A Global Health Newsletter

Culminating Experience: Capstone Project Proposal The Movement: A Global Health Newsletter Objective This proposal describes a new publication featuring the writing of Boston University School of Public Health students. The publication will be in the form of a newsletter, and it will be focused on global public health issues. As the name implies, the writing in the newsletter will present news and analysis that emphasizes global health efforts as part of a broader social movement. It will include current news around the world as well as within the Department of International Health (DIH), the Center for International Health and Development (CIHD), and the School of Public Health at large. There will also be a space for editorial and op-ed pieces on various topics. In addition, written work of a more academic nature (such as papers written for courses, or Culminating Experience papers) will be included in each issue of the newsletter. Finally, there will be a faculty and a student spotlight section with interviews highlighting exceptional individuals’ work and information about opportunities for students (see “Tentative Layout” below). Rationale Boston University School of Public Health places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of effective communication as an essential skill of public health professionals. Beyond providing a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas within the school, the student-run publication could potentially improve the school’s visibility and status among public health programs around the country. At the very least, it would enhance the sense of community within BUSPH and promote a dialogue among students and between students and professors. An electronic survey was recently given to students in the DIH to determine the general level of interest in the newsletter and the willingness of students to contribute in one way or another. Ninety-five students responded to the survey, 98% liked the idea and said that they would “definitely” or “probably” read the newsletter, two-thirds said they would “definitely” or “probably” write in the newsletter, and over half said they were interested in helping with the newsletter (see “Responses to Survey” below). Clearly, there is great interest in the publication among DIH students indicating the potential for a strong readership at BUSPH. 1 Logistics To run the newsletter, there would be an editorial board in charge of collecting and editing the written pieces. Two interest group meetings have been held this semester, and several students have shown strong interest in being a part of this editorial board. As far as faculty oversight, Professor Jennifer Beard has offered her support for this project’s development. The Movement would be published online and there would be one issue each semester. Prior to each issue, a theme will be determined, and the editorial boards will begin collecting written pieces. For the editorial and op-ed pieces, there will be a general call for papers; this will be done through email, with instructions on the submission process given to interested students. For the academic papers, professors would be identified and consulted at the beginning of each semester to make referrals to excellent papers written by students in past semesters. The editorial board will follow up with these students to see if they can receive permission to publish the work in the newsletter. If needed, a call for academic papers will be made as well, and professors will be consulted for input on the quality of the papers. Finally, designated members of the newsletter team will be responsible for the “News and Notes” section as well as the “Faculty/Student Spotlight” section. In terms of sustainability, first-year MPH students will be targeted at the beginning of each Fall semester to take on dedicated roles within the newsletter team. In addition, experienced second-year students will also be part of the team in leadership positions. Each year, there will be an Editor In-Chief, an Assistant Editor, two reporters, and a five- to seven-person editorial board. For the first semester, I will take on the role of Editor In-Chief. I have outlined some of my responsibilities below. The Assistant Editor will be 2nd year MPH student, Shin Daimyo. As a part time student, Shin will be willing to commit 10-15 hours each week to work on the newsletter. He will assist the Editor In-Chief in making sure all of the components of the first issue are on track for completion by the end of the semester. Kate Mitchell, also a 2nd year student, will be one of the reporters, and she will be responsible for writing at least one of the op-ed pieces. Kathryn Steger, a 1st year MPH student, will be the other reporter responsible for gathering some of the information and writing part of the “News and Notes” section. For the editorial board, several students have expressed their interest, including Shuchi Kapoor, Anila Hussaini, Michael Zales, Heron Baumgarten, and Colleen Barrett. The first issue’s theme will most likely be Public Health and International Humanitarian Endeavors. This theme explores the relationship between humanitarian work and public health, where they intersect and where are at odds with one another. Articles will discuss the controversies involved in humanitarian-driven public health work. It is intentionally open-ended to allow for a wide range of written pieces. We will shape and solidify this theme during the first meeting of the semester. I have communicated with Sharon Britton in the BUSPH Office of Communications, and she would be willing to offer web support if we are able to make the newsletter into a reality. The first issue, however, will most likely be distributed on an unofficial website or in PDF format. 2 Tentative Layout News and Notes • Reports on any relevant and current news in global health • Notes on current or ongoing happenings within the DIH, CIHD, or SPH Comment • Editorial and Op-ed pieces on various international health issues Research • Academic papers written by students Faculty/Student Spotlight • Interviews and/or summaries of recent work done by students and faculty within the Department 3 Meeting the Culminating Experience Requirements Although I will be working abroad next semester, I still plan to take a leading role in the development and publication of the newsletter. I will accomplish this primarily using the Internet. I plan on running meetings using Skype and setting goals and deadlines through email. I will contribute to the editing process and contact professors and students through email as well. Essentially, I will ensure that each person on the newsletter team is fulfilling his or her responsibility so that all of the components of the first issue can come together by the end of the semester. In terms of academic content, I plan on writing a research paper that will be included in the first issue of the newsletter. Although I have not decided on a topic yet, it will involve the work that I will be doing in Zambia and draw from the core concepts and skills that I learned as a public health student at BU. I will conduct a thorough literature review, and the final paper will be strongly supported with quality sources and proper citations. I will submit drafts by the deadlines that I establish (see Work Plan below) to my CE advisor. My advisor will ultimately determine if my paper is satisfactory by the final submission date. The research paper will be one of the major deliverables to satisfy the CE requirements. In addition, I will present: • An annotated chronology of the entire process of creating and running the newsletter. • An overview of the process and what I have learned (5 pages). • A copy of the first issue • A manual for future students who will be managing the newsletter 4