Graduate student secures national public health poster presentation

Michelle Steck, a recent master’s degree graduate in epidemiology at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, was selected as one of 19 people nationwide for the Delta Omega National Honorary Society in Public Health portion of the research poster presentations at the American Public Health Association annual meeting Nov. 9-13 in Philadelphia. Steck also received the Dean’s Research Award during graduation ceremonies May 17.

“I am very happy to represent the School of Rural Public Health at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting,” Steck said. “I am very thankful for the school’s nomination and for the excellent educational foundation they have provided me.”

Steck presented her poster, which evaluates the association between pregnant women consuming fish with various birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), during the school’s National Public Health Week activities April 6-9.

Utilizing NBDPS data, Steck assessed the relationship between pregnant women consuming fish and the occurrence of birth defects. After adjusting for socio-demographic, dietary and health status indicators, she found that compared with mothers who ate fish less than once a month, mothers who ate 3 to 5 ounces of fish one to three times per month were significantly protected from various birth defects.

However, high levels of fish consumption increased the risk for a heart defect called perimembranous ventricular septal defect as well as a birth defect called amniotic band syndrome, which involves entanglement of the developing fetus in string-like fibrous bands. These findings suggest that women who are planning to become pregnant should be eating 3 to 5 ounces of fish one to three times a month to protect against birth defects, but it may confer risk to consume higher amounts.

Chevron gives $1.3 million to Aggies

The ties that bind Texas Aggies not only last a lifetime, but they also cover the world. And as Aggies know, there is no such a thing as an ex-Aggie or former Aggie.

That was evident again last week when Chevron Corp.'s global marketing president, Shariq Yosufzai, class of '74, presented a $1,325,750 check to Texas A&M University President Elsa A. Murano.

Chevron's gift will support the petroleum engineering department's Drilling and Completions Lab, the Environmental Health and Safety Management Program of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and other earth science and information technology programs at the College Station campus.

Chevron, the second-largest integrated energy company in the United States, is based in San Ramon, Calif., and engages in every aspect of the crude oil and natural gas industry in more than 100 countries.

The company has given more than $30 million to Texas A&M, and Murano said its commitment extends beyond supporting students.

Chevron also has a recruitment program that provides a strong employment pipeline for students after graduation. More than 650 Texas A&M graduates are employed by Chevron, including more than 160 who were recruited and hired during the last two years.

Chevron recruits graduates in disciplines such as information technology, engineering, finance, geology and process safety, and its employees also participate in career fairs and speak to student organizations.

"Texas A&M has long enjoyed loyal support from Chevron and its employees in a variety of academic disciplines and through our career center," Murano said.

"We value our strong relationship with Chevron as we work together to find solutions for our global energy needs today and for future generations."

In recent years, Chevron has made significant contributions to Texas A&M to support bio-energy research in agriculture and engineering.

Last year, Chevron gave more than $4 million through the Texas A&M Foundation to the departments of petroleum and civil engineering, geology and telecommunications. The gifts support scholarships, faculty chairs, professorships and graduate fellowships.

The company's largest gift was $2.5 million in 2008 from Chevron Energy Technology Co. to create an endowment for the Chevron Project Management Fund and support A&M's Engineering Project Management Certificate. The funds will be used for scholarships for fourth-year undergraduates, graduate fellowships and faculty awards, curriculum support, distance learning and classroom resources.

Chevron also supports student organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers and discipline-specific societies such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

-Robert Miller, Dallas News

HSC Commencement

The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in College Station will host commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 9, followed by the HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas on Wednesday, May 13, and the HSC-School of Rural Public Health in College Station on Sunday, May 17.

The HSC-College of Medicine commencement is at 2 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The speaker is American Medical Association President-elect J. James Rohack, M.D., HSC-COM professor and senior staff cardiologist at Scott & White in Temple. Seventy-five students will receive their M.D. degree, and one will receive a dual M.D./Ph.D.

Meanwhile, HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry graduates will receive degrees at 7 p.m. at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. The keynote speaker is Dr. Frank Eggleston, HSC-BCD Class of 1970, president-elect of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry, chairman of the Retina Research Foundation and member of the Baylor Oral Health Foundation board of directors. Eighty-nine D.D.S. candidates will participate, 30 dental hygiene students will receive B.S. degrees, and 23 graduate students in various specialty certificate programs will be recognized. One Ph.D. and 10 M.S. degrees will be awarded.

On May 17, Eduardo J. Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., vice president and chief medical officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, will deliver the commencement address for the HSC-School of Rural Public Health in exercises at 2 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. Ninety-one students will be honored – 67 M.P.H., 21 M.H.A. and one M.S.P.H. The first two Dr.P.H. degrees will be awarded, as well as seven students from the Austin group who are working professionals primarily from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission or Texas Department of State Health Services.

Admission to all commencement ceremonies is free and does not require a ticket.

Pregnancy Preparedness

When is the best time to start preparing for pregnancy?

Many people believe it’s when a woman is thinking of becoming pregnant. In reality, a woman should be healthy and aware of preconception health care before becoming sexually active or at least three months before conception, as studies indicate more than 50 percent of all pregnancies are unplanned.

“Women who make healthy choices before pregnancy and who maintain healthy behaviors during pregnancy increase their chances of having healthy babies,” said Jean Brender, Ph.D., R.N., professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.

There are four steps a woman should follow toward a healthy pregnancy and child, Dr. Brender said. First, take 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid daily at least three months before becoming pregnant. Found in most cereals and vitamins, folic acid is an easy way to prevent birth defects, especially neural tube defects.

Next, stop smoking and drinking alcohol, as research indicates babies born to a female smoker during pregnancy have 30 percent greater odds of being born preterm compared to a nonsmoker. If you have medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy or Hepatitis B, be sure these conditions are under control and have the proper medication. Also avoid exposures to toxic substances or potentially infectious materials at work or at home such as cleaning chemicals, solvent-based paints, and cat or rodent feces.

When visiting with a doctor before conceiving, talk about current medicines you are taking, including herbal supplements and over-the-counter medicine, Dr. Brender said. If overweight or underweight, discuss a healthy eating and fitness program, as some adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and a few types of birth defects are related to obesity.

USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness responds to influenza outbreak with educational materials for partners

In response to the current 2009 H1N1 Flu (swine flu) outbreak, the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health has made available toolkits, training modules and public education resources to its local, state and national partners.

According to Barbara Quiram, Ph.D., professor in the HSC-School of Rural Public Health and center director, the center has provided a wide range of downloadable resources that include “Infection Protection in the Classroom Setting” with background information on infectious disease and activities for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, middle school and teenagers; “Infection Prevention in the Workplace” training module; and an “Infection Control for Promotores” training module in Spanish, with a lesson plan guide in both English and Spanish.

These materials, along with the latest information on the 2009 H1N1 Flu from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the Texas Department of State Health Services, are online at the center’s website, www.rural-preparedness.org. The website will be updated as new resources become available.

“We encourage you to share this information and these resources with others,” Dr. Quiram said. “Our goal is to make all of this information widely available.”

The USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness works with internal and external partners to promote development of skills and competencies that support the nine CDC goals for emergency response and preparedness in primarily rural states and rural sections of the country. Funding is from state and local partners and a grant provided by the CDC as part of the Centers for Public Health Preparedness program.