moving culture by using physical activity
as an instructional tool.
Smarter Lunchrooms—Ohio
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
altered the foods provided by the National
School Lunch Program. The federal policy
created increased access to whole grains,
low-fat milk, and a variety of fruit and
vegetables. How and where the foods are
offered, though, can significantly influence
what foods are actually chosen and eaten by
students. Smarter strategies place healthy
foods in prime locations and make the items
appealing through names, packaging, and
presentation.
Graduate public health students at Wright
State University play a key role in the
Smarter Lunchrooms Movement. Faculty
and students are working with five districts,
representing 15 local schools. Student teams
spend five to 15 hours a week in these
schools conducting assessments, meeting
with school and wellness committee staff,
making strategy recommendations, and
collecting production and tray waste data.
Outside the cafeteria, students and faculty
analyze data, build implementation plans and
create reports that share information in
meaningful ways.
Health Promotion and Education
Concentration director Marietta Orlowski,
is the evaluator for the statewide project.
Dr. Orlowski, with support from Dr. Bill
Spears and graduate research assistant Roopsi
Narayan, aggregate the data from all participating
cafeterias and will create “Success Stories” to be
shared with participating schools.
Ten graduate public health students are
actively involved in this project. Students
have completed practice placement hours,
collected data for culminating experiences
as well as learned about the process of
dissemination and evaluation of an
evidence-based public health project.
“The involvement of the public health
students has really improved the reach and
capacity building of our efforts. The
students are a tremendous asset!” says Ohio
team nutrition coordinator Susan Patton.
Graduate students participating in
the project:
Roopsi Narayan
Haley Riegel
Seth VanZant
Dubem Obianagha
Charles Ituka Mosimah
FartunYussuf
Jon Stofer
Ellen Claiborne
Emily Surico
Karina Descartin
Public health students work on statewide school wellness initiatives
Students Seth VanZant, Haley Riegel, Dubem
Obianagha, and Charles Ituka Mosimah code
tray waste at an area middle school.
Broccoli has been renamed in an area
elementary school: meet “Super Brockley”

5. News
Leslie Clem’s (M.P.H. ’10) small business,
Healthy Hearts Nutrition, continues to grow,
providing nutrition counseling, worksite
wellness presentations and programs, and
consulting services to local businesses. Leslie
is also employed part time as a registered
dietitian with Five Rivers Health Centers of
Dayton. Leslie married Darrin Edmunds on
August 11, 2012. They are expecting their
first baby February 2014.
Career Moves
Ahmed Askar (M.P.H. ’12) is now with the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a
Regulatory information specialist in the
Office of Crisis Management.
Erik Balster (M.P.H. ’10) was selected as
the new health commissioner for Preble
County General Health District in
May 2013.
Erin Brigham (M.P.H. ’09) is now working
for CareSource in Columbus as an
informatics analyst doing health care
analytics.
Sequoia Butcher (M.P.H. ’12) accepted a
position as health screening manager
for corporate wellness with Health
Solutions Services Inc. in Cincinnati.
Melissa Howell (M.P.H. ’07) was selected
as the new health commissioner for
Greene County Combined Health
District in July 2013.
Jessica Hunt (M.P.H. ’11) is now the Brain
Injury and Stroke Program coordinator at
Goodwill Easter Seals in Dayton.
Billy Pruett (M.P.H. ’12) is now the
Commander of the 633rd Aerospace
Medical Squadron at Joint Base
Langley-Eustis, VA.
Further Education
Antoinette Tiopi (M.P.H. ’13) was
admitted to the accelerated pathway
program in nursing at University of
Cincinnati in August 2013. She will begin
the program in June 2014.
Awards
Megan Folkerth (M.P.H. ’08) Achieve
Grant Award in January 2012-December
2013 Presentation at SOPHE- April
2013 also passed CHES
Megan Folkerth (M.P.H. ’08), LEGACY
Next Generation Leader Award Winner—
Community and Social Services Category,
July 2013.
Stacey Gardner (M.P.H. ’12) received the
Civilian of the Quarter 88 MDG at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in
December 2012 and Civilian of the Year,
88 Aerospace Medicine Squadron in
December 2012. She and her husband
welcomed their firstborn, Nathan John
Gardner born on August 2, 2013.
