Dr. Bhattacharya
meets with NIH, USDHHS
Dr. Gauri Bhattacharya, Social Work, was recently invited to take part in
a meeting organized by the National Institutes of Health for the
advancement of groundbreaking research on narrowing health
disparities. The meeting focused on new research concerning the
social determinants of health and the integration of science,
practice, and policy. Participants discussed the importance of
establishing links among biological and non-biological determinants
of health in a comprehensive framework. They discussed intervention
strategies and outcome measures as essential criteria for
eliminating health disparities and ensuring dissemination and
replication of knowledge. The meeting proposed research strategies
that will advance fundamental understanding of powerful social
determinants and health disparities and result in the
elimination of those health disparities. Dr. Bhattacharya was also
invited recently to attend a review meeting on comparative
effectiveness research (CER) products organized by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (USHHS). This meeting examined approaches that may
extend the reach and impact of CER products. It evaluated multiple
mechanisms to effectively reach underserved populations and increase
use of CER products. The meeting identified three broad primary
audiences: patients/consumers; clinicians, including
medical doctors and other health professionals; and policy
makers. Discussion of effective evaluation of outcome measures and
their validity were considered essential. Ensuring fidelity of the
process was emphasized. In particular, the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality highlighted its interest in learning
more about findings on what does not work or
what is culturally inappropriate for specific audiences and its
interest in taking
timely interventions/actions.
200 soldiers of 875th return to
Arkansas, ASU Nov. 5
Join the Arkansas National Guard to welcome 200 soldiers in
Jonesboro’s 875th Engineer Battalion home Friday, Nov. 5. Buses
carrying the soldiers are expected to arrive between 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
at ASU’s football stadium. Parking is available at the Convocation
Center. Of the 875th’s six companies, two were deployed, including
the 1036th Sapper Company of Jonesboro and the 1037th Mobility
Augmentation Company of Paragould. Members of the Arkansas Red Cross
will be located at the Indian Mall parking lot on Caraway Road
between 9 a.m.-12 noon to distribute American flags to the public to
wave in support as the soldiers arrive. About a year ago, the units
were deployed to Afghanistan to support Overseas Contingency
Operations to complete missions of clearing roads of improvised
explosive devices for the advancing coalition.
Indian Student Organization celebrates Diwali
Nov. 7
Diwali will be
celebrated Sunday, Nov. 7, beginning at 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall of
ASU's Student Union. This festival is sponsored by the Indian
Student Organization and is one of the biggest festivals of Hindus,
Sikhs, and Jains, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in
India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, where
the third day is celebrated as the main Diwali festival or 'Festival
of Lights'. Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always
associated with this festival. On this auspicious day, people light
up diyas (clay oil lamps) and candles all around their houses. They
perform Lakshmi
puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of
Lakshmi, the
Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. During Diwali, Indian homes
are cleaned and windows are opened to welcome the goddess Lakshmi,
and lamps, lights and candles are lit as a greeting to her. The
festival of Diwali is never complete without exchanges of gifts.
Gifts are exchanged and sweets and festive meals are prepared during
Diwali. The campus community is invited to join the festival and
learn more about Indian culture. For details, contact the
Multicultural Affairs Office at 680-4058.
University Singers to perform Nov. 8
The Department of Music at ASU will present the ASU
University Singers in concert on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in
Riceland Hall, Fowler Center. The University Singers are three different choirs--Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir,
and the University/Community Choir--under the direction of Dr. Dale
Miller, director of choral activities. The concert will feature
selections performed by each choir and a number by the combined choirs
with chamber orchestra. Selections will include “Liebe” by Franz
Schubert, “Swell the Full Chorus” by George F. Handel, “Minnelied”
by Johannes Brahms, “Sicut Cervus” by Rosephanye Powell,
“There Is Sweet Music Here” by Z. Randall Stroope, “The Prayer of
St. Francis” by Allen Pote, and “Paratum cor meum” by Johann Michael
Haydn as the concert's finale.
