From the associate dean for education
FERPA training
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects student educational records. Faculty and staff who utilize Workday Student, serve in an academic advising or mentorship role, and/or teach are encouraged to sign up for FERPA training offered by the Office of the University Registrar. Sessions are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. Register here.
Workday Student advising notes
To best support our students, it is helpful for us to document and share information on students’ academic support and progress. The university offers some standardized tools for us to do so. All faculty or staff who serve in an academic advising or mentorship role, and/or teach, are encouraged to review guidance on academic advising notes from the Office of the Provost. Two items of particular interest include:
•Advising Notes Overview and Guidelines, which includes guidance related to note-taking practices, including do’s and don’ts and tips for effective note-taking.
• Advising Notes Topics, which includes definitions of notes topics available to select in Workday Student.
Our recommendation on the types of notes you should be documenting:
• Workday Student: academic advising; academic evaluation; academic planning & progress; career/professional.
• Student of concern: This may include well-being, behavior, professionalism, and/or academic progress concerns. Please contact Katharine Pei, associate dean for student affairs, to determine next steps.
When in doubt whether you should leave a note in Workday Student or what to include, please call Katharine Pei at 314-935-6679 to discuss.
PHEW!
“Public Health Education Weekly” (PHEW) is the SPH newsletter for students that contains all the information the Office of Education needs students to know. It is sent at 6 a.m. every Tuesday and includes important academic processes and deadlines, professional development and service opportunities, key dates and events, and WashU and SPH resources available to students. Faculty and staff who also would like to receive the newsletter may opt in by letting Angela Hobson or Tish Torian know. Additionally, if you have anything you would like to communicate or advertise to SPH students, please send to Angela Hobson by 5 p.m. Thursday the prior week.
Classroom supplies
If you are in need of basic classroom supplies such as dry-erase markers, whiteboard erasers, large sticky posters, or cardstock name plates, please contact the Office of Education’s administrative coordinator, Tish Torian, or stop by Suite 150 in Hillman Hall to pick up what you need.
From the associate dean for administration
Workday updates
Last week, several SPH faculty and staff whose primary offices are in 4300 Duncan received notices from Workday asking for outstanding vaccine information. This message can be disregarded; it was triggered by the change in location.
Relatedly, we are arranging two Workday in-services in the coming weeks, one regarding human resources and one on teaching tools for our community. Sunghei Han will communicate dates and times when these are set.
IT tech support
WashU IT desk-side technicians are now on site at both SPH locations: at the reception desk on the third floor at 4300 Duncan, and in Suite 30 at Hillman Hall. They will be making regular rounds to check in with faculty and staff and respond to IT issues as they come up. You also may stop by their desks or reach them via email at SPHsupport@wustl.edu.
Who you gonna call?
A reminder that you can use SPHsupport@wustl.edu for questions related to HR, IT, operations or general inquiries. Requests will be routed to the appropriate teams.
For emergencies at 4300 Duncan, please contact WashU Medicine Protective Services at 314-362-4357. Personnel are available 24/7 to respond to calls or walk-in requests, and officers will be dispatched to your location immediately.
For incidents on the Danforth Campus, call 314-935-5555.
From the director of communications
SPH newsletters and notes
If you are a School of Public Health employee, secondary faculty member or student who is not receiving the “Inside WashU Public Health” newsletter (or know someone who should be but is not), please send us a note at sphcomms@wustl.edu. Likewise, if you are an SPH employee or secondary faculty member who has not been mentioned in our “New to the school” section of the newsletter, please email us at sphcomms@wustl.edu.
If you are not receiving SPH’s external newsletter, “The WashU Public Health Moment,” you can sign up for it here.
Events this week at SPH
Global health seminar
Massy Mutumba, MPH, PhD, a professor of public health at the School of Public Health, will give a talk titled “Global perspectives on school-based strategies for promoting adolescent mental health and resilience” at noon Monday, September 8, on the Medical Campus, in Room 301, on the third floor of the Farrell Learning & Teaching Center. The global health-focused seminar also will be available over Zoom. See here for details and to register.
SPH Compass
SPH Compass will take place Monday, September 8, from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 3104 of 4300 Duncan. You can join us in person or via Zoom. We will host future Compass meetings alternating between Duncan and Hillman.
Talking Public Health with Maura Kepper
Maura Kepper, MPH, PhD, assistant professor at the School of Public Health, will give a talk titled, “From Insight to Impact: Designing Sustainable, Context-Aware, and Personalized Care for Chronic Conditions.” The talk will be from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, September 10, in the Havana Room, on the second floor of 4240 Duncan Avenue, and also will be available via Zoom. The talk is part of the School’s “Talking Public Health” seminar series.
Staff lunch meeting with the dean
The first in a series of regular meetings between the dean and staff. Noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, September 11, in the Havana Room, on the second floor of 4240 Duncan Avenue.