Danny Pizzino (M.P.H. ’13) was accepted
into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Presentations
Shari Martin (M.P.H. ’10) presented Practical
Perspectives on Infant Mortality at the Center for
Healthy Communities HealthLink event on Infant
Mortality in Ohio, September 2013.
Athena Fannin (M.P.H. ’13) presented “Filling in the
gaps in general emergency shelters: Flow processes for
functional needs service triage” on April 12, 2013, at
the Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and
Creative Activities, a salute to the scholarly
explorations of an incredible variety of Wright State’s
undergraduate and graduate students. wright.edu/
urop/forms_and_apps/abstract%20booklet%20
2013.pdf
Danny Pizzino (M.P.H. ’13) presented his CE “A
Comparison of Food Inspection Practices of the
United States Air Force and Ohio Local Public
Health” at the American Public Health Association
(APHA) 2013 Annual Conference in Boston, MA.
Danny Pizzino (M.P.H. ’13) invited to present a Case
Study on Optic Neuritis with Complication of
Uhthoff’s Phenomenon at the Aerospace Medical
Association’s (AsMA) 2014 annual conference in San
Diego, CA.
Erik Balster (M.P.H. ’10) presented “One-Health and
All-Hazards: the New Environmental Health” with
Christopher Eddy at the National Environmental
Health Association’s 77th Annual Education
Conference on July 11, 2013, in Washington, D.C.
Melissa Howell (M.P.H. ’07), Financial Management
for Ohio State University; Financial Management at
National Association of City and County Health
Officials Conference; Leadership Essentials for
Health District Success.
Megan Folkerth (M.P.H. ’08), Clearing the Air:
Smoke-free Housing Policy in Public Housing
Communities. Society for Public Health
Education’s (SOPHE) 64th Annual Meeting, April
17, 2013.
Publications
Jenks, Jeffrey D., Heidari, S., Watts, L., & Nader, C. A.
(2012). Case of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in a
Man 6 Months After Visiting a Malaria-Endemic
Region. Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice, 20(3),
173-176.
Martin, Shari, Orlowski, M., & Ellison, S. A. (2013).
Sociodemographic predictors of cervical cancer
screening in women with a medical disability. Social
Work in Public Health, 28(6), 583-590.
Orlowski, M., Schuster, R. J., Adkins, Sherry M., &
Ellison, S. Assessment and management of adult
obesity in a primary care practice. World Medical and
Health Policy. Manuscript accepted for publication.
Brannen, D. E., Barcus, R., McDonnell, M. A., Price,
A., Alsept, C., & Caudill, Kimberly. (2013). Mental
Health Triage Tools for Medically Cleared Disaster
Survivors: An Evaluation by MRC Volunteers and
Public Health Workers. Disaster Medicine and Public
Health Preparedness. doi:10.1017/dmp.2013.29
Eddy, C., Stull, P. A., & Balster, Erik. (2013).
Environmental health—champions of One Health.
Journal of Environmental Health, 76(1), 46-48.
Dean gives Delta Omega Lecture
Delta Omega Gamma Alpha lecturer,
Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A., dean,
Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State
University, presented “Communities of
Solutions — Primary Care and Public
Health Perspectives,” at the Gamma
Alpha induction ceremony on April
16, 2013. Dr. Bowman is a member
of the Beta Nu Chapter of the Delta
Omega Honorary Society in Public
Health at the University of Pennsyl-
vania. For more information on Dean
Bowman’s presentation or other WSU
Delta Omega activities, visit
med.wright.edu/mph/deltaomega
Gamma Alpha 2013 inductees were:
Student Members
Colleen McCormick, M.D., M.P.H. (2013)
Karen Rupp, M.D., M.P.H. (2013)
Theodore Talley, M.B.A.
Daziah Merideth, M.P.H. (2013)
Gregory Attenweiler
Alumni Members
Shari Martin, M.P.H., L.S.W (2010)
Hibo Noor, M.P.H. (2012)
Jessica Hunt, M.P.T., M.P.H. (2011)
Faculty Members
William Spears, Ph.D.
Cristina Redko, Ph.D.
