BCHS Newsletter

Summer 2019 issue

alum Sara Baumann on site with Nepalese women

The Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences is excited to share our 2019 newsletter. There have been so many accomplishments by our faculty, staff, and students to share this year!  The department has produced more than 70 publications, garnered $4.5M in grant funding, and executed 12 large projects of over $100K funding each—not to mention the many accomplishments of our 100+ students.

Maximize Read more from Chair Steven M. Albert

Recent newsletter articles

Coulter will serve as co-investigator on NIH supplement grant

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BCHS's Robert Coulter (BCHS '17) will serve as co-investigator on a newly-funded NIH supplement grant to expand a text messaging intervention to reduce alcohol use and sexual violence among sexual and gender minority college students.  

Why do people die young here? Maseru project aims to send 'citizen scientists' out to investigate

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PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE - The cost of being poor can include decades of life. A just-launched partnership between a Homewood-based community group and a University of Pittsburgh research team intends to explore that grim price tag, and to create a corps of "citizen scientists" who could lead the charge to close the life expectancy gap. The team includes BCHS's Noble Maseru, director of the Center for Health Equity and EOH's Jim Fabisiak, directo... 

Public Health. Period.

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Lauren Risser (BCHS '20), Kathleen Koesarie (MMPH '18), and BCHS's Martha Ann Terry table at the Women's Health Activist Movement (WHAMglobal) Birthing a Movement art and activism event. The event addressed issues of  maternal mortality and women's health. Risser co-founded the Pitt Public Health chapter of Period, a non-profit which aims to reduce the stigma of mensuration and provide hygiene products to those in need.   

Brown takes lead of Pittsburgh Black Pride

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BCHS's Andre Brown recently assumed the role as executive director for Pittsburgh Black Pride (PBP). Since 1995, the Pittsburgh Black Pride Association has provided entertainment, social information, and health education to Black LBGTQIA+ individuals and families in the city of Pittsburgh and across Southwest Pennsylvania.   

Sokol: 2019 Margaret F. Gloninger Service Award

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Jamie Sokol (BCHS ’07) currently serves as an administrator for workforce development and training at the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). In this role she is responsible for ensuring quality internships and other experiential learning opportunities for Pitt Public Health students, including through the Pittsburgh Summer Institute, a 12-week structured program that matches students to ACHD projects. Her volunteer contributions have gon... 

What drives 'anti-vaxxer' parents? It's a mixed bag, Hoffman shows

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U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT - People who voice their anti-vaccine sentiments online range from conspiracy theorists to parents who have safety worries or interests in alternative medicine. Investigators, including Beth Hoffmann (BCHS '19), came to that conclusion after looking into a viral Facebook attack targeting a Pittsburgh pediatric practice that posted a video encouraging HPV vaccination.   

Elias receives Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award

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Congrats to professor (and alum) Thistle Elias (BCHS '12) on winning the 2019 award - a major honor recognizing continuing work with Bridging the Gaps, a premier service-learning opportunity for Pitt students. The award "recognizes... efforts [that] far exceed the traditional duties expected of a faculty member and showcases the extraordinary impact that you have had in your own department and in the University."   

BCHS students by the numbers 2018-19

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Of our 118 students, 95 are MPH students, 20 are PhD students, and 3 are pursuing a DrPH...check out BCHS by the numbers!   

BCHS Faculty and Staff news and accolades

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From new faculty members to awards, accolades, and special appointments - check out what BCHS has been up to this year!  

View more BCHS news

Who We Are

Mission

We seek to improve and promote health and equity by engaging individuals, communities, and systems through our research, teaching, and practice. 

Vision

Healthy people living in thriving and equitable communities. 

BCHS values

What are you working on?

Read the 2019 issue (PDF)

BCHS 2019 annual report - alumna Sara Baumann on site with Nepalese women

Recent BCHS Publications

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Cancer-related beliefs and perceptions in Appalachia: findings from 3 states 

Cancer-related beliefs and perceptions in Appalachia: findings from 3 states

JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH - Vanderpool RC, Huang B, Deng Y, Bear TM, Chen Q, Johnson MF, Paskett ED, Robertson LB, Young GS, Lachan R found variations in cancer beliefs were observed across the 3 states’ Appalachian populations. Interventions should be tailored to specific communities to improve canc... (10/14/2019)
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The role of accountability in batterers intervention programs and community response to intimate partner violence 

The role of accountability in batterers intervention programs and community response to intimate partner violence

JOURNAL OF FAMILY VIOLENCE - Pallatino C, Morrison P, Miller E, Burke J, Cluss P, Fleming R, Hawker L, George D, Bicehouse T, Chang J. found that in order to have a sustainable impact on IPV perpetration, stakeholders across the Social Ecological Model will need to utilize crucial intervention peri... (10/14/2019)
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A systematic review of health outcomes associated with provision of representative payee services 

