Epidemiologist and Alumna Chelsea Dubie Tracks Vermont Public Health Issues

Infectious disease epidemiologist and Shelburne Rescue EMT Chelsea Dubie completed UVM’s Graduate Certificate in Public Health in 2014. Dubie, who earned her undergraduate degree and a Master of Education at UVM, talks about Vermont public health issues, including monitoring measles, tuberculosis, the flu, and other outbreaks.

You work at the State Health Department as an infectious disease epidemiologist. Can you explain how you track and detect infectious diseases? How does surveillance work?

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Chelsea Dubie
I track and detect infectious diseases through surveillance systems at the Department of Health or through reporting from providers or the general public. We also get electronic lab reports, or providers call us to report patients with suspect infectious diseases.
I check the surveillance program called EARS (Early Aberration Reporting System) daily. Emergency departments statewide submit data, which runs through a series of computer programs to pull specific data on syndromes we’re looking at. When there’s anything of statistical significance (such as a jump in the number of cases from one day to the next), the EARS program flags it. I look at the details of the Emergency Department visits and determine whether something needs further investigation. If so, I contact designated people at the facility for more information.

What infectious diseases are you currently monitoring in Vermont?

Most of my time is spent monitoring flu activity, doing syndromic surveillance, and participating in emergency preparedness-related epidemiological activities. I also back up my supervisor with foodborne outbreaks. I’m particularly interested in emerging infectious diseases like MERS-CoV, Ebola, and novel influenza strains, along with diseases like tuberculosis.

What’s your take on the current measles outbreak in California?

Regardless of your stance on vaccine exemptions, the California measles outbreak is sparking discussion. I’m hopeful that with all the media coverage, more people will talk with their health care providers or health departments to get more information.

Are you working on the TB case in Charlotte? Anything you can share with us about the risk of TB spreading in Vermont?

Yes. I’m working on the TB exposure response in Charlotte. In our Infectious Disease Epidemiology unit at VDH, each of my coworkers has individual expertise and infectious diseases of interest (one coworker works with facilities on infection control measures; two specialize in arboviruses and tick-borne diseases; etc.). When a situation like the TB exposure in Charlotte arises, our daily tasks shift to focus on the outbreak or exposure response, regardless of what we were working on.

What’s the most challenging aspect of being an epidemiologist?

The most challenging aspect for me was remembering all the biostatistics and math-related skills I learned in school!
Harvard published a post a couple of years ago on “Why Epidemiologists Should Get Involved with Policy.” A number of public health policies have been influenced by epidemiologic findings, including cigarette advertising bans, food labeling requirements, and air pollution standards. In light of recent outbreaks, do you have any thoughts on why epidemiologists need a major seat at the table when it comes to health policy?
When I started as an epidemiologist, I was told that a large part of my job was to collect data, analyze it, process it, and present it in a format that would be meaningful for stakeholders—health care providers, schools, policy makers, coworkers. I learned that I needed to think creatively and critically to portray data in a way that makes sense. Epidemiologists investigate patterns and causes of disease and how it affects different populations. These findings are then presented in a way that informs health policy makers to make decisions based on science and research. It’s important for epidemiologists to be involved in health policy decisions, as they are knowledgeable about how diseases affect various populations.
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Chelsea is also an EMT for Shelburne Rescue.

Your undergraduate degree was in exercise and movement science, and you eventually moved to public health. What made you decide to work as an epidemiologist?

I loved the public health courses I took as an undergraduate. After graduating in 2010, I worked for the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) in the UVM College of Medicine’s Pediatrics Department as a project coordinator for pediatric public health research projects. I enrolled in a master’s program, where I incorporated many of the public health courses into my job, including epidemiology and biostatistics. I wasn’t initially pursuing a career in epidemiology, but the job fits perfectly with my interests and academic background. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything other than epidemiology.
When people think of infectious disease events, they often think of Ebola, HIV/AIDS, or SARS. Do you also monitor more everyday—but serious—outbreaks, like the flu?
We monitor infectious diseases across the gamut: enteric diseases, arboviralillnesses, flu, Ebola, measles, hepatitis…the list goes on. We have a list of reportable diseases on the Department of Health website, most of which are monitored daily.

What do you enjoy most about epidemiology?

I enjoy problem-solving, working with different people, using data to provide public health guidance, and going “out in the field” during investigations or outbreaks. Also, it just takes one call from a provider to change the work I’ll do for the next week. I like the unpredictability of it. I think the coolest thing about epidemiology is waking up without knowing what the workday is going to bring, but knowing I’m making a difference.

