So I’m really excited to announce that I was selected to be part of a new social media mentoring program at Purdue University (@mindofandre is my Twitter tag)! Thanks to the wonderful Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu, a professor focusing on new communication technologies, I will be partnering up with one of her graduate students to guide them along understanding the social media landscape. I have the honor of connecting with Jennifer Smock (@smocktweets on Twitter), a graduate student earning her Masters in Public Health (MPH). Jennifer’s interests focus on the use of new media to improve the field of public health, with her current research highlighting how the public feels about season flu and H1N1 vaccinations.
Especially within the context of social media, I want to emphasize the term partnership. Although it’s considered a mentoring program, I strongly feel that all of us are learning together regarding this new landscape. I am hardly a guru (or expert, specialist, or any other title that I feel misleads) but I do really enjoy learning everyday and am passionate about finding out how best to apply these new ideas to public health. I’ve been involved in one way or another with social networks and new media for a couple years now so I have an increased understanding and appreciation for what these tools can do.
So please feel free to check out Jenny’s blog, leave comments there and stay tuned for guest posts from her on what she is learning.
As I tell my young nieces and nephews – education is one of those things that no one can take away from you. It’s the universal key to success in life.
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Hello Andre! Thanks for the wonderful post! I am surpised on how much I have been learning since starting to navigate blogs and twitter. There are so many great sources of information out there, it makes me wonder where I have been all this time!
Thanks again for taking the time to mentor me through the world of social media!
The pleasure is absolutely all mine and I also hope that I can help Jenny as much as possible with any kinds of questions and I’m hoping to connect her with as many public health 2.0 folks as I know.
I really think this is going to be a success! Thanks again
Andre, thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this experiment. I hope it’s fun & fulfilling for both you and Jenny.
My view of social media is that it is a bit like a foreign country – and each city or state (Twitter, the blogosphere) has its own set of social norms & etiquette. As with travel, it is much easier to become an online citizen if you have someone to show you around.
Students find it very motivating and encouraging that someone from outside the university takes an interest in them.
I can’t thank you enough for adding much needed “real world” relevance to our learning this semester!
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