USF Health highlighted the innovative work of its faculty and students as international leaders and stewards Oct. 18 at its first Showcase of Global USF Health.
The event, held in the USF Health College of Nursing Rotunda, was presented by the International Working Group of USF Health. It featured more than 50 poster presentations on international research, education and training, and health service projects, including a range of partnerships across the world.
Members of the Latino Medical Student Association attending the showcase included, l to r, Valerie Devanney, Cesar Taborda, Conrad Vinalon and Rachel Appelbaum. Devanney presented a poster on the association’s interdisciplinary approach to global health.
- “Across our colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy and School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, we’ve created an international footprint so we are globally relevant,” said Stephen Klasko, MD, CEO of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “People around the world are looking at some of the innovative things we’ve done and saying ‘how can we partner with you?’ It’s great for faculty, it’s great for students, and it’s great for the reputation of the university.”
Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health and advisor to USF Health’s International Working Group, said the showcase is an outgrowth of the working group’s efforts bringing together USF faculty and university leaders to collaborate, coordinate and optimize scholarly endeavors in global health.
Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the College of Public Health and advisor to USF Health’s International Working Group, helped kick off the first Showcase of Global USF Health.
“It’s terrific. This showcase highlights people at USF Health involved in critical international work to promote and improve the health of communities around the globe,” Dr. Petersen said. “This year focused primarily on faculty projects… Next year we’d like to open it up to more students, because they too are conducting more research and field work in other parts of the world.”
Karen Holbrook, PhD, senior vice president for Global Affairs & International Research, spoke on behalf of USF World about the university’s expanding research, innovation and engagement abroad. More than 900 USF faculty members are tackling global challenges in such areas as health, environmental sustainability, energy and business, she said. And more than 2,100 international students — the most in USF’s history – come from countries ranging from China and India to Peru and Vietnam.
Speakers included, l to r, Dr. Karen Holbrook, USF senior vice president for Global Affairs and International Research; Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy, dean of the College of Nursing; Dr. William S. Quillen, associate dean and director of the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, and Dr. Shufeng Zhou, associate vice president of global health development at the College of Pharmacy.
Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing, says the college considers global interests an important factor when recruiting new faculty, and about half of USF nursing students obtain some of their community health training in Panama.
“Faculty and students who travel abroad bring that global perspective back to USF Health and help all of us to think differently,” Dr. Morrison-Beedy said.
Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, checks out some of the posters featuring USF’s global health innovation and engagement.
The showcase featured international research, education and service projects and partnerships across the spectrum of health.
USF continues to strengthen its global health reach to provide opportunties for faculty and students.
Photos by Eric Younghans, and video by Danielle Barta, USF Health Communications