The University of Everywhere: Lowering the Cost of Higher Education

By Cynthia Belliveau, Ph.D.
Dean of UVM Continuing and Distance Education
I listened to an interesting piece about higher education on NPR’s Fresh Air this week about a new book by Kevin Carey titled, The End of College: Creating the Future of Learning and the University of Everywhere.
The challenges of higher education come down to affordability and access, and Carey points out that these problems might be overcome in the future with online higher education.
Carey envisions a future in which “the idea of ‘admission’ to college will become an anachronism, because the University of Everywhere will be open to everyone” and “educational resources that have been scarce and expensive for centuries will be abundant and free.”
He also talks about the advantage of online education programs such as edX, which gave him the opportunity take a class at MIT.
Carney puts it this way: “We are now headed into a time of abundance when it comes to educational resources. All the books in the world are now available on your iPad or your phone or your computer, or will be soon. The same is true for all of the lectures of all of the smartest people in the world, and the course notes and the problem sets. … Once they’re built, the cost of providing them to the 10,000th student or the millionth student is almost nothing. One aspect of the University of Everywhere is it isn’t going to cost nearly as much as $60,000 a year, which is what a private college would charge you today.”
Carey is correct about the unsustainable cost of higher education – both financial and societal. However, I think we’re already making significant strides here at UVM.
At UVM Continuing and Distance Education, our mission is to provide flexible, relevant educational options at all stages of life because we believe the opportunity to learn should never stop. That includes finding ways to increase access to education and a commitment to provide hundreds of affordable online choices to students in Vermont and around the world

UVM Expert on Biofuel Energy Applies Research and Industry Advances Through Course, Textbook

In a world facing volatile gas prices and increasingly scarce resources, researchers are scrambling to find new sources of energy. Biofuels, derived from food crops, wood, grass, algae, and other biological matter and agricultural byproducts, offer promising alternatives to fossil fuels.
“It’s absolutely essential to keep advancing biofuels because biofuels can play a wider role in reduction of fossil fuels and help reduce all the issues that have come up because of fossil fuels, including fluctuating oil prices, peak oil scenario, and the reality that fossil fuels may not be here forever, as well as the environmental and health impacts of fossil fuels,” says Anju Dahiya, Ph.D., biofuels instructor and director of the University of Vermont’s Bioenergy Program and co-founder and president of GSR Solutions, a Burlington company focused on renewable energy solutions. She also is the editor of the recently published, comprehensive textbook, Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels.
Estimates vary on when the world’s oil reserves will run out. Public and political attention to the issue waxes and wanes, often due to fluctuating gas prices or the emerging new technologies, such as fracking, that boost oil reserves. That leads some doubters to question the reality of peak oil.
Yet even the oil and gas industry recognizes oil as a finite resource. BP (British Petroleum) reports the world has enough oil to last a little over 50 years. That’s not a lot of time, especially when widespread use of more sustainable fuels, such as biofuels, could be years away.

UVM Course on Bioenergy Melds Academia, Industry

Scientists, however, remain committed to renewable bioenergy solutions. And Dahiya, with one foot in academia and another in industry, is constantly looking for ways to connect the two worlds, ensuring bioenergy research can be more quickly applied for practical use.
To do that, she began teaching a course on “Biomass to Biofuels” at UVM in 2009, drawing college students, farmers, entrepreneurs, bank loan officers, engineers, teachers, and others who wanted to know more about developing renewable energy from biological matter.
“How I designed this course is to bring together the biofuels-focused businesses in Vermont and farms in Vermont and to motivate students to build their own businesses or however they would like to contribute to bioenergy areas,” Dahiya says.
She is working with UVM Continuing and Distance Education to add an online version of the course, potentially reaching even more people outside Vermont. She plans to maintain the same curriculum and offer “virtual” field trips, lectures from experts and researchers, and demonstrations of biofuels equipment. But she hopes to revamp the service-learning component, allowing students to complete hands-on projects in their hometowns.
Through such projects, students apply what they are learning to real life. One student, for example, developed a proposal for a wood pellet cooperative so low-income people could access and use this renewable source of heating fuel. Other students partnered with Avatar Energy of South Burlington on a scalable anaerobic digester to turn food waste into fuel, among other projects.

A Textbook Solution

But until recently, something was missing from the course: a textbook. There was no single work that provided an overview of the current research and discussions regarding biofuels.
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“Students were asking: Is there a book for your course?” Dahiya recalls. “Each topic in the course involved multiple books, and I figured out there was a need for this kind of book, and that is how the book was born.”
Over two years, she created and edited the 670-page “Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels,” published by Elsevier Inc. It brings together education and research from the leading bioenergy experts from universities and extension services, government laboratories, and nonprofit groups across the country.
Bioenergy advocates had eagerly awaited the text, according to Joanne Ivancic, J.D., executive director of the nonprofit group Advanced Biofuels USA.
“It fills a need not only for current students, but should also serve as a basic resource for anyone interested in an organized introduction to the language, feedstocks, technologies, and products in the bio-based renewable energy world, including transportation fuels,” Ivancic writes in the book’s foreword. “We need a text that discusses the challenges of transitioning away from fossil fuel, not as barriers to change, but as issues worthy of serious study, research, and reflection. … This is that text.”
“Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels” includes:
  • A general overview of bioenergy
  • Detailed explanations, examples, and in-depth technical information of all possible bioenergy resources, including solid (wood and grasses); liquid (biodiesel including oil seeds, ethanol, and algae oil); and biogas (such as that from manure and farm waste)
  • Cost-effective ways to convert and produce biofuels
  • The economic, sustainable, environmental, and policy aspects of bioenergy
  • Service-learning case studies and quizzes

