Health and Medical Geography

The GEOMED Conference (in-person) has been postponed one year, but this year will include a series of remote talks and workshops (see link below).

Melinda S. Meade Distinguished Scholarship Award in Health and Medical Geography

Nominations Deadline: March 1, 2021

The Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group (HMGSG) of the AAG is accepting nominations for the Melinda S. Meade Distinguished Scholarship Award in Health and Medical Geography. The Award seeks to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancements of health and/or medical geography research. Contributions recognized by the Award are broadly conceived, including contributions to all specializations and perspectives in health and/or medical geography.

Recipients of the Award will be invited to present a Special Award Session of HMGSG at the AAG annual meeting the year after receiving the Award.

• Susan Elliott, University of Waterloo (2020)
• Michael Emch, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2019)
• Robin Kearns, University of Auckland (2018)
• Mark Rosenberg, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario (2017)
• Mei-Po Kwan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)
• Sara McLafferty, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2015)

If you are interested in nominating a person for this award, please submit a nomination letter documenting the nominee’s contributions to and impact on health and/or medical geography and a copy of the nominee’s CV, preferably in PDF format, to Kevin Matthews (kev.matthews@outlook.com). Nominations will be evaluated by the HMGSG board. Nominees do not have to be members of HMGSG.

Dear HMGSG Members,

As we are preparing the Fall 2020 Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group (HMGSG) Newsletter, we would like to support our members by allowing you to highlight any achievements during this past year. Given the productivity of our members, please limit yourself to two achievements per category, items published, or awards received between January 2020 to the present.
 
Please submit newsletter items through this Google form. The submission call will be closed on December 20, 2020, at 5:00PM.

If you have any questions regarding the Fall 2020 Newsletter submissions, please contact Fikriyah Winata (fwinata2@illinois.edu)
Thank you so much and we are looking forward to receiving your submission.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Rural Immigration and Health

Description of duties:

The Post-doctoral Fellow will work with a multi-disciplinary research team at the University of Toronto Mississauga, the University of Waterloo, and the Newcomer Centre of Peel to examine the health impacts of rural settlement among highly skilled immigrants. Research foci include factors affecting settlement, integration and retention, welcoming communities, and the social determinants of health. The PDF will be responsible for daily project management, recruitment of research participants, collection and analysis of data, supervision of research assistants, and dissemination of research findings.

Working Hours:

The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work.

Annual Salary: $50,000
Supervisor and Academic Unit: Kathi Wilson, UTM Department of Geography, Geomatics, and

Environment

Required qualifications:

A recently awarded PhD (i.e., within 5 years) in Geography, Planning, Immigration Studies, or related discipline is required at the time of appointment. Lived experience or knowledge of immigrant experiences in Canada is considered an asset. Candidates are expected to have expertise in qualitative research methods, immigration research, and/or social determinants of health. A strong publication record is expected.

Application instructions

Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and sample publications to be submitted as a single PDF to kathi.wilson@utoronto.ca with subject line “PDF in Rural Immigration and Health”. Applicants should also ask three referees to send letters of reference directly via email kathi.wilson@utoronto.ca. All application materials, including letters of reference, must be received by December 9, 2020. If you have questions about this position, please contact Professor Kathi Wilson (kathi.wilson@utoronto.ca).

Term: 1 year (January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021) FTE: 100%

Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement. This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact kathi.wilson@utoronto.ca. 

PDF Rural Immigration and Health

Closing Date: December 9, 2020 

Provide data and statistical analysis support for a research team focused on health equity and social justice at the intersection of public health and geography. Team research foci include disparities in cancer, COVID-19, cardiovascular conditions, and stress/well-being among diverse populations. Collaborate on study design; data collection, management and analysis; interpretation of results; preparation of data summaries and reports and publication and communication of research findings. Investigate and resolve problems. Direct and/or check the work of other staff and students. Work as part of a multi-project team with diverse community and academic partners.

See: https://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_medcollegewi/external_staff/gateway.do?functionName=viewFromLink&jobPostId=17282&localeCode=en-us

Primary Functions

Preferred Schedule:

Position Requirements:

Specifications

Appropriate education and/or experience may be substituted on equivalent basis

Minimum Required Education: Master’s Degree

Minimum Required Experience: 1 year

Preferred Experience: 3 years

Field: biostatistics; statistics; data science; social sciences; health sciences

Knowledge – Skills – Abilities

Knowledge of mathematics, databases, computing, data security, documentation, records management, biology/health sciences, and social sciences

Abilities in data utilization, complex problem solving, critical thinking, troubleshooting, resource management, writing, listening and collaborating.

Essential skills: Highly skilled in R programming including Markdown and packages focused on epidemiologic and spatial data analysis. Skills in conceptualization, design, composition and production of complex data visualizations to clearly communicate analytic findings. Skills in manipulating complex databases and undertaking statistical analyses, including statistical modeling. Strong critical thinking, analytical, problem solving and trouble shooting skills. Highly accurate, detail oriented and organized. Clear, efficient and thoughtful written and verbal communication. Strong interpersonal skills and a team player. Responsible and dependable with attention to deadlines and skills in time management. Motivated, creative, and ready to learn new things. Skill in handling multiple competing priorities.

Desired skills: Specialized skills in statistical analysis and computer programming in any of the following areas: structural equation modeling, mixed effects modeling, mediation analysis, spatial modeling, web-based mapping. Software and programming experience may include: STATA, Esri Arcmap, Tableau, python, Leaflet, PostgreSQL, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, Bootstrap, PHP, QGIS, PostGIS, Mapserver, Openlayers, Geoserver, R Shiny.