Honorary Member
Duane Stansbury, M.P.H., R.S
Alumni
5

6. News
Cristina Redko became communication
director for the refugee section of APHA
during the annual meeting in Boston
Michele Battle-Fisher was elected a
member of the Bertalanffy Center for the
Study of Systems Science in 2013. The
Center, located in Vienna, Austria, is
dedicated to fostering research in the field of
systems science. http://www.bcsss.org/
the-center/.
In January 2013, Michele Battle-Fisher
established a think tank called Orgcomplexity.
This think tank explores the larger policy
implications of complexity on health, urban
affairs, and other social issues. While there
are many “systems science” outfits that lean
toward the “science of networks,” this
organization will be used to highlight the
applications of systems theory and systems
methodology to public policy while keeping
current with the “science of systems.”
The main vehicle for disseminating
Orgcomplexity’s work is the blog,
orgcomplexity.wordpress.com.
Orgcomplexity is on Facebook and to a
lesser extent, at orgcomplexity.tumblr.com.
As of October 31, 2013, there had been
nearly 3,300 views to the blog since January
2013. 370 people were following the
Orgcomplexity blog as of October 2013.
Five Wright State Master of Public Health
students have blogged for Orgcomplexity as
guest contributors:
• Angie (Metzger) Thomure—Using
Complexity to Respond to Low Influenza
Vaccination Rates among Health Care
Professionals and Support Staff
• Greg Attenweiler—Preggers with the
Flu? Unlocking information flow in the
choice to vaccinate among pregnant
women
• Karina Descartin—Exploring Built
Environments & Social Connection over
Bukidnon & Saturday Yard Sales
• Theresa Thompson—Black Female
Identity and Breastfeeding
• Thang Vu—two contributions:
(1) People over 50 are doing what?!?!
(2)Hun, did you take your meds today?
Social networks and medical adherence
Presentations
Adenuga, O., Redko, C., & Rogers, N.L. (2013)
Impact of Social Relationships on Quality of Life of
Somali Refugees Living in Columbus, Ohio. Wright
State University STREAMS Poster Symposium:
Short-Term Training Program to Increase Diversity
in Health-Related Research, July 26.
Battle-Fisher, M. & Mawasha, J. (2012). Longevity
and quality of life of the aging chronically ill: the
development of the concentric model of health-
bound networks. Paper presented to the 2012 Aging
& Society: An Interdisciplinary Conference,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,
November 6, 2012
Battle-Fisher, M. The structural and ethical
complexity of private and public health. Paper
presented to Complex Systems Advanced Academic
Workshop (CSAAW) at the Second Michigan
Complexity Mini-Conference, University of
Michigan–Center for the Study of Complex
Systems, May 13, 2013
Khalil, N. Division seminar speaker in the University
of Cincinnati, School of Medicine, Department of
Environmental Health, November 7, 2013, title
“Relationship of blood lead levels to skeletal
changes in older men and women.”
Khamis, H. Multigraph representation of loglinear
models, Conference on Statistical Practice, New
Orleans, February 22, 2013.
Khamis, H. The loglinear model for analyzing
contingency tables, Department of Pediatrics,
Children’s Medical Center, Boonshoft School
of Medicine, two-hour SOAR-NET workshop,
April 26, 2013.
Khamis, H. The Multigraph for loglinear models,
Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University
of New Mexico, Albuquerque, April 30, 2013.
Leach, K.R. & Rogers, N.L. (2013) Mapping the
Effects of Khat & Tobacco on the Human Brain: A
Biological Illustration of Dual Substance use Among
Khat Chewers. Emory University STEM Research &
Career Symposium, April 3-5.
Publications
Savitt, T. and Battle-Fisher, M. (addendum)
Minorities as Research Subjects. Paper accepted to
Encyclopedia of Bioethics (4th edition), Jennings, B.
(ed.), MacMillan and Company Publishers. In
press.
Battle-Fisher, M. (Sept. 2013). Urban Greenspace and
Collective Health Ownership. Mindful Nature,
6(3), 33-35. Retrieved from http://www.
humansandnature.org/urban-greenspace-and-
collective-health- ownership-article-159.
php?issue=21.
Khalil, N., Ebert, J. R., Wang, L., Belcher, S., Lee,
M., Czerwinski, S. A., and Kannan, K. (2014).