Capturing Fuel from Green, Slimy Algae

Dahiya first developed an interest in biofuels during discussions she had with other research scientists and students at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory’s Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies at the University of Maryland, from 2001 to 2002.
As a Ph.D. student focused on environmental pollution in the 1990s, “what caught my attention was nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in natural water bodies.” Nitrogen and phosphorous promote macrophytes, such as water hyacinths, and microphytes, the green, slimy algae that run rampant in freshwater ponds and lakes.
In Maryland and then in Vermont, she wondered: How could scientists and industries better capture that green slime and turn it into fuel?
Using algae, she concluded, would avoid the “food versus fuel” debate that arises when crops such as corn are diverted from the world’s food supply into fuel production.
“I thought the best possible and feasible solution would be any fuel that we could capture from waste. It solves two problems at the same time: treating waste and then generating fuel from it,” Dahiya says. “One of the best solutions I had when it came to biofuels was advanced biofuels from non-food algae and capturing wastewater nitrogen and phosphorus found in pollution runoff, and that got me interested in biofuels and bioprocessing at the front end or back end of life cycles.”

Why Advanced Biofuels Make Sense

Research into renewable energy sources, including algae, is not new. The University of California, Berkley, was using algae for wastewater treatment in the 1950s, Dahiya says. The U.S. Department of Energy already has poured $25 million over two decades into a project to identify algae strains and to produce oil from it.
“The algae biofuel focus started in the 1970s during the oil crisis,” she explains. Algae is attractive as a fuel source, according Dahiya, because “it’s a non-food, it uses wastewater as a source of nutrients, and the oil yield per acre per year is the best of all the biofuels. Corn produces 18 gallons of oil per acre per year. Sunflowers produce 102 gallons, and jatropha, 202 gallons, of oil per acre per year. Algae can produce 10,000 gallons.”
Also, while sunflowers and jatropha would divert acres for fuel instead of food, algae “is more advanced in that there is a synergy with waste treatment,” she says. “Waste is not going away. Human society is generating huge amounts of waste. Algal oil gives us the chance to utilize all these resources.”
Still, she cautions, “there is not one silver bullet, one single biofuel, that can solve all the issues around bioenergy. It’s a synergy of all these biofuel options that could take us away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Wherever there are energy needs, bioenergy can be used.”
A successful bioenergy system, she says, would mean “we are producing surplus biofuels compared to the amount of energy that goes into producing that fuel.”

Vermont Company Explores Ways to Capture, Use Advanced Biofuel Energy

Through her work with GSR Solutions, Dahiya is identifying those energy needs and solutions. Currently, she is looking for cost-effective, environmentally sound ways to turn algal oil from waste – whether it’s manure from Vermont dairy farms or byproducts from local beer breweries – into biofuels to heat homes or power vehicles, jets and equipment.
Her research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and NASA, as well as the National Science Foundation, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, and EPSCoR. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, programs, and workshops, and her work has received extensive media coverage.
“Dahiya’s enterprise is the first to produce oil by using farm waste as food for the oil-producing algae,” Vermont Public Radio noted. “This is an important first step,” Todd Campbell, energy advisor to the U.S. secretary of agriculture, told VPR. “And what we’re interested in at USDA, is proving out the concept, taking small steps forward to optimizing systems.”
Dahiya is a grant recipient and research collaborator with the Vermont Bioenergy Initiative, which connects diversified agriculture and local renewable energy production for on-farm and community use by supporting research, technical assistance, and infrastructure development in emerging areas of bioenergy including algae production for biofuels and wastewater management.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy secured by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Bioenergy Initiative has supported a number of Dahiya’s algae to biofuel research projects. Her advanced biofuel research and development is determining the most viable and cost-effective methods for accessing algae’s commercial potential to produce clean renewable energy while treating wastewater and supplying nutrient-rich feeds and food.
Overcoming Challenges for Bioenergy
What is the future of bioenergy?
“As we move forward, we have to tackle issues such as ethanol,” Dahiya says. “How do we efficiently break down non-food organic material without putting too much energy into it to produce fuel? Those types of advances would take care of the ethanol issue, so fuel is not coming from food but from food waste and even organic solid waste.”
In addition, she says, co-locating facilities such as biodiesel and ethanol production and “exploring complementary processes, so that multiple products are produced from the same processes, making them cost-effective, would move us forward very quickly.”
Even more important, Dahiya says, would be “all the different energy solutions – solar, wind and bioenergy – working together in a complementary way. Right now, they are working in separate areas. I visualize synergistic energy solutions that use all these different pieces.

