Campus News

Campus Conversations: Public Health Creating Public Good

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 26, 2011) — When University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto talks about universities serving communities throughout the state, faculty in the College of Public Health deeply understand the sentiment.

They live it every day.

           

“Research and outreach conducted by our faculty and staff in the College of Public Health is solving some of the long-entrenched challenges facing Kentucky,” Capilouto said after meeting with faculty and staff in the college for three hours recently. “It is our job to foster a collaborative environment in all of our colleges that encourages research for Kentucky and ignites people’s passions for answering complex questions.”

For example, the College of Public Health’s statewide grant to improve colon cancer screening rates increased Kentucky’s screening rate by 100 percent, which decreased the number of people needing treatment and those needing advanced treatment because of early detection.

But more can be done, faculty told Capilouto, including better utilizing UK agricultural extension offices located in each of the state’s 120 counties to improve outreach and health education in all of Kentucky’s counties

To that end, in the campus conversation with Capilouto, faculty focused on three primary areas:

(1) Creating a healthy environment that promotes multidisciplinary research across colleges;

(2) Properly capturing and awarding the service and outreach our Public Health faculty (and many others) do on a regular basis; and

(3) Expanding the College of Public Health’s work on answering Kentucky’s difficult health questions.

Over the next several weeks, Capilouto is visiting every college on campus for in-depth conversations with faculty and staff leaders regarding the university’s future. Capilouto hopes the conversations help pave the way toward articulating a shared campus vision and agenda for the future. Capilouto meets with the UK Board of Trustees in early October for a two-day retreat to further discuss that agenda.

“The time I’m spending in our colleges and professional schools is about building a campuswide dialogue and listening to the ideas of our most innovative thinkers,” Capilouto said.  “My visit to the College of Public Health was productive and insightful — the people I met have great stories to share and ideas to implement.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Jay Blanton, (859) 257-6605, jay.blanton@uky.edu