The concert is free and open to the public. For details, call the
Choral Office at ext. 3841.
or see the
NewsPage release for the full program and personnel.
Alstadt is final speaker in journalism series Nov. 8-9
Sandra (Sandy) R. Alstadt,
director of customer communications for Entergy Services, Inc., is
the final speaker in this semester's Joel Gambill Speakers' Series
for
Journalism. She will be on campus Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 8-9, at ASU's
College of Communications. Alstadt has a bachelor of science degree
in journalism/public relations from Arkansas State University
(1982). She has an associate of arts degree from Williams Baptist
College (1980). She is a graduate of the Little Rock Leadership
Institute (1996) and Leadership America, Inc. (1998), and she
currently serves on ASU's Journalism Department advisory board.
Alstadt joined the Entergy system in 1989 as a communications
specialist for Arkansas Power and Light. In 1996, she was named
director of utility operations communications for Entergy Services,
Inc. She currently serves as director of customer communications.
Her responsibilities include leading the company’s integrated
customer communications initiative, a multifaceted effort that seeks
to improve all of Entergy’s contacts with its customers. During
major storms, Alstadt serves as
Entergy’s communications command leader. The Entergy communications
team has been recognized with numerous national crisis
communications awards for their work following hurricanes Katrina
and Rita, which struck the Entergy service territory in 2005 and
hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which struck the Entergy service area in
2008. Alstadt was also named the “2006 Crisis Communicator of the
Year” by PR News. In 1998, she was named to the “Top 100 Women in
Arkansas” list by Arkansas Business. In 1999, the same publication
named her to their “Top 40 under 40” list. Williams Baptist College
awarded her Alumni of the Year in 2003. In 2010, she was selected as
one of 12 “Powerful Women” by AY Magazine. For details, contact
Dr. Gil Fowler, chair,
the Department of Journalism, at ext. 3075, or see the
NewsPage release.
Concert Orchestra to perform Nov. 9
The Department of Music at ASU will present
the ASU Concert Orchestra in performance on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in
Riceland Hall, Fowler Center. The orchestra is under the direction of
Dr. Neale Bartee. The concert is free of charge and open to the public.
The evening’s performance will include “March and
Procession of Bacchus” from the Ballet “Sylvia” by Leo Delibes, arranged
by Merle J. Isaac; “Sous le dome epais” from the Opera “Lakme” by Leo
Delibes, featuring Renee Porter Smith and Kari Rickman, soprano
soloists;” Carmen Suite No. 1” by Georges Bizet; “Overture in D minor”
from Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No.5 by George Frideric Handel, arranged by
Merle J. Isaac; “St. Paul’s Suite for String Orchestra,” Gustav Holst;
and “The Great Gate of Kiev” from Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest
Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Carl Simpson.
Donations may be made to the Orchestra fund or the Aileen Matthews
String Scholarship fund at the ASU Foundation, P.O. Box 1990, State
University, AR, 72467.
For details, contact the music
office at ext. 2094, or see the
NewsPage release for
personnel.
Customer Service workshops to
be held Nov. 9-10
ASU will be hosting a series of customer service workshops on
November 9 and 10 in response to some of the concerns cited in the
report issued last spring by the Taskforce on Constituent Services.
These workshops will be hosted by Jonesboro native
Ray Keller, who works
extensively in customer service training locally, throughout the
nation, and around the world. The workshops are being held in a
different location each day; note the specified location for the
workshop time. If you have forgotten which date and time you
registered to attend, e-mail
Terri Smith for
assistance. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend, including
student workers and part-time employees. Each session will last no
more than 75 minutes.
Register for the sessions online. The sessions will be held in
the Student Union Auditorium and the Convocation Center Auditorium.
On Tuesday, November 9, sessions are in the Student Union
Auditorium at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and
4 p.m. On Wednesday, Nov. 10, sessions are in the Convocation
Center Auditorium at 7:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., and 10 a.m.
Back to the top |