The Nile Project: Major International Sustainability and Music Project Comes to UVM

By Natalie Neuert
A ground-breaking, innovative, and exciting program called the Nile Project will come to Burlington for a concert at the Flynn Center, followed by three days of workshops, classroom visits, and community outreach centered on UVM’s campus. The event is co-presented by UVM’s own Lane Series and the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

What is The Nile Project?

What happens when you bring artists from the 11 Nile nations on stage together to explore the synergies, history, diverse instruments, languages, and cultures of their region? And what happens when those musicians join forces with ecologists, sustainability experts, global leaders, and university students from around the world to create change through music, education, dialogue, leadership, and innovation?
the-nile-projectAccording to Egyptian/American Ethnomusicologist and program co-founder Minas Girgis, “For many projects, music is the end result. But for us, it is just the beginning. The integration of music with youth leadership and innovation, we hope, will create a driving force that will change the way Nile citizens relate to each other and their shared ecosystem.”
Originally conceived as a collaborative music project along the lines of Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project (which explored the multiplicity of musical cultures along that major trading route), the Nile Project has become a major global education and development initiative. Girgis and his friend, Ethiopian-American singer Meklit Hadero, had the idea. “Why don’t we create a project that brings musicians from across the river together,” Hadero tells National Public Radio, recounting the moment. “Wouldn’t that be amazing?” They realized music could be a door-opener for a much larger project aimed at sustaining a finite resource and fostering a new regional identity.

Opening Doors Internationally

The project quickly attracted funding, including a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts, which grew into an extensive tour that includes UVM. Many tour locations are colleges and universities (Middlebury, Dartmouth, Williams, U Mass Amherst, Boston University) because a major focus of the project is empowering students to create change: university students around the world are encouraged to participate in the Nile Project through workshops, seminars, concerts, and even a Nile Prize and Fellowship to be awarded to students who craft innovative solutions to the challenges that define the Nile Basin.
Although Burlington is not a river community, issues of water sustainability and global citizenship have great resonance among UVM students in environmental studies, engineering, global studies, and more, who will be involved in the workshops and class visits. With its emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship, UVM is in a strong position to host this innovative, student-centered project.
The residency begins with a concert at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, March 28th at 8 pm. Anyone with a UVM ID can attend for just $10, and these discounted tickets will be available at the Flynn box office on the night of the show. The Nile Project concerts are thrilling musical events celebrating the dynamic music of East Africa and showcasing many different yet interrelated musical cultures.
the-nile-projectThe New York Times called a recent concert at the world music festival GlobalFest “a committed, euphoric, international coalition” and went on to say, “The musicians had worked out the nuances of modes and rhythms to join one another’s songs, no longer separated by geography or politics. Some of the music showed roots in Arabic culture, some in East African polyrhythms; the words were in various languages, the voices gentle or declamatory or cutting.” The musicians will also participate in a weekend community drum circle at the Flynn (free and open to all; for info call 802-656-4455) and perform a student matinee for more than 1,400 area school children.
After these community events, Nile Project members will spend two days on UVM’s campus with students and faculty in a series of classroom visits. At the Rubenstein School of the Environment, they will take part in a panel discussion in a class on International Environmental Studies.
Nile Project concert in Al Azhar Park, Cairo, Egypt, 31 January, 2013.Musicians from the project will visit two classes in the Department of Religion to discuss how music transcends cultural and physical boundaries.
They will also participate in a mini-concert, followed by a community dinner with the UVM Global Village at Living and Learning, hosted by the Residential Community Africa House. In addition, they’ll work with students in Global Studies and Cultural Anthropology, and their tour manager will participate in a Music class in Arts Management to discuss the challenges and rewards of putting together such a massive tour.
“The Nile Project engages students by performing many of the complex connections that sustain the Nile River basin region. Abstract and seemingly distant course concepts, such as scale and trans-boundary river basin ecologies, come to life through the mixing of sounds and stories that previously existed in largely separated spaces,” says UVM Environmental Studies Professor Ingrid Nelson. “The Nile Project inspires students to consider how to listen and learn with individuals and communities across many boundaries to address urgent environmental and political issues.”

Daline Derival Reflects Upon Her Public Health Career

By Mariette Landry
Daline Derival, M.P.H., completed UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Premedical program in 2014. She is Program Evaluator and Public Health Core Faculty member for the VT-LEND program, whichprovides graduate-level interdisciplinary training, services, and care to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with disabilities.
We asked her to talk to us about her background, experience, and investment in public health.

