Sorensen Receives Tenure At SPH

Cancer prevention expert Glorian Sorensen received the tenure nod last month, when she was promoted to professor of health and social behavior at the School of Public Health (SPH).

The director of the Center for Community Based Research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Sorensen has been an associate professor at SPH for six years.

It is unusual for junior faculty members at SPH to be promoted so quickly said Karen M. Emmons, associate professor of health and social behavior in the Faculty of Public Health.

Of the small number of junior faculty who get tenure, most wait 11 years, she said.

Sorensen said the tenure decision was a validation of her work, which focuses on three major cancer prevention strategies--educating people about healthy behavior, reducing environmental exposure to carcinogens and improving cancer detection and screening.

Specifically, her work involves using thescientific method to examine programs and policiesthat prevent cancer in each of these ways,Sorensen said.

Emmons said Sorensen's tenure is even more ofan accomplishment because she is a woman.

Before Sorensen's tenure, 15.5 percent oftenured faculty at SPH were women, according toDirector of Equal Employment Opportunity MelaMartorano. In the University at large, that figureis about 9.7 percent, Martorano said.

In her research, Sorensen often works withvarious businesses and community organizations toget more women screened for breast cancer or fewerpeople to smoke. Acting Dean of SPH James H. Warepraised this aspect of her work.

"The partnerships she has forged betweenemployers and employees and within communities arecritical in helping people move beyond knowing abehavior is bad for them to actually doingsomething about it," he said.

Emmons said Sorensen is not only a dedicatedscholar, but an original thinker. "She's excellentat analyzing problems and coming up with creativesolutions, "Emmons said.

Sorensen said one of her most important ideasis "integrating health promotion and protection."

For example, cancer prevention strategies maybe more effective if workers at a factoryparticipate in programs to reduce smoking at thesame time that management removes carcinogens fromthe workplace, she said.

"Workers say, `Why should I quit smoking whenI'm breathing in all these fumes where I work ?"she said.

Currently, Sorensen is testing this idea at 15different sites in a program called Wellworks.

Besides mentoring graduate students, Sorensenteaches an eight-week course once a year.

"She is a terrific person. She's very balancedand a positive source of inspiration for studentswho come through," Emmons said

Specifically, her work involves using thescientific method to examine programs and policiesthat prevent cancer in each of these ways,Sorensen said.

Emmons said Sorensen's tenure is even more ofan accomplishment because she is a woman.

Before Sorensen's tenure, 15.5 percent oftenured faculty at SPH were women, according toDirector of Equal Employment Opportunity MelaMartorano. In the University at large, that figureis about 9.7 percent, Martorano said.

In her research, Sorensen often works withvarious businesses and community organizations toget more women screened for breast cancer or fewerpeople to smoke. Acting Dean of SPH James H. Warepraised this aspect of her work.

"The partnerships she has forged betweenemployers and employees and within communities arecritical in helping people move beyond knowing abehavior is bad for them to actually doingsomething about it," he said.

Emmons said Sorensen is not only a dedicatedscholar, but an original thinker. "She's excellentat analyzing problems and coming up with creativesolutions, "Emmons said.

Sorensen said one of her most important ideasis "integrating health promotion and protection."

For example, cancer prevention strategies maybe more effective if workers at a factoryparticipate in programs to reduce smoking at thesame time that management removes carcinogens fromthe workplace, she said.

"Workers say, `Why should I quit smoking whenI'm breathing in all these fumes where I work ?"she said.

Currently, Sorensen is testing this idea at 15different sites in a program called Wellworks.

Besides mentoring graduate students, Sorensenteaches an eight-week course once a year.

"She is a terrific person. She's very balancedand a positive source of inspiration for studentswho come through," Emmons said