Bisphenol A and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in
Obese Children. The Science of the Total
Environment, 470-471, 726-732.
Khalil, N., Cauley, J. A., Faulkner, K., and Greenspan,
S. (2013). Associations between Bone Mineral
Density, Grip Strength, and Lead Body Burden
among Older Men. In press, Journal of American
Geriatrics Society.
Mandal, A. K., Hiebert, L. M., and Khamis, H. J.
(2012). Controversy and pitfalls of prandial glucose
management, in Postgraduate Medicine (Futuristic
Medicine: Relevance in Clinical Practice), Volume
XXVI, Official Journal of Association of Physicians of
India., Editor B. B. Thakur, 193-201.
Rigsbee, L., Agans, R., Shankar, V., Kenche, H.,
Khamis, H., Michail, S., and Paley, O. (2012).
Quantitative profiling of gut microbiota of children
with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel
syndrome, American Journal of Gastroenterology,
107, 1740-1751.
Elder, B.L., Bullock, J.D., Warwar, R.E., Khamis,
H.J., and Khalaf, S.Z. (2012). Pan-antimicrobial
failure of alexidine as a contact lens disinfectant
when heated in Bausch & Lomb plastic containers:
implications for the worldwide fusarium keratitis
epidemic of 2004-2006, Eye & Contact Lens, 38(4),
222-226.
Rojas, C., Zhou, M.K., Khamis, H., and Amesse, L.
(2013). Analysis of patterns of patient compliance
after an abnormal pap smear result, Journal of Lower
Genital Tract Disease, 17, 298-302.
Spears, W., Pascoe, J., Khamis, H., McNicholas, C.,
and Eberhart, G. (2013). Parents’ perspectives on
their children’s health insurance: plight of the
underinsured, Journal of Pediatrics, 162, 403-408.
Ashton, B., Ryan, D., and Khamis, H. (2013). Applied
Calculus for Students in the Biosciences, Part I. Linus
Books.
Faculty
6

7. Nikki Rogers, Ph.D., and Kelly Leach
Kelly was a WSU Grad-Prep Scholar from 2012-2013 and wrote the following. “The program
really helped me with the application process for grad school. My mentor, Dr. Nikki Rogers,
was especially integral to the process; she really helped me figure out what type of research I
am interested in and pushed me to be more assertive so that more professional opportunities
would be available for me. Because of this, I gave three presentations in the last year, including
my first ever oral presentation at a major conference: the European Khat Research Program
Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. This presentation, along with the research project Dr.
Rogers assigned me, has led to my first two publications which are currently under review.
This fellowship allowed me to seriously bolster my CV, and I gained a lifetime friend and
mentor in the process.”
News
Kathleen Henschel (M.P.H. ’13) accepted a
position as an epidemiology specialist with
the Missouri Department of Health and
Senior Services beginning December 2013.
Chika Okere (M.P.H. ’12) is currently
working at CTI Clinical Trial and Consult-
ing as a research associate in the Consulting/
Health Economic Outcomes Research
department.
Roopsi Narayan (M.P.H. student) started
as the Health Data and Development
Manager at Premier Community Health,
Dayton in September 2013.
Jon Stofer (expected graduation spring
2014) is our current M.P.H. GA and has
been accepted into the University of
Pikeville School of Osteopathic Medicine in
Pikeville Kentucky and the Ohio University
Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He is still interviewing for other medical
schools and hopes to attend WSU.
Jon Stofer is the founder of The Rural
Amazonian Health Initiative–Peru, which
is currently working to get approved as an
NGO registered with the Peruvian
government and currently filing as a
U.S.-based nonprofit. The initiative is
partnered with Global Partners and the
Texas/Louisiana District Church. Jon is
leading his fifth medical volunteer trip this
coming May to the Peruvian Amazon where
they are not only going to be treating
immediate health care needs, but also will
be using his new-found M.P.H. knowledge
to do some public health education teaching
related to hygiene, sanitation, disease
transmission, and basic health care. You can
check out the newly launched website at
RuralAmazonianHealthInitiative.zohosites.com
Jon Stofer was accepted into the
Bloomsbury and Phi Kappa Phi
Honor Societies.