Can you tell us about your inspiration to pursue public health career?

I was born in Haiti during the Jean-Claude Duvalier (“Baby Doc”) regime, moved to the U.S. at age six, and grew up in Queens, New York. When I saw a PBS program on Doctors Without Borders (MSF), I decided that was the kind of work I wanted to do. After graduating from Queens College, City University of New York, I moved to Atlanta to attend Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, where I earned my Master’s degree in Public Health in 2005.
I then worked for a public health consulting firm as a Statistical Program and Research Analyst for a CDC contract, before being promoted to Associate Project Manager. A 10-day service trip to Rwanda in 2006 reignited my passion for global health, and when I got back, I applied to the Peace Corps, where I served in Madagascar as a Health Extension Worker for 18 months, until civil unrest led to evacuation. I loved the work and wasn’t ready to return to the states, so I requested a transfer for the remaining nine months of my service. I was transferred to Mali, West Africa, and served there for 18 months.
After returning from the Peace Corps, I worked on the Polio Eradication Initiative and Global Health System Strengthening as a CDC contractor.

You worked as an epidemiologist in the Atlanta area. What brought you to Vermont, and what are you currently studying?

I moved to Vermont in 2014 to complete my prerequisites for nursing through UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical program before applying to the Direct Entry Program in Nursing (DEPN). I completed my prerequisites in December, and I’m now taking a graduate seminar, Interdisciplinary Seminar in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, through the Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, where I am a hybrid fellow and faculty member.
I’d applied for a position with the VT-LEND program over the summer and was presented with the opportunity to work as Program Evaluator/Public Health faculty, while also taking the two seminars offered by the program. This has been an amazing experience for me!
My job involves conducting project evaluation to assure quality control and continued growth and development, in keeping with current best practices. I’m also responsible for public health consultation regarding training, service, technical assistance, and research issues with VT-LEND collaborating programs of the University, and MCH programs at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

What new knowledge or expertise has the VT-LEND program given you?

Prior to joining VT-LEND, I had no experience or knowledge of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Through LEND, I’m not only learning about the neurodevelopmental disabilities and how they affect people throughout their lifespan, but also about healthcare leadership principles, cultural and linguistic competence, and family-centered care. I’ve learned that disability is when the environment doesn’t support a person’s abilities, so our goals as health practitioners should focus on facilitating maximal function for people with disabilities. I’m also experiencing what being a culturally and linguistically competent health professional looks like.

What training does VT-LEND provide?

VT-LEND trains professionals working in medicine, education, speech-language pathology, social work, psychology, and public health (to name a few), on supporting people living with disabilities, as well as their families. This isn’t just based on didactic learning; rather, fellows and trainees have a chance to go out into the community through internships and family visits to practice what is learned in class. We also do interdisciplinary consultations, where any person or organization in the community can present a particularly perplexing problem to LEND faculty and get recommendations based on our diverse perspectives.

Can you tell us about your recent trip to Uganda and how you heard about this opportunity?

During my first months in UVM’s Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical program, Continuing and Distance Education Assistant Dean Beth Taylor-Nolan mentioned to me that a faculty member at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences had a background and interests similar to mine. I contacted Dr. Sarah Abrams and scheduled an appointment. During our meeting, I learned that Dr. Abrams is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) like me, and she’s interested in global health. Dr. Abrams asked me if I was interested in being a teaching assistant for the Community/Public Health Nursing course (PRNU 241), which takes place during the winter session in Uganda. Of course I was interested!
In January, I spent three weeks in the Kamuli District of Uganda, working with 10 senior-level undergraduate nursing students conducting community projects to promote public health and working in the district hospital. The community outreach—where nurses vaccinated children and women of childbearing age, while I assisted in handing out de-worming pills and vitamin A—reminded me of my days as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar. But I also learned a great deal. It was a great experience all around.

Any last thoughts on your experience?

I came to Vermont for the school, but the experience I’ve had over the past few months has been more enriching than I could have imagined

Mental Health Matters Conference Speaker Emphasizes Power of Connection

By Jon Reidel
Despite a proliferation in health-related services for an increasing number of students experiencing anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health issues, it can be small acts of kindness and inclusion that make the biggest difference in a student’s overall college experience and general wellbeing.
That was the primary message delivered by Greg Eells, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University, during his morning keynote address on March 12 before a packed Grand Maple Ballroom in UVM’s Dudley H. Davis Center at the “Mental Health Matters: Creating a Culture of Care in Higher Education” conference.
“Any interaction that includes a social connection can make a huge difference,” said Eells following his presentation. “If there’s one thing from this hour talk I hope people leave with it’s don’t underestimate the power of anyone in a faculty or staff role to take just a little extra time to do the little extra things like asking a student how they are doing. Even just a smile and taking the time to listen can make students feel more connected and accepted. Everyone here in this room has a role in connecting students to campus.”