About MCW

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is one of the largest healthcare employers in Wisconsin. We are a distinguished leader and innovator in the education and development of the next generation of physicians, scientists, pharmacists and health professionals; we discover and translate new knowledge in the biomedical and health sciences; we provide cutting-edge, collaborative patient care of the highest quality; and we improve the health of the communities we serve.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

We would love to see a wide array of applications to the position below, despite the short timeline.  It is a nice opportunity to conduct independent research and get a little teaching experience in the company of great colleagues (more like a fellowship than a usual postdoc). 

The Departments of Women’s and Gender Studies and Geography at the University of New Hampshire invite applications for a two-year postdoctoral joint appointment to start in fall 2021.  Candidates should have expertise in feminist or gender geographies from an African American, Indigenous, Africana, Latinx, Asian American, or transnational perspective.  Applicants should hold a doctoral degree in Geography by July 1 or otherwise identify as a Geographer. The candidate should demonstrate interest in interdisciplinary research collaboration, be committed to diversity and social justice in research and teaching, and show promise of scholarly excellence as well as enthusiasm for undergraduate teaching. The teaching load is one course per year with remaining time devoted to independent research and professional development. The successful candidate will be invited to apply for a tenure track position to begin following the second year of the two-year post-doc. As a tenure track faculty member, it is possible to recruit graduate students though interdisciplinary degree programs.

This hire is part of a campus-wide effort to increase diversity among our faculty and students.  Our Women’s and Gender Studies and Geography Departments have a track record of leadership in this regard.  The University of New Hampshire supports a learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue goals with mutual respect and a shared spirit of inquiry. Please apply online using our PACES program. Instructions are available at https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/37367

The Provost’s Office has set an application deadline of November 16 for the following materials, though we can accept late submission of missing materials from substantially completed applications.

• Cover letter addressed to Executive Director of Engagement and Faculty Development
• Curriculum vitae
• A statement of research plans (2-3 pages)
• A personal statement of your commitment to diversity and equity in your discipline (1–3 pages)
• Writing samples (one or two examples, 30 page cumulative maximum, e.g. article, chapter, dissertation chapter)
• Contact information for 2-3 references to provide confidential letters of recommendation.

Our departments encourage you to address your teaching experience and philosophy in either your diversity or research statement.

The University seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented groups is encouraged. 

FROM: Stan Brunn, Geography, Univ of Kentucky

I am editing a book on the impacts of COVID-19 in different countries where the chapters will address different topics, including diffusion, gender, racial and ethnic differences, national policies and local/regional impacts.  I am looking for original chapters on the following topics:

A research opportunity is currently available in Division of Population Health within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

Throughout the course of this fellowship, the participant will collaborate in a small area estimation project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the CDC Foundation. The project is an expansion of the current 500 Cities Project (www.cdc.gov/500cities) and will provide nationwide model-based estimates for a variety of chronic diseases and health-related behavior measures at small geographic area levels, such as county, incorporated place, census tract, and ZIP Code tabulation area.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will have opportunities to gain experience in advanced spatial epidemiological and statistical studies. Activities may include but are not limited to:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis. The final deadline is 11/23/2020.

Please contact Dr. Yan Wang (xxm4@cdc.gov) or Dr. Susan Carlson (clo3@cdc.gov) if you have any questions about this fellowship.

The opportunity details can be found:
https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/CDC-NCCDPHP-2020-0245

On behalf of Susan Elliot

My name is Susan Elliott and I am a health geographer in Canada (https://uwaterloo.ca/geographies-of-health-in-place/) and I have an internship – fully paid – for an international student to come work in my lab during the summer of 2021 (God willing!).

This is the link to the opportunity – students are eligible from 70 countries around the world, including the US.

Globalink Research Internship (GRI) provides a 12-week research project at Canadian universities for senior undergraduates from around the world, as well as:

• Stipend for living expenses
• Professional development courses
• Local Globalink Mentors

Interested students can apply until September 23, 2020, at 1 p.m. PT. Application instructions can be found on the GRI page.

All the best,

Susan Elliott

Hi everyone,

On behalf of AAG, the Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group, and the Asian Geography Specialty Group, I would like to announce two virtual COVID-19 panels that will be held next week.  Each panelist will speak for 5 minutes, followed by a Q&A.  We hope you can join!

Panel 1: Socio-economic Burdens and Policy Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 6th – 12:30 PM / 2:00 PM (MDT)
Description: Reactive policies to manage the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging impacts on the social and economic burdens faced by populations worldwide. This panel will discuss the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on economic and public health outcomes.

Participants:
Dr. Irene Casas (Lousiana Tech University)
Dr. Joseph Oppong (University of North Texas)
Dr. Jonathan Mayer (University of Washington)
Dr. Jung Won Sonn (University College London)
Dr. Eric Carter (Macalester College)
Dr. Michael Emch (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Dr. Michael Widener (University of Toronto)

Panel 2: Data & Methodological Challenges for the Geospatial Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 10th – 8:00 AM / 9:30 AM (MDT)
Description: Geographers and spatial scientists can play a vital role in understanding COVID-19. However, current research is likely to be data driven due to the fluidity of the pandemic. This panel will discuss the data and methodological challenges that we currently face in spatially-explicitly studies of COVID-19.

Participants:
Dr. Mei-Po Kwan (Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Dr. Michael Desjardins (Johns Hopkins University)
Dr. Xun Shi (Dartmouth College)
Dr. Meifang Li (Dartmouth College)
Dr. Eric Delmelle (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Dr. Sadie Ryan (University of Florida)
Dr. Tzai-Hung Wen (National Taiwan University)