On the Road with CBMH

Smith Robertson Museum, Jackson, MS

The Smith Robertson Museum, in collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council and JSU's Margaret Walker Center, is celebrating the narrative histories of the state's African American Midwives. CBMH faculty had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion and reception Dec. 17, 2016, which is the first of three public events scheduled for this historical overview and recognition. The CBMH looks forward to the next events of this series in March and September of 2017.

First Tuesday, Brookhaven, MS

In collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council's First Tuesday Program, CBMH Director, Ralph Didlake spoke at the Brookhaven Public Library on Oct. 4, 2016. A small but engaged group of library patrons, staff, and community members discussed many of the ethical issues surrounding food, its production, its consumption, and cultural importance.

American Public Health Association Meeting, Denver, CO

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, CBMH Project Manager, Amani Bailey and fellow doctoral student Yalanda Barner presented their poster “A Focus Group Study to Assess the Doctoral Program of Public Health at Jackson State University” at the Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

The poster, well received by conference attendees, was an outgrowth of a classroom assignment on focus group conduction. Student perceived strengths of the DrPH program at Jackson State University included engaged faculty, a nurturing environ, and program uniqueness. Students recommended increased research opportunities in a variety of public health to strengthen the program.

Municipal & Justice Court Training, Biloxi, MS

On Aug. 24, 2016, Amani Bailey, CBMH Project Manager, facilitated a Poverty Simulation at the Office of Public Defender (OPD) Municipal and Justice Court Training in Biloxi, MS. Jo Anne Fordham, CBMH Assessment and Research Coordinator, lent her expertise and manned one of the 13 stations that participants visit during the course of the simulation.

Approximately 50 members of the legal community participated in the simulation in order to better understand the financial struggles many of their clients may face and how those struggles, coupled with the stress of needing legal representation affects their clientele.

The post-simulation debrief sessions were robust as participants discussed the vicious cycle of debt resulting from unpaid fines, the need for sentencing reform, and possible mechanisms through which clients can be served in a more streamlined manner.

MS Academy of Sciences Meeting, University of Southern Mississippi

The 80th meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences was held Feb. 18-19, 2016, in Hattiesburg, MS. Hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, this year's meeting was one of the largest ever with over 750 registrants.

CBMH summer research students, Rachel Sharp, Jedd Autry, Lauren Williamson and Mary Ball Markow presented a panel discussion on “The Lost Art of Medicine: Archiving as Novel Learning Experience.” This work was based on their two years of work cataloging the Michael Schenk collection in the Rowland Medical Library. This collection of 3,137 images represents Schenk's 30-year career as medical illustrator at UMMC. In their presentation, the students wove together the history of biomedical illustration, the evolution of technology, and philosophical observations on the role of the image in medical education.

CBMH Director Ralph Didlake delivered the keynote address at this meeting focusing on professionalism in science. The address was sponsored by the Mississippi InBre program, which works to build a biomedical research infrastructure in Mississippi, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Stop the Drop - A Dropout Prevention Summit

MPB holds a yearly summit, bringing educators, parents and students together for an in-depth look at the dropout crisis in Mississippi. The summit aims to educate parents and educators on dropout prevention methods, engage their students, and focus on getting students to not only graduate, but to become productive members of the community. Students share their stories, discussing factors that impact the decision to stay in school and engage each other and the community in the search for a solution to the dropout crisis.

Center Director Ralph Didlake served as a panelist along with industry leaders, education advocates and representatives of the arts community who addressed the importance of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) for Mississippi's workforce.