UPDATE : : the ghec newsletter


	Editor's Note
	Welcome to GHEC's first electronic version of "Update," GHEC's newsletter! Heartfelt thanks to Sara Pirtle and Don Wedemeyer for past efforts to produce a printed newsletter but as the IT age evolves we all know the merits of the electronic route — easier to prepare, review, disseminate and store, and less expensive. And a very special thanks to GHEC's Executive Officer, Karen Lam, for the fine way she has put together and illustrated this newsletter! Without her inspired help and webmaster abilities the newsletter would be drab indeed. We hope this edition will have something for everyone and by preserving it in GHEC's archives, it will have enduring value.

	Some highlights:			(right to left): Newsletter editor Tom Hall with wife Liz McLoughlin on their summer escape.

David Zakus, GHEC's president, outlines his views for the future.

Lead article.
Jacqui Shaw, a returning Child Family Health International alumna, makes a strong case for "professionalism" in overseas work. While this would seem obvious, students and sometimes faculty may behave in ways that can have serious negative consequences for their work and ultimately, for the impressions that foreign hosts develop of those who have come to learn and help.

In the Spotlight!
Past and present GHEC presidents and several others involved in interesting programs have provided us with brief sketches of their activities. Over time we hope this newsletter section will bring alive the passions, experiences, personalities and peregrinations of many of our members and thus enrich our global health network. If you’d like to have the light shine on you, send us your information and if possible, a picture that captures (or captivates) your soul.

Breaking New Ground.
New GH Centers and Units. Cindy Haq ( Univ. of Wisc./Madison), Jay Kravitz (Oregon Health and Science Univ.), and Gary Snyder (Ohio State Univ. College of Medicine) are involved in creating new GH centers and programs. We have asked them to share their observations on this challenging task and hope future newsletters will expand on this theme.

Classics Revisited.
Ron Pust and Jeff Heck published an article in 1993 reflecting the national consensus at that time on the desirable content of IH courses. This article is re-printed along with their thoughts about what they might change if writing it again today.

Happenings.
Programs and Events. Very successful GH conferences were held in Omaha and Wake Forest, the latter completely organized by students. Lots of good ideas “lessons” for others who would like to organize a conference.

Regrettably, it will take some time to generate enough input from and for students to make the newsletter useful for them, but this development is certainly in our plans.

So, read, enjoy, send us your suggestions for improvement (both regarding content and presentation), and we hope you'll contribute material for the future. Next edition, targeted for early April 2006, pre-conference.

Tom Hall
Editor
Executive Director, GHEC