Helping Students with Mental Health Matters

Eells, chair of the Mental Health Section of the American College Health Association (ACHA) and past president of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD), presented a more comprehensive framework around helping students adjust to and succeed in college. He focused on the importance of cultivating resiliency in students by attaching key words to the phrase “resiliency S.A.V.E.S.” They included the cultivation of stronger social connections; a positive attitude; pursuing important values; accepting and dealing with emotions; and silliness (the ability to laugh and not take yourself too seriously).
“Our goal is to move the curve, and we can do that if we work together,” said Eells. “Hopefully this conference and talking about how we care and how we want to change the culture can create caring communities across all of our campuses.”
Other presentation topics throughout the day-long conference included innovative outreach programs, substance abuse, recovery, suicide prevention, cultural and linguistic competencies, psychiatric disabilities, autism spectrum, accommodations, LGBTQ identities, mind-body wellness, and strategies for managing distressed and disruptive students in the classroom.
The event included a keynote presentation by Henry Gates, father of Will Gates, a UVM student who died from a heroin overdose in 2009, titled “Helping students define the balance between personal freedom and personal responsibility — one father’s story. The film The Opiate Effect, a story about the effect the experience had on Gates and his family, was also shown.
The conference was sponsored by the University of Vermont, the Center for Health and Learning, the Vermont Department of Mental Health, the Vermont Department of Health and the U.S. Attorney’s Office

An In-Depth Look at UVM’s Leadership and Management Program

Radu Bostan completed UVM’s Leadership and Management Certificate Program in 2013. An experienced technology consultant with more than a decade of experience in retail and sales, Bostan earned his undergraduate degree and Master of Business Administration in the Republic of Moldova before coming to the United States 10 years ago.
UVM Outreach talked to Bostan about the challenges and rewards of training for a leadership position.
Why did you enroll in the UVM Leadership and Management Program?
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I reached a moment when I wanted to challenge myself and my comfort zone at work and pursue a managerial path in my career. The Leadership and Management program offered me the knowledge and tools to improve my skills and get on the right path. My goal during the next five years is to take more responsibility and prepare myself for an executive position.
You mentioned that the Leadership and Management program helped give you the push to take on more leadership roles. How do you personally work on improving and educating yourself to be the best leader you can be?
I’m constantly taking the available courses offered for professional development by the company I work for (this helps you get you to know the ins and outs of the corporate culture), and also I take online courses on management, negotiations, and interpersonal skills.
Tell us about the work you’re doing at the Vermont Employment Agency.
The Vermont Employment Agency is a local, growing business that helps employees match their talent to the right job, while helping businesses saving time and money finding the right solutions for their needs. I’ve been advising the Agency in setting up a new location in St. Albans that will cover the Northern Vermont and Plattsburgh, N.Y., area, in addition to the existing branch in South Burlington.
What are some of the challenges and rewards of project management?
With regard to leadership and management, I’d say that being a leader is itself a challenge. While one needs to address external challenges by solving problems and dealing with crises, a project manager needs to keep up team spirit, overcome his or her internal limitations, such as fear, insecurity, and impatience. In the end, I believe it’s a constant process of improving and educating yourself so that you can better serve your team and help the organization reach its goals, which to me is the biggest reward.
How has the UVM Leadership and Management Certificate Program helped you professionally?
While I’m still working my way toward the career goals I’ve set for myself, the program has provided me a good initial push. I have confidently undertaken more leadership roles at my previous job, and I feel more prepared in my current position, which requires leadership skills.
What do you think it takes to succeed at project management? What are some of the pitfalls of project management if you don’t have proper training?
Being a leader, confidence is the key, but one should always be self-critical and aware of the circumstances. As a leader, I have found that being proactive, creative, objective, and collaborative very helpful in my role. In the relationship with the team that I manage, I always listen actively and seek feedback so that I can make an informed decision and feel confident about it.
Some might think they have leadership skills in their blood, but training is key. It will structure your knowledge and direct your strategies when dealing with different and difficult situations. Learning from others’ experience is a shortcut to your own success

UVM Cannabis Webinar Series Examines Policy, Medicinal Use, Edibles

By Cynthia Belliveau, EdD
Dean, UVM Continuing and Distance Education
As cannabis laws in the United States evolve, the need for an informed and engaged community discussion is more important than ever. UVM Continuing and Distance Education is hosting a free Cannabis Speaker Series webinar program in May and June to examine the history, policies, and emerging dynamics around the legalization of cannabis.
UVM, the land grant university in this state, has a role in facilitating a sophisticated and informed conversation about cannabis policy, law, medicinal use, science, and edibles. There is a lot of information (and bad jokes) out there, and we want to facilitate a balanced and educated exchange.
The speakers are experts working in Vermont, Colorado, and Toronto who are navigating the opportunities and challenges of legalization both at home and globally. Registration for the series far exceeded our expectations, and we are encouraged that people – from Vermont and beyond –are taking advantage of this opportunity to become better informed.

