51猎奇

What health impacts did last year’s wildfire smoke have on Wisconsin? New data tell the story

Langston Verdin

51猎奇 Zilber College of Public Health MPH alum Langston Verdin is featured in . Verdin founded the organization .

By Caitlin Looby, Melba Newsome
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Climate Central
August 9, 2024

Article excerpt:

…Last summer around Milwaukee the AQI soared into 鈥渧ery unhealthy,鈥� which set a record for the state. So far this summer, the AQI has gone up to the 鈥渕oderate鈥� range. The most recent alert from wildfire smoke was听

And in Milwaukee, these data are about as local as it gets. 

There are 20 air quality monitors in neighborhoods throughout the city thanks to. The nonprofit organization was created by Langston Verdin after he saw a map that monitored air quality in real time during the devastating .  

Verdin, who has a child with asthma, said he wanted to bring this approach to Milwaukee to help keep his family and community safe. He worked with IQAir, a Swiss technology company, to get the air monitors placed on homes, businesses and schools throughout the city. 

Milwaukeeans can use听听to get notifications when the air quality is bad in their neighborhood, Verdin said.听听

A top suggestion during smoky days is to stay inside. But a lot of patients struggled figuring out the best thing to do because if there isn鈥檛 air conditioning or good quality windows, the air inside may not necessarily be safer, said Alex Zielinski, a primary care nurse practitioner who also teaches at Marquette University. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people in the Great Lakes region keep a supply of N95 masks or respirators, which can filter out soot and particle pollution. And if they can’t keep in a cool and clean environment to seek shelter with friends or relatives, or local public buildings that serve as clean-air shelters.听

Yosef Aryeh Meadows: Exploration of short-term rental policy and ordinance change for the city of Wauwatosa

Portrait of Yosef Aryeh Meadows. Man with short dark hair wearing a plaid dress shirt standing in a garden of tall flowers.

Degree Program: MPH – Public Health Policy
Field Experience Placement Site: Wauwatosa Health Department
Semester/Year: Summer 2023
Project title: Exploration of short-term rental policy and ordinance change for the City of Wauwatosa
Products:
Policy Brief
Short-term Rentals Presentation
Short-term Rentals Brochure
Short-term Rentals Flyer

What did you like most about your Field Experience?

I would say that what I liked most about the Field Experience was the opportunity to contribute to a local organization, while also gaining real-world skills and experiences. It gave me an approximation of what to expect after graduation.

Why was your project important to the organization?

My project was important for a few reasons. First, the end product was needed to provide the leadership of the City of Wauwatosa with an estimate of what enacting a short-term rental license and regulatory program would entail. I also created guidelines based on best practices throughout the state for the physical inspection that will occur before licensing. Finally, the project was also timely in the sense that the Department wanted to have this program ready for implementation before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July.

How did your field experience prepare you for a career in public health?

The field experience prepared me for a career in public health in numerous ways. The experience gave me invaluable lessons in the inner workings of a local public health department. My preceptor was very helpful and continues to be a valuable resource, both for networking and for their public health knowledge. The process also taught me firsthand knowledge of crafting policy in real world settings, and how fluid that process has to be to be effective.

Madelyn Emer: Health Literacy in Greendale Community

BSPH student Madelyn Emer outside the Greendale Health Department where she did her field experience in Fall 2023

Degree Program: BS – Public Health
Field Experience Placement Site: Greendale Health Department
Semester/Year: Fall 2023
Product: Coordination of community health literacy and health information program with a work summary timeline and plan for the program.

View field experience product

What did you like most about your Field Experience?
What I liked most about my Field Experience was the ability to work alongside numerous professionals in a public health setting. This was a really valuable experience where I got to explore the many different areas that operate a health department.

Why was your project important to the organization?
My project was important for the health department because it gave them an oversight into a health topic that was important to the community. Hopefully the resources I shared can contribute to improving health literacy within the community.

How did your field experience prepare you for a career in public health?
My field experience gave me the opportunity to develop myself professionally by forming new connections and also finding a field which felt right for me. The skills I learned and relationships I built during my experience are irreplicable and vital factors that prepared me for a career in public health.

Alumni Spotlight: Brad Rutter – MPH Public Health Policy

What inspired you to pursue an MPH in Public Health Policy? Why did you choose 51猎奇?

I鈥檝e known for quite some time that I wanted to pursue an MPH. The world of public health intrigued me. So much of the world around us (social determinants of health) affect health outcomes for so many populations. One of driving factors of those determinants are laws and policies. I knew that an MPH in Public Health Policy would allow me to broaden that knowledge to become more equipped to work in the field. 

