On May 29, 2013 during the annual professional conference of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Indianapolis, Indiana, UTEP Kinesiology students John Moreno, Logan Petry, and Heather Wincapaw became the National Student Bowl Champions while representing the Texas Regional Chapter of ACSM (TACSM). The coaches for this year's team were Kinesiology graduate students Justin Porta and Dominic Ramos.

John Moreno (left), Heather Wincapaw (center), and Logan Petry (right) displaying the National Student Bowl Championship trophy.

The Student Bowl is an academic competition for undergraduate students presented in a "Jeopardy" game show format and includes questions from multiple categories that span the entire Exercise Science curriculum and general undergraduate knowledge. To earn their place at the national competition, UTEP won the TACSM Regional Student Bowl on February 28, 2013 against twenty-nine total teams from fifteen universities across the state. ACSM has twelve regions from across the country, nine of which were represented at the national competition. The UTEP team started slowly but made considerable gains in the second round to position themselves in 3rd place going into the final questions behind teams from the New England Chapter (represented by the University of Connecticut) and the Central States Chapter (represented by University of Kansas) who were tied for 1st. The tension in the room grew as each team secretly recorded its wager and the final question was posted. Both UTEP and the Central States teams answered the final question correctly but the New England team's answer was incorrect. The pressure was evident on the faces of John, Logan and Heather, and the room was nearly silent as everyone waited for the scoreboard to be updated. When the final scores posted, the building erupted with cheers as the crowd realized that UTEP had overcome the Central States team by wagering everything they had to become the 2013 ACSM National Student Bowl Champions.

This was the first time a TACSM team has won the national competition during the six-year history of the Student Bowl; but it's UTEP's second time representing the regional chapter, the first was in 2011. This year's UTEP team trained for more than eight months to prepare for the competition. Their dedication and commitment is an example of what all UTEP students can accomplish through hard work and perseverance. Their accomplishment also speaks volumes to the educational quality and professional preparation provided by the Department of Kinesiology. The entire College of Health Sciences, everyone at UTEP, and all of Texas celebrate our TACSM Student Bowl Team members John Moreno, Logan Petry, and Heather Wincapaw, along with our coaches Justin Porta and Dominic Ramos for their great accomplishment in becoming the 2013 ACSM National Student Bowl Champions. 

Left to right: Dominic Ramos, John Moreno, Heather Wincapaw, Logan Petry, some guy that snuck into the picture (Michael Gallegos), and Justin Porta after winning the 2013 ACSM National Student Bowl Championship.

A total of eleven UTEP students and two faculty attended the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in Indianapolis Indiana, May 28-June 1, 2013. Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. student Nicholas Murray presented his research during a poster session at the ACSM meeting.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) is the most widely recognized and highly regarded credential for public health professionals. The program prepares students for public health practice and leadership in public, non-profit, & private sectors. The 42-hour, 5-semester program provides future public health professionals with the knowledge, analytical/technical skills, and leadership needed to address current and emerging community health challenges though classroom instruction, supervised practical experience in a public health agency, research, and other experiential activities. The program offers the MPH degree with a specific concentration in Hispanic and Border Health, the first and only in the U.S. This unique concentration specifically prepares students for public health practice in Hispanic and border communities. Courses in the MPH degree and the 15-hour Graduate Certificate in Public Health program cater to working professionals. All courses are held once a week from 5:00-7:50 pm.  

The MPH Program was recently awarded accreditation by the Council on Public Health Education (CEPH). This important milestone means that the program has been peer-reviewed and met the rigorous standards established by the public health profession. Accreditation by the CEPH has a number of important implications for the program and students. Among others, it assures a quality and well-rounded educational experience in the major public health core and concentration areas, it assists in the transfer of credits between institutions, provides eligibility to sit for the Certified in Public Health national exam, helps qualify graduates for jobs requiring graduation from a CEPH accredited program as a condition of employment, and gives students access to public health internships and fellowships sponsored by various federal agencies, as well as student assistance resources that are available only through CEPH-accredited institutions.     

Dr. Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, lecturer at the Department of Public Health Sciences was appointed as president of the International Society for Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES). This international organization is dedicated to the advancement of occupational ergonomics and safety. The society is the main sponsor of Annual International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference. Dr. Ibarra was sworn in during the past conference held in Atlanta, GA on June 6-7. At his inaugural speech, he thanked for the opportunity to serve as the first non-American president, and made a commitment to increase the visibility and membership, as well as partner with other related organization both in the US and abroad; additionally, invited all active members to support and encourage student and professional development and participation by offering the opportunity to submit proposals for seed grants and student research paper awards at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

His appointment as president will be culminated next year when hosting the "XXVI Annual International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference" to be held right here in El Paso, Texas in June 5-6, 2014.

The MSW Program received full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education at the June 2013 Committee on Accreditation Committee.   As a fully accredited program, all of the graduates are eligible to sit for the state licensing exam in any state in the country. It also opens employment opportunities for our graduates in agencies that require graduation from an accredited program. Thank you to everyone who supported the program and especially to those who actively participated in the site visits for the accreditation review. A reception to celebrate our accreditation is scheduled for July 12 from 2:00 - 5:00. Please contact Ms. Cristina Ochoa at mcochoa@utep.edu or by phone at 915-747-5095 for more information.

Dr. Sam Terrazas             Dr. Mark Lusk

 

On May 18 and 19, the Department of Social Work welcomed its new class of MSW students at its orientation program. This is the largest class admitted with 35 students accepting admission to the program. Students begin taking classes in June 2013.

Several students of the UTEP/UT Cooperative Program graduated with University Honors at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy held in Austin, TX on Friday, May 17, 2013

College of Pharmacy Award for Dedicated Service (for exceptional contributions of service to the college, the university, and/or the profession of pharmacy) Jessica Gomez-Named El Paso Pharmacy Association Student/Resident of the Year.  Jessica served as El Paso Pharmacy Council representative as well as the El Paso Project Collaborate representative.  In these capacities, she organized local health fairs and screening activities.  In addition, she was awarded the Walgreen's Diversity Grant that helped pay for 60 influenza vaccines for patients in need.

University Honors

Clarissa Aide Enriquez

Daniel Stubbemann

Honors

Julian Byron McCreary

Stephanie Irene Ramirez

Graduating with Research Honors (Students completing the undergraduate honors Program with a cumulative 3.00 GPA; this GPA must be maintained in all required pharmacy courses as well as in all other pharmacy courses including those elective courses that are approved for pharmacy elective credit offered outside the college.) Francisco Roman, Jr., worked with Dr. Laura O'Dell, UTEP Assoc. Professor, Psychology