Top 5 most overrated players in the Premier League 2019-20


A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.

I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.

I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image, and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us, as it floats around us in an eternity of bliss; and then, my friend, when darkness overspreads my eyes, and heaven and earth seem to dwell in my soul and absorb its power, like the form of a beloved mistress, then I often think with longing, Oh, would I could describe these conceptions, could impress upon paper all that is living so full and warm within me, that it might be the mirror of my soul, as my soul is the mirror of the infinite God!

O my friend — but it is too much for my strength — I sink under the weight of the splendour of these visions! A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and

The heart of Nintendo’s new console isn’t the Switch


A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.

I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.

I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image, and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us, as it floats around us in an eternity of bliss; and then, my friend, when darkness overspreads my eyes, and heaven and earth seem to dwell in my soul and absorb its power, like the form of a beloved mistress, then I often think with longing, Oh, would I could describe these conceptions, could impress upon paper all that is living so full and warm within me, that it might be the mirror of my soul, as my soul is the mirror of the infinite God!

O my friend — but it is too much for my strength — I sink under the weight of the splendour of these visions! A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine.Paragraph

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and

NEW Schedule! Peer Advisor Quick Questions for Undergraduates

To provide more consistency and available times we’re implementing a new schedule. See below!
Schedule
Monday | Wednesday | Friday @ Driscoll South (Career & Professional Development):  9am – 11am
Tuesday | Thursday @ Beans Hospitality: 1pm – 3pm
Swing by to get help with your resume and/or cover letter. Learn about resources to get started with your internship or job search and find out about upcoming events. Peer Advisors are extensively trained by professional Career Advisors and are ready to take your questions! No appointment necessary. Each Quick Question runs approximately 15 minute

7 Steps on How to Pass a Job Interview Successfully

A job interview is a common and an inevitable part of acquiring a job. This is that very case when the first impression is of great importance. Many talented people lose their chance to get the job they wished due to a horrible interview. Therefore, you should be really prepared for it. You should avoid mistakes and fill in all the gaps in your plan.
A preparation means a lot! You should make steps after you have thought them thoroughly through. Here are some tips on how to pass it successfully.
1. Do a research about the company. In the occasion, you have some background knowledge about the company where you wish to work your chances of success will greatly increase. You should know its main profile, the directions it develops and the demands it requires. Show your seriousness and interest in your future position.
2. Work out the common interview questions. Regardless of the company and your specialization, there will be always some common questions, which are asked. For instance:
  • What things you know about the company?
  • Why should the company employ exactly you?
  • How can you benefit the team?
  • Describe your methods of overcoming challenges at work.
You should also think about other potential questions. Depend on the specification of the company and your own skills.
3. Tell about your strong and weak sides. You will be asked about your best skills and your biggest weaknesses. You should reveal your strongest qualities at full. Tell that you are quick in fulfilling orders, can easily manage your time schedule, organize the entire working process and so on. You have to mention all your positive aspects so that your employer knew what you are capable of.
In the case, you are asked about your weaknesses you should be honest and tell all of them. Nevertheless, you must prove your employer that you can easily deal with all of them and they would never interrupt the working process.
4. Put reasonable and smart questions of your own. Do not be afraid of putting your own questions. Why is it necessary? In such way, you will show that you are really interested in this job and that you are engaged in the conversation. You may ask the following questions:
  • What will I need for success here?
  • Whom will I collaborate with?
  • What are my main everyday duties?
  • Will I be able to develop myself with your company?
  • What difficulties may I face?
Makes allowances for the most important things that interest you and may help you while working at the company.
5. Avoid clichés. Nobody likes a stereotypical way of thinking. Some employers may think that you do not have your own ideas if you operate with canned answers. Show your individuality and emphasize your originality. Try to assure your employer that you can resolve problems in different ways regardless of the case. You can implement the ideas of your own and they will work.
6. Complete and bring all necessary documents ahead of time. You will require some necessary documents that are connected with your future position at the company. Bring along copies of your resume, portfolio and so on. While filling them, be watchful and avoid making any mistakes. This will show that your intentions are serious and that you act professionally.
7. Dress the part. Do not forget about your appearance. It also makes a positive impression on other people. Pick up a nice outfit so that it displayed you as a determined and confident person. It should also match the business you will be applying for. While your research about the company learn about possible dress code and choose it.
Following these pretty simple tips, you will easily prepare for a good job interview and will sufficiently increase your chances of getting the job of your dream.

