Angela Ford, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Minority Health, Named to Statewide Panel on Physical Fitness and Sports

PITTSBURGH, June 7, 2005 — Angela Ford, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Minority Health of the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), has been named to the Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by Calvin B. Johnson, M.D., secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, on behalf of Gov. Ed Rendell.

The council assists the Commonwealth in developing new statewide programs that promote physical fitness and serve as an example for Pennsylvanians to be more active.

"These new members represent a variety of backgrounds - including sports, fitness and public health, and we have high expectations for them," Dr. Johnson said. "Physical activity is, and should be, an important part of everyone's life and it will be the responsibility of this council to emphasize that point to all Pennsylvanians."

Dr. Ford is one of 11 new appointments to the 15-member board, which include four other residents from the Pittsburgh region: Nicole Johnson-Baker, government affairs consultant, American Diabetes Association, Miss America 1999 and a student in GSPH’s department of behavioral and community health sciences; Chet Fuhrman, strength and conditioning coach, Pittsburgh Steelers; former Pittsburgh Steeler Dwight White, managing director, Mesirow Financial; and Leslie Sansone, owner/operator, Studio Fitness Center of New Castle. All terms are for two years