Public Health

Aug. 24, 2021

The Digital Divide: Black families continue to face disparities in broadband access

COLUMBIA — The sudden shift to online learning right before quarantine caused change for every family. But for Black families, that change exposed the disparities in broadband access. Charity Martin remembers the struggles her family faced when Columbia Public Schools suddenly went online back in March 2020. “One minute they can talk to the teacher, see the teacher, next thing the whole thing is blank,” Martin said. Martin’s niece and nephew’s Zoom often faced disconnects from spotty broadband during virtual school lessons. Zoom meetings were the norm during the switch to virtual learning last year. Daily Zoom users spiked from…

July 14, 2021

Virtual schooling exposes digital challenges for Black families, MU study finds

July 14, 2021 Contact: Brian Consiglio, 573-882-9144, consigliob@missouri.edu A new study from the University of Missouri found the unanticipated transitions to virtual schooling due to COVID-19 exposed the lack of digital resources among Black families in the United States, including access to Wi-Fi and technological savviness. The findings help explain the extensive stress virtual schooling caused for many Black families trying to keep their children learning and engaged online while at home during the pandemic. “What we found was parents and caregivers often felt disempowered in the rapidly changing environment, as they did not necessarily…

June 16, 2021

Family support key to overcoming barriers to HIV treatment in Africa

June 16, 2021 Story contact: Brian Consiglio, 573-882-9144, consigliob@missouri.edu Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that physical mobility, transportation and financial issues pose the biggest barriers to accessing HIV treatment for older adults in South Africa, where 20 to 30 percent of people over age 50 are infected with the virus. However, MU researchers also found that family support proved to be the strongest facilitator in overcoming these challenges thanks to changing attitudes in Africa about HIV/AIDS. “What we found was older adults with HIV often have younger family members who have been raised in a society of…

June 15, 2021

Spring 2021 Dean’s List

June 15, 2021 Congratulations to all students who made the Spring 2021 Dean’s List! Each school and college at the University of Missouri determines its own dean’s list eligibility for undergraduate students. Students who had privacy holds in MyZou are excluded from public lists. To qualify for the dean’s list in the School of Health Professions, a student must earn a 3.3 GPA in a minimum of 12 graded (A-F) credit hours. Dean’s list honors only apply to Fall and Spring semesters. Courses graded S/U or Hearer do not count toward the required 12 graded hours. Self-paced courses must be…

May 29, 2021

Ticks multiplying in Kansas and Missouri. Here’s how you and your pet can stay safe

May 29, 2021 Kansas City summers always have a particular bite. The bad news is that ticks are becoming even more plentiful in our neck of the woods, and their seasons are growing longer, now extending into fall. “I don’t think we’re seeing new species. We still have the three to four species of ticks that we’ve had for quite some time,” said Dennis Patton, horticulture agent with Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. “But what I think we are seeing is just increasing numbers of ticks.” Well, that sucks. The good news is you can prevent becoming a blood…

May 18, 2021

2021 Health Professions Graduates

May 18, 2021 Commencement may be over with, but we’re still celebrating our graduates! The Class of 2021 worked so hard, and we know they’re ready for their next steps. We asked six Health Professions graduates to reflect on what their time at Mizzou has meant to them.  Jōvan Amos Master of Occupational Therapy Hometown: Chicago What was your favorite aspect of the Mizzou occupational therapy program? My favorite thing about the MU OT program was the community presence and relationships they’ve established over many years, which afforded us students the opportunity to do coursework and training within…

May 13, 2021

Ticking upward: MU researcher studies rise of tick-borne diseases in Midwest

When Ram Raghavan heard from a former colleague at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a 7-year-old girl had died from Rocky Mountain spotted fever as the result of a tick bite, he thought of his own daughter, also 7 years old at the time, and the potentially fatal danger posed to vulnerable populations by tick-borne diseases. Now a professor at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Health Professions, Raghavan is an epidemiologist studying how ticks, mosquitoes and other arthropods spread disease that impact people, pets and livestock over time in various geographical regions.

May 4, 2021

Students present at Undergraduate Research Forum

May 3, 2021 Congratulations to all of the Health Professions students that were able to present their research as part of the Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Forum! This event was hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research as part of Undergraduate Research Week.  This forum offered undergraduates the opportunity to present their research and scholarly achievements to the Mizzou community! Names and presentation titles of all participating Health Professions students: Lauren Day and Lauren Tigner, SLHS (Mentor: Stacy Wagovich) The Use of Mental State Verbs by Preschool-Age Children Who Stutter and Their Mothers Madison Green, Public Health…