Financing Your Graduate Education

Are you thinking about graduate school, or are in the middle of the admissions process? If so, you might be thinking about how you will finance your education. Financial aid looks a little bit different for graduate school than it does for your undergraduate education, but there are many excellent resources out there to help you think through this important piece of graduate school planning.
A few things to consider as you are in the planning stages:
  1. What types of graduate programs are you interested in, and what is the culture of these programs? Are you considering medical school, which might be loan-heavy, or a PhD program that might fully finance your education?
  2. What costs will I incur in the admissions process, and what my budget look like while I’m in graduate school? You will want to consider application fees, entrance exam fees, plane tickets, and lodging for interviews in the admissions process. How wide is the geographic net you are casting?
  3. Do you have some time to chat with current graduate students about their experience? LinkedIn, Pioneer Connect, and your professors/lab mates are incredible resources to connect you with graduate students who have experienced financing their educations firsthand.
  4. If you have the chance, take some time to chat with an admissions counselor for the graduate programs that interest you. Often times, you can get questions answered about institutional aid for graduate school, and for the specific programs that interest you.
Idealist is an incredible resource for tips on financing your education. Not only does Idealist offer resources for finding volunteer experiences and nonprofit opportunities, it also has a YouTube channel with tips and tricks on graduate school planning. Click on the Idealist link and scroll down to “Finance” for a number of articles and videos on this topic.
Other resources include:
As with any career development questions, your Career Advisors are here as a resource to help you in your graduate school planning!

Dealing Effectively with a Temp Agency – and What to Expect

Image result for temp hiring“A temp agency – are you kidding me?”  That’s the understandable reaction of many upcoming or new BAs when someone suggests  going to see a temp agency.  But for upcoming graduates or unemployed recent graduates, it may be one of a number of options to consider, especially if some of this applies to you…
  • You are very unclear about the career path you want to pursue, or even the employment sector that most interests you – government? non-profits? private sector? start your own enterprise?
  • You worked your way through school in a retail job, nannying, etc. – and this limited your opportunities to do internships.
  • You are facing financial pressures and need to start earning money asap, but working in a hardware store is not an appealing career path.
“Temp-to-Perm” Positions.  Try to focus on agencies that emphasize temp positions that could convert into longer-term jobs.  Here are a few possibilities in DC:
How to Present Yourself to Temp Agencies
  • Put a bulleted “Administrative Skills Profile” at the top of your resume, listing the number of words per minute you can type, your software skills, and any experience you have with data entry, other digital filing, physical filing, mailrooms, doing inventory. (BTW, there’s lots of typing-test freeware available on the web.)
  • Be upbeat & energetic in your demeanor (!) – because the temp agency staffer interviewing you is trying to determine whether their client will like you.
  • Be ready to answer interview questions without hesitation; e.g., Are you restricting yourself to Metro-accessible employers? (probably say “yes”); Can you work weekends or evenings if needed? (say yes, but probably won’t be necessary); When can you start?
  • Be ready to prove yourself with the temp agency; i.e. be willing to take an initial offer that is not temp-to-perm, but which will build your credibility with the agency when the employer gives them a glowing report about this. Such initial offers could be a month long or as short as a few days.
  • Remember – you are not the agency’s client; the employer is.
Finally, applying to temp agencies is just one strategy.  You also should be applying for jobs in the normal way, via job boards and contacts; you should be networking you should and trying to get informational interviews.  And see your AU career advisor!

NSM Students, Alumni, & Friends Come Together for Networking @ Nite!

On February 28th, students, alumni, and friends of NSM came together on the 5th floor of ECS to chat about their career goals and interests across the sciences.

Photo by Kellan Barr, Communications Manager, NSM
Alumni from a number of disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Physics came back to campus for this exciting event. They represented an array of industries across the Denver area, from water treatment and analysis, to healthcare, and on to sustainability. The students who joined us also came from a number of majors across NSM, and they had the opportunity to network with each of our twelve volunteers for five minutes before moving on to another table. Open networking was offered for the final half hour, and it was fun to watch the participants come back together to excitedly continue conversations where they left off.
For the first hour of the night, students visited our alumni and friends both individually and in small groups. The students’ smiles as they left one table and joined another were so wonderful to see! It was a great evening that incorporated all of the fun and socialization of a networking event without the formal, frenetic energy of a career fair. Nervous energy quickly melted away as genuine connections were forged, and business cards were quickly exchanged before the end of the evening. Our alumni and friends were incredibly impressed with our NSM students’ professionalism, insightful questions, and career goals.

Photo by Kellan Barr, Communications Manager, NSM
Thank you so much to everyone – students, alumni, friends of DU, staff, and faculty – who made this event possible. We hope to bring more of our amazing, talented alumni back to DU so if you are a NSM undergraduate and you have suggestions on who you might want to meet, please share them with our office!