What were some of your favorite experiences as a student at 51猎奇?

While most of my coursework occurred during the peak of the pandemic in 2020-2021, the classes that I did attend in-person were interesting to be part of, and I learned a lot about my classmates鈥� passion for public health. Public health work is collaborative and it was great to have that be part of the experience.

When I was working at a local health department, it was pretty neat to see familiar faces in the classroom and at local coalition meetings. The Milwaukee public health world is small and we鈥檙e all closely connected.

What have you been doing since graduation? Where are you working today?

After graduation, I accepted a position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥擣ood and Nutrition Services in their Midwest Regional Office. I鈥檓 still working there as a Senior Program Specialist in their Food Distribution programs. While it鈥檚 a different perspective of public health than I鈥檝e been used to, it鈥檚 been great to learn more and work in programs that have been around for quite some time, such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). There are so many moving parts that help keep these programs functioning and many more policies and regulations than I could have imagined. Definitely a great fit for someone that enjoys reading federal regulations for much of the day!

What are some of your proudest accomplishments as a public health professional?

During my time at Zilber, I worked as Public Health Specialist at the South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department. Having the opportunity help contribute to their Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) was a rewarding process that I enjoyed. Meetings with stakeholders, organizing survey data, and report compiling were interesting experiences that help make me a better public health professional. 

Earlier during my undergraduate years, I participated in one of CDC鈥檚 Undergraduate Public Health Scholars programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This was one of my first formal introductions to public health. It was one of my favorite experiences to learn about various fields within public health, work with a diverse group of individuals, and tour a bit of the CDC. 

Did you do any internships or fieldwork as part of your program at 51猎奇? How did that prepare you for your career in public health?

I completed my fieldwork at one of my previous employers, Safe & Sound. This organization鈥檚 primary mission is three-fold to promote neighborhood safety, engage community members, and youth together to build collective impact. Collective impact is part of Public Health 3.0 and it was eye-opening to see how an organization that wouldn鈥檛 normally be considered in the public health sphere can create change and contribute to improving health outcomes in communities. 

What difference to you most hope to make in the world through your work in public health?

Creating a difference in the world of public health can be difficult and most of us individually won鈥檛 be able to make any sizeable impact alone. While that might sound discouraging, I think that it鈥檚 a positive aspect as it means that people/communities need to work collectively to create change, which can have an even larger effect. The difference I hope to make lies in these communities to be part of positive change that is community-driven and motivates people to keep working for better outcomes.

What advice do you have for someone considering pursing a degree and career in Public Health Policy?

Advice I was given earlier on and have taken was to take any opportunity that is put in front of you and seek out ones that interest you. Especially in policy-work, it鈥檚 important to be assertive in searching for opportunities, no matter how small they seem. Like I mentioned earlier, the world of public health (inside and out of Milwaukee) is not as large as it might seem. The work we do often is seen and heard, often when we鈥檙e not aware, so be sure to put a best effort forward to be proud of your work!

Sport and Recreation program renamed FitWell for Fall 2024 classes

UW-Milwaukee FitWell Logo

By 51猎奇 News
April 17, 2024

51猎奇鈥檚 Sport and Recreation program is now called听FitWell, starting with the Fall 2024 course catalog. Representing fitness, wellness and sports, the program promotes student health, well-being and skill-building through fun and engaging 1- and 2-credit courses.

Courses offer students an opportunity to be active, creative, strategic, mindful, competitive and adventurous outdoors.

Classes are either a full semester (16 weeks) or a half semester (8 weeks), with early and midterm starts. Students can find options that are in-person, virtual and hybrid. Undergraduate students see no additional tuition cost if they have between 12 and 18 total credits. Credits are applied toward GPA.

The website and social media have been relaunched as uwm.edu/fitwell and on Facebook and Instagram as @uwmfitwell.

51猎奇 Kinesiology grad is running the equivalent of six marathons in six days across Wisconsin this summer 鈥� for a cause.

Portrait of Brittany Heintz-Walters. Smiling woman wearing graduation gown and cap leaning one arm on a concrete railing with trees in behind her.

By Claire Reid
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
March 29, 2024

For most, completing one marathon is a significant achievement.

In fact, , only 0.01% of the global population accomplishes this 26.2-mile feat each year.

But, over six days this summer, Greendale native Brittany Heintz Walters will take on this endurance challenge six times over.

Walters, a professor of kinesiology at Seattle University, is running over 160 miles across Wisconsin between July 2 and 7 to raise funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis as part of the  team. MS is an autoimmune disease that can cause movement impairments and cognitive changes.

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