Global health speakers set for October

Sara Pirtle

Presentations by global health and policy expert guest speakers for the interdisciplinary Global Health Seminar are now open to faculty, staff and students across the University of Nebraska system, said Martha Goedert, Ph.D., faculty coordinator of the seminar.

The presentations are held at 5:30 p.m. in the College of Public Health, Room 2001.

October speakers are:

Oct. 4: “Community-Based Primary Care Model, Global Perspective”

  • Armando De Alba, M.D., assistant professor, UNMC Department of Health Promotion, Social & Behavioral Health, has research expertise in health literacy and health disparities in Mexican communities.
  • Sara Pirtle, program manager, UNMC Department of International Health & Medical Education, is a long-time advocate of global health education and outreach. For more than 21 years she has led Central American Medical Spanish immersions and supported the Student Alliance for Global Health. In her presentation, “A Legacy of Learning and Service: Best practices for medical service trips,” Pirtle will describe how “best practices” are used to ensure respect, safety, sustainability and positive gain for all involved.
  • Fabio Almeda, Ph.D.,
    associate professor of health promotion in the UNMC College of Public Health, focuses his academic work on the elimination of health disparity and improvement of health outcomes across all borders to enhance quality of life.

Oct. 11: “Aqua-Africa and Engineers Without Borders — Nebraska Professional Chapter.”

  • Buey Tut, founder of Aqua-Africa, was born in South Sudan and immigrated with his family to the U.S. when he was 11. While attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he founded Aqua-Africa with plans to transform the way in which aid is administered to underdeveloped nations.
  • Dwight Hansen, a founding member of Engineers Without Borders-Nebraska Professionals, creates networks of cooperation between professional and student EWB chapters and has worked on water and sanitation issues in Uganda for more than nine years.
  • Susana Lizcano, Ph.D.,
    president of the state chapter of Engineers Without Borders, is senior director of shipment quality at Union Pacific Railroad. She is the lead for the Colombia water quality program in Malagana.

Oct. 18: “Early Childhood Development, Global Assessment and Mental Health China”

  • Hilary (Abbie) Raikes, Ph.D., assistant professor of health promotion in the UNMC College of Public Health, is a global expert on early childhood development and has created tools that assess children’s social and emotional development.
  • Peter Szto, Ph.D., is an associate professor and program chair of the Grace Abbot School of Social Work, University of Nebraska at Omaha. He recently conducted research into China’s mental health care policies and access to services.