A systematic review of health outcomes associated with provision of representative payee services

PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES - Kinsky S, Creasy S, Hawk M find that representative payee services are largely beneficial or neutral in terms of health and behavior outcomes. Negative findings mainly involved the client-payee relationship. Given that more than five million individuals have a representative ... (10/14/2019)
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Prevalence and correlates of prep awareness and use among black men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) in the United States 

Prevalence and correlates of prep awareness and use among black men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) in the United States

AIDS AND BEHAVIOR - Friedman, MR, Sang, JM, Bukowski, LA, Chandler, CJ, Egan, JE, Eaton, LA, Matthews, DD, Ho, K, Raymond, HF, & Stall, R. found that PrEP awareness campaigns tailored for black men who have sex with men and women (MSMW), concomitant with STI-to-PrEP interventions, will facilitate g... (10/14/2019)

Intimate partner violence and depression among black transgender women in the USA: The potential suppressive effect of perceived social support 

Intimate partner violence and depression among black transgender women in the USA: The potential suppressive effect of perceived social support

JOURNAL OF URBAN HEALTH - Bukowski LA, Hampton M, Escobar C, Sang JM, Creasy SL, Chandler CJ, Stall, R. find there was a 20% lower likelihood of increased depressive symptomatology for every 1-unit increase in perceived social support reported by participants. These findings perceived social suppor... (10/14/2019)
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Nowalk authors chapter in upcoming public health guide to opioid epidemic 

Nowalk authors chapter in upcoming public health guide to opioid epidemic

Alex Nowalk (BCHS '16), program director at Pitt's Program Evaluation and Research Unit, recently co-authored a chapter in an upcoming book, A Public Health Guide to Ending the Opioid Epidemic. Nowalk's chapter presents screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment as a public health and... (08/25/2019)
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Latent classes of polysubstance use among adolescents in the United States: Intersections of sexual identity with sex, age, and race/ethnicity 

Latent classes of polysubstance use among adolescents in the United States: Intersections of sexual identity with sex, age, and race/ethnicity

LGBT HEALTH - Coulter RWS, Ware D, Fish JN, and Plankey MW found that compared with their heterosexual peers, gay/lesbian and bisexual adolescents-especially females-are at heightened risk of engaging in multiple types of polysubstance use. Designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions will... (05/17/2019)
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OjO Latino: A Photovoice Project in Recognition of the Latino Presence in Pittsburgh, PA 

OjO Latino: A Photovoice Project in Recognition of the Latino Presence in Pittsburgh, PA

CONTEMPORANEITY - Pitt students Héctor Camilo Ruiz Sánchez (BCHS/Anthropology '20), Paulina Pardo Gaviria (history of art & architecture) Rosa De Ferrari (BCHS/GSPIA '18), and faculty advisors Kirk Savage & Patricia Documet (BCHS) published on their recent Photovoice work connecting Latinos from ... (04/12/2019)

Scholarships and Giving

BCHS offers student funding through four named awards and one general departmental account. 

Recent awardees include Alexa Furek (MPH '19) who was awarded funds to apply geospatial mapping to the implementation of smoke-free laws. Candice Biernesser (PhD '19) used her award to explore the impact of social media on suicidal adolescents and to develop a monitoring approach for teens at high risk for suicide. Without these awards, many important research projects would not be possible. 

Carol McAllister Award
Based on need and merit, awards can be used for books, fees, stipends, or travel expenses.

Karen S. Peterson Memorial Research Award for Women’s Health Assist with research or practice leading to improvement in women's health.

Joseph and Brigida Ricci Scholarship
Needs-based support for an outstanding student.

Myrna Silverman Scholarship
Needs-based support for an outstanding doctoral student.

BCHS Research Support Fund
Awards from this fund are made to support research toward the MPH, DrPH, or PhD degree. 

It is quick and easy to support future students:

  1. Go to the Pitt Giving page at Give now
  2. On the Pitt Giving Page, complete the form and mark "choose area(s) of support" 
  3. A box with "select your area(s) of support" will pop up
  4. Scroll down to the "other" check box at the bottom of the list "support a fund not listed above" 
  5. Click on the "other" check box and then click "continue" at the bottom of the pop-up box. 
  6. Type in the name of the fund (McAllister Fund, Ricci Fund, etc.) and include in parentheses (GSPH) to clarify in which school the fund is housed. 
  7. Complete the online form then click "next"
  8. Complete the form with your credit card information and click "next"
  9. You will receive a confirmation e-mail and if University Gift Processing has any issues, they will contact you.