The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/643329
W I N T E R / S P R I N G U O F L M A G A Z I N E | 4 5 A sporting affair It took months of train- ing, dozens of phone calls and emails, a detailed application and countless hours of planning. But it was worth it. That's the conclusion drawn by a team of 17 faculty, staff and students who took part in a Col- lege of Education and Human Development international learning trip to the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada. The Aug. 4–16 journey was the college's f rst Canadian-based inter- national learning trip, said Oscar Aliaga, PhD, who heads the college's international learning programs. "The training started six months before we left and included getting hands-on experience at the National Wheelchair Basketball Championship held in Louisville last April," Aliaga said. The Parapan American Games follow the Pan American Games and are one of the world's largest sporting events for elite athletes with a disability, second only to the Para- lympics. The CEHD team members all were part of the Health and Sport Sciences Department. They volunteered during the wheelchair basketball competition which culmi- nated in USA gold medals for both the women's and men's teams. The gold medal victories were a highlight for the CEHD volunteers. Professor Anita Moor- man, a key organizer, said, "This was a great way for our students to immerse themselves in a learning experience with academic, cultural and community service elements." Another CEHD profes- sor who volunteered at the Parapan games was Mary Hums, a nationally recognized advocate for inclusiveness and equal opportunity in sports. She celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Ameri- cans with Disabilities Act last July at the White House, where she met President Obama and Vice President Biden. "It was a great honor for me and I was proud to represent the University of Louisville," Hums said. A C R O S S C A M P U S CDC grant helps UofL establish Youth Violence Prevention Research Center The University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS) received a $5.7 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a Youth Violence Prevention Research Center aimed at reducing violence among young people living in West Louisville. Intentional injury is the leading cause of death among 10-to-24-year-olds in Kentucky, and violent crime rates for West Louisville are signif cantly higher than surrounding areas. In 2014, there were 338 juvenile arrests for violent crimes in West Louisville, compared to 876 for the rest of the city of Louisville. "The CDC acknowledges youth violence as a preventable public health problem for individuals and communities," said President James Ramsey. "We are working to be part of the solution, as the Youth Violence Prevention Research Center builds on our Signature Partnership Initiative that reaches West Louisvillians and seeks to enhance their quality of life and economic opportunities, creating a healthier Kentucky." The Center is led by Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA, SPHIS associate professor and associate dean of public health practice, and Maury Nation, PhD, associate professor, Vanderbilt University Peabody College of Education and Human Development. Researchers and their partners will develop, implement and evaluate a community-level mass media and social media campaign to change social norms — unwritten, shared mores, rules and customs that affect behavior. The CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control recognizes UofL as one of only seven national Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND INFORMATION SCIENCES Monica Wendel, associate professor and associate dean of public health practice, speaks at a press conference announcing a $5.7 million grant from the CDC for youth violence prevention. COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT UofL representatives join USA athletes at the 2015 Parapan American Games.