Danielle Tong (M.P.H. ’13) was accepted
to the Health Administration Fellowship
program at Ohio Health. She is the first
social worker and the first M.P.H. they have
accepted. Most other fellows historically
held Master of Health Administration or
Master of Business Administration degrees.
Further Education
Chika Okere (M.P.H. ’12) is obtaining a
master’s in pharmaceutical sciences (focus on
drug development) at the University of
Cincinnati. He is scheduled to graduate
April 2014.
Presentations
Kathleen Henschel (M.P.H. ’13), The Influences of
Climatic and Socioeconomic Factors on Cholera
Incidence in India during the Seventh Cholera
Pandemic, 1961-2008. Poster presented at the
Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Conference, Washington, D.C. , March 2013.
Roopsi Narayan (M.P.H. student), Smarter
Lunchrooms—Ohio. Northridge School District,
Board of Education Meeting, October 2013.
Students
7
Awards
Roopsi Narayan (M.P.H. student),
Received a $2,500 scholarship from
Great Lakes National Scholarship
Program, summer 2013.
Congratulations are due to our four students
who were vetted and presented posters and
an oral presentation at the 2013 Combined
Conference in Columbus on May 21.
Athena Fannin (2nd place poster)
Ajiri Ikede (poster)
Antoinette Sangye (People’s Choice
Award poster)
Kiran Faryar (oral)

8. Contact Information
Master of Public Health Program
Center for Global Health
Wright State University
Boonshoft School of Medicine
3123 Research Blvd., Suite 200
Kettering, OH 45420-4006
Tel 937.258.5555 n Fax 937.258.5544
med.wright.edu/mph
James Ebert, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H.
Program Director
james.ebert@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5555
Michele Battle-Fisher, M.P.H., M.A.
Assistant Program Director
michele.battle-fisher@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5557
Nikki Rogers, Ph.D.
Culminating Experience Director
nikki.rogers@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5549
Lori Metivier
Program Coordinator
lori.metivier@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5547
Anne King
Practice Placement Assistant
anne.king@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5558
Mark Gebhart, M.D.
Emergency Preparedness Concentration
Director
mark.gebhart@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5555
John McAlearney, Ph.D.
Public Health Management Concentration
Director
john.mcalearney@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5555
Marietta Orlowski, Ph.D.
Health Promotion & Education
Concentration Director
marietta.orlowski@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5551
Cristina Redko, Ph.D.
Global Health Concentration Director
cristina.redko@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5543
Sabrina Neeley, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Director, Physician Leadership Development
Program
sabrina.neeley@wright.edu
Tel 937.258.5540
Public Health Grand Rounds
The Center for Global Health holds Public
Health Grand Rounds several times a year.
All events are free and open to the public.
For more information on the following or
future events go to:
med.wright.edu/hsm/education
Nov. 6, 2012: Panel: Cindy Ballard, M.S.,
C.N.S., Karen Putterbaugh, LSW, MUA;
Sharon Sherlock, D.H.A., R.N., Pamela
Stephenson, Ph.D., “Health Disparities
and Vulnerable Populations.” Wright State
University, Dayton.
Feb. 6, 2013: Sara Paton, Ph.D., “Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: The Facts,
the Misconceptions, and the Community.”
Wright State University, Dayton. (PPT
slides available online)
Mar. 19, 2013: Julie Williams, Psy.D., ABPP,
CRC, “Disability Awareness: A Call to
Build Community Partners.” Indu and Raj
Soin Medical Center, Beavercreek. (PPT
slides available online)
Apr. 18, 2013: Amy Rohling McGee, “The
Affordable Care Act and its Impact on
Ohio.” Wright State University, Dayton.
Sep. 11, 2013: Panel: Jennifer Brown,
B.S.N., R.N.; Daniel Butler, M.D.;
A. Peter Ekeh, M.D.; William Mangas,
EMT-P; Doug Paul, D.O.; and Lisa
Weaver, R.N.; Moderated by Mark
Gebhart, M.D., “The State of the Region’s
Trauma Centers.” Wright State
University, Dayton. (Video available online)
Oct. 15, 2013: Leiyu Shi, Dr.P.H., M.B.A.,
M.P.A., “Current U.S. Healthcare Delivery:
The Challenge to Serve Vulnerable
Populations.’ Wright State University,
Dayton. (PPT slides available online)