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September 26, 2011vol xvii, number 9 Events Calendar Sept. 27-29 CGTC Teachers’ Workshop STT Sept. 29 Hispanic Heritage Panel STX Sept. 29 Healthy Homes Workshop STJ Sept. 29 Health and Wellness Day STT Oct. 20-21 Health Disparities Institute STT Oct. 29 Board of Trustees Meeting STX UVI Alumna and HIV Researcher, Returns 33. 3 million: The number of people world-wide liv­ ing with HIV, according to USAID 2009 statistics. One in eight: The number of people in the Virgin Islands es­ timated to be living with HIV in the mid 1990s. It was those last statistics that intrigued Dr. Delivette Castor to become an HIV/AIDS researcher. The 1997 UVI gradu­ ate recalled a program between UVI and the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas where, as a student, she assisted with testing blood samples for HIV. “This is my first time coming to the serology lab,” she explained. A battery of 32 tests was done. Four tested positive for HIV. “I was like wow! This is one in eight!” At that time public service announcements were being broadcast saying that one in eight people in the territory were infected, Dr. Castor said. Her data proved the sta­ tistic accurate. HIV continues to intrigue Dr. Castor. She went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree from the Universi­ ty of Alabama and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Colum­ bia University. She is the technical advisor in Epidemiol­ ogy and Biostatistics at the Bureau for Global Health at USAID. On Sept. 15, she was making her way across the campuses speaking on the topic, “Global Epidemiology of HIV.” Her research of HIV takes her to nations around the world where she studies the disease and designs trials of HIV prevention drugs. “I really valued my education here,” she said in an interview following her lecture to a Freshman Develop­ UVI Alumna Dr. Delivette Castor, left, speaks to a student about her HIV research fol­ lowing a lecture to his Freshman De­ velopment Semi­ nar class on Sept. 14, on the St. Thomas campus. See Dr. Castor on next page UVI Remembers 9/11 UVI commemorated the 10th Anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with ceremonies on the St. Thomas campus and Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Cro­ ix. Left, Kahlid Mat­ thew and Elvor Nar­ ciss of UVI’s ROTC Program salute the United States flag at the ceremony on St. Croix. Below, staff members wave their flags as they sing at the ceremony. Photos by Kevin Dixon Debra Thompson, left, was the 2011 State Star of the VI Small Business Devel­ opment Center (SBDC). Thompson, an administra­ tive specialist, was chosen by the VI SBDC for being an outstanding performer, making a major contribu­ tion to the VI SBDC pro­ gram, and showing a strong commitment to the growth of the network. She was recently honored on Sept. 6, in San Diego, Calif., at the America Small Business Development Center’s national conference. She is pictured with VI SBDC State Director Leonor D. Dottin and Associate Deputy Ad­ ministrator of the Small Business Administration Michael Chodos. GET CONNECTED TO UVI news, activities and accomplishments at . . . www.uvi.edu dateline: UVI 2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802 dateline: UVI is a production of the UVI Public Rela­ tions Office. Contact us by telephone at 340-693-1056 or by fax at 340-693-1055. CERC to Host Health Institute ment Seminar class. “When I went on to do my master’s (degree) is when I really realized how really prepared I was as a scientist-in-training,” she said, noting that she did not experience many of the academic pitfalls that she saw other students in her MPH program go through. She encouraged UVI students to have clear goals and a plan to achieve them, seek faculty support, be proactive about their education by asking questions, manage time wisely and maintain good grades. “I really enjoy what I do,” she said. “It’s a relevant in­ tersection of science and policy.” Dr. Castor’s visit and lectures were sponsored by UVI’s Emerging Caribbean Scientists programs. Dr. Castor continued The Caribbean Exploratory NIMHD Research Center for Excellence (CERC) at the University of the Virgin Islands School of Nursing is pleased to announce The Fourth Annual CERC Health Disparities Institute, scheduled for Oct. 20-21, at the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef on St. Thomas. The theme for this year’s institute is “Partnerships, Collaborations, and Models to Reduce Health Disparities in the USVI and the Caribbean.” The Institute is expected to attract public health sci­ entists, pharmacists, nurses, allied health professionals, physicians, social workers, health policy makers, health educators, researchers, and public and community health leaders with an interest in eliminating health disparities utilizing multidisciplinary approaches. A Donna M. Christensen Lecture Series was estab­ lished this year to recognize an individual or organization that promotes or improves the health of individuals, fam­ ilies, communities, or populations by addressing timely issues in health policy, treatment, research or advocacy. The lecture series is named for the Honorable Donna M. Christensen, a medical doctor and eight-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dr. Garth N. Graham is the inaugural Donna M. Christensen Lecturer. He is the deputy assistant secre­ tary for minority health in the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the Department of Health and Human Ser­ vices. In his role as deputy assistant secretary, Dr. Graham and the OMH develop and coordinate federal health pol­ icy that addresses minority health concerns and ensure that federal, state and local health programs take into ac­ count the needs of disadvantaged, racial and ethnic popu­ lations. For more information visit www.cercinstitute.org or call (404) 559-6191. SBDC Salutes State Star