Other events this week
Campus Y Blood Drive
The Campus Y and ImpactLife will host a blood drive in Umrath Lounge on Tuesday, September 9, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
QuEST Talk: Elvin Geng on health systems performance
Join a QuEST Talk featuring Elvin H. Geng, MD, MPH, online Thursday, September 11, from 9–10 a.m. Geng is a professor of medicine at WashU Medicine, a secondary faculty member at the School of Public Health, and co-director of the School of Public Health’s Dissemination & Implementation Science Innovation Research Network (DISIRN). In his talk, “Nice Health Care Workers: from Art to Science?” Geng will explore evidence-based approaches to improving health systems through implementation science. For more details and to register.
New to the school
This week we welcome a new secondary faculty member and a new staff member.
Cal J. Halvorsen, PhD, MSW, an associate professor at the Brown School, joins the SPH secondary faculty as an associate professor. A gerontological social work scholar, Halvorsen studies the intersection of aging societies, paid and unpaid work, and social purpose. He has expertise in self-employment, job-training programs, volunteering in later life, and intergenerational initiatives.
Tish Torian joins the school as an administrative coordinator in the Office of Education, where she will work closely with the associate dean for education, Angela Hobson, supporting the school’s academic operations. Prior to joining the school, Torian was a medical secretary in the Department of Surgery at WashU Medicine.
Grant opportunities
Here and Next research grants
Here and Next Grants provide initial funding and support for interdisciplinary research at WashU, fostering collaboration across disciplines in alignment with the university’s Here and Next strategic plan. FY 2026 calls for proposals are open, with application portals for all programs available via InfoReady.
From the assistant vice provost for digital transformation
From Betsy Sinclair: The DI2 Accelerator looks forward to partnering with faculty at the School of Public Health to accomplish our shared, ambitious goal: advancing research that makes a real impact in people’s lives. Our team brings expertise in AI, software development, and data science to help researchers turn ideas into practical tools — whether that means using AI to uncover insights in a sea of data, supporting peer-to-peer learning, or designing digital platforms that foster community-engaged research. Our role is simple: to help your ideas take shape and grow. If you’d like to explore how we might move your idea forward together, contact us at di2accelerator@wustl.edu.
Applications open for Health Data Science Training Program
Applications are open for cohort 3 of the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) & National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Health Data Science Training Program, a six-month online experience focused on AI/ML and real-world clinical data. Trainees commit eight to 10 hours per week and receive an $8,000 stipend plus a $2,000 travel allowance to present their work at the AIM-AHEAD Annual Meeting in July 2026. An informational webinar will be held at 2 p.m. CT September 17, and applications are due by September 26. Current and former AIM-AHEAD participants are not eligible to apply. Sign-up for the informational webinar
Looking ahead: events in the coming weeks
Virtual Seminar: Visual Tools for Informed Consent
Join the MHealth Research Core Seminar on Monday, September 15, noon to 1 p.m. CT, featuring Mary Politi, PhD, professor of public health, presenting on evidence-based visual tools for informed consent in research. This is a virtual event. Register online here.
SPH Faculty Development Seminar: Enhancing Your Mentorship Practice
Join this seminar at noon Sept. 16 with Alison Antes, PhD, of WashU Medicine, location TBD. Antes directs a national program aimed at supporting early-career researchers and enhancing their leadership and management skills, and co-directs a coaching program for researchers facing issues related to research integrity or compliance. Register here to attend in person or over Zoom
D&I Bootcamp proposals
Submit dissemination and implementation research proposals for discussion at the D&I Proposal Development Bootcamp, co-sponsored by the Dissemination & Implementation Science Innovation Research Network (DISIRN). To participate, submit a concept paper by September 22. For more information, see the D&I Bootcamp page.
Visual Informed Consent Work
The Visual Informed Consent Workshop will be held from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. September 25 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC) on the Medical Campus. Learn about a novel approach that uses visual elements & health literacy best practices to present Informed-consent forms for research. Details and registration here.
Incubator Unbound
“The Incubator Unbound,” a new conversation series from the Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures, will have an event at 4 p.m. September 16 at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. This event will feature Executive Vice Provost Mary McKay and others in an unscripted dialogue exploring resilience, hope, and bold ideas across disciplines. RSVP here.
Air Quality in a Changing Climate
The Center for the Environment will hold its monthly research lunch — part of its Environmental Research Collaboration Series — from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. September 22 in Schnuck Pavilion Room 202 in Green Hall. The gathering will feature Lu Xu, an assistant professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering, discussing solar geoengineering. RSVP here.
Validating Your Idea: Pre-Seed Metrics that Matter
A hands-on workshop with startup advisor Jake Truemper on how to test assumptions, gather user insights, and validate early-stage ideas will be hosted by the Skandalaris Center from 4–5 p.m. September 18 in the Skandalaris Center, Mallinckrodt 128. For more information, see here
Let us know
If you have SPH news, events or research to share, please send details to sphcomms@wustl.edu or Elizabethe Holland Durando, SPH director of communications and change management.