UWM names founding dean of Zilber School of Public Health
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) announced that Magda Peck will become the founding dean of the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, effective March 1, 2012.
Peck, a nationally recognized expert in maternal and child health, comes to UWM from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where she is professor of pediatrics and public health and associate dean for community engagement and public health practice. Peck’s areas of expertise include preventive care and public health for women and children, and the translation of science into effective programs and policies.
“Dr. Peck brings to UWM and Milwaukee more than 20 years of experience in transforming research and data into action,” said UWM Chancellor Michael Lovell. “Her prior work at the local, state, national and international levels, particularly on issues impacting women and children, is an excellent fit with the public health needs of Milwaukee and Wisconsin.”
Peck serves as a member of the Select Panel on Preconception Care with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), helping shape national recommendations on the care of women before pregnancy. In addition, she serves on the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Preventive Services for Women, and she is consulting with several urban communities on reducing infant mortality.
She is the founding CEO and senior adviser of CityMatCH (www.citymatch.org), a national public health organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of women, children and families in urban communities.
Her proven record of working in partnership with other urban public health organizations also make her a good fit for UWM, Chancellor Lovell added.
The Zilber School of Public Health works in partnership with several organizations, including the City of Milwaukee Health Department and the Medical College of Wisconsin. A key initiative of the school and its partners is reducing the infant mortality rate in Milwaukee.
Medical College chair elected to Institute of Medicine
Dr. Stephen Hargarten, chairman and professor of the department of emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, has been elected to the National Academy’s Institute of Medicine. Hargarten is one of 65 physicians or scientists from the United States to be elected. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
“Dr. Hargarten is one of the world’s leading researchers on injury prevention and has brought great distinction to his department and MCW through this work and his excellence in the other missions of the College. His election to the Institute of Medicine is an incredible honor that is well-deserved,” said Dr. Joseph Kerschner, interim dean and executive vice president of the Medical College.
Hargarten is the director of the Medical College’s Injury Research Center and serves as associate dean of the Global Health Program. He has received numerous awards in recognition for teaching excellence, research in injury prevention, and public service. He is the founding president of the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research, and a past president of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine, as well as having served on many expert committees and advisory task forces. “I am deeply honored to have received this recognition, and look forward to contributing to the Institute of Medicine’s many important initiatives,” said Hargarten, when he learned of his election.
