Eta Sigma Gamma initiation ceremony - November 4, 2011
Based out of Indiana, Eta Sigma Gamma is a National Health Education Honorary Society devoted to building partnerships between academia and the community by exposing students to health promotion and health education activities. Since 1967, over 100 chapters have dedicated efforts to providing professional development opportunities for public health students, while contributing to the betterment of their communities.
Student members and their faculty sponsors will be volunteering their time to the advancement of the three-prong mission of ESG to service, teaching and research. Service initiatives will be undertaken with local organizations, including the Saskatoon Food Bank, The Friendship Inn, and Lighthouse Supported Living. Grant and research opportunities, as well as access to its own peer-reviewed journals ESG Student Monograph and The Health Educator, provide opportunities for research achievements of student members and faculty to be widely publicized, allowing the University of Saskatchewan, School of Public Health to further contribute by addressing the wide scope of public health issues in our community, province, nation and around the world.
The goals of the honorary include:
From Left to Right: Dr. Allen Backman, Dr. Michael Szafron, Amy Thompson (ESG National President), Adeteju Bababunmi, Dr. Yelena Bird, Dr. Marwa Farag, Dr. John Moraros
“It is a pleasure to be the first president of the Epsilon Delta chapter of the ESG, University of Saskatchewan. We are also the very first in the whole of Canada. I am particularly thrilled to be working alongside my fellow Gammans that have shown remarkable dedication and enthusiasm in matters relating to the establishment of the chapter. The experience so far has been exciting, I have made many new friends, professional connections and enjoyed opportunities to brainstorm with the brightest minds of the School. I look forward to more years of service, teaching, and research.”
“I am delighted to act as the primary faculty sponsor for the first ever ESG chapter established in Canada. It is a unique honor and a historic occasion for our School of Public at the University of Saskatchewan and especially for our student body, reflective of Dr. Buckingham’s vision to enhance the reputation and internationalization of our School. Additionally, I want to express my appreciation and thanks to Drs. Backman, Bird, Farag and Szafron for their faculty commitment and support of our fledgling chapter. More importantly, I want to thank the outstanding students within the SPH for warmly embracing this great opportunity and accepting the challenge to establish an exemplary ESG chapter, the first of many on the international front. I am confident they will succeed!”
“As the national president of ESG, I am thrilled to have been part of the installation team for our first international chapter. Upon arriving at the University of Saskatchewan, I was thoroughly impressed by the commitment of the students, faculty and administration to create a strong student health honorary based on the valued tenets of teaching, service and research. During our officer and chapter meetings, as well as the actual installation, students demonstrated their strong leadership and organizational skills that I know will help them to develop a strong chapter. I am hopeful that participation in ESG will enhance their professional experiences and capacity to network in field of health education. I really enjoyed my first visit to Saskatoon and I hope to come and visit again in the near future and learn of the exciting research, prevention programs, and resources students are providing as a result of their membership in ESG. I would especially like to thank the faculty and students for making my visit so warm and enjoyable. I wish you the best of luck as you begin to develop your chapter.”
By Thilina Bandara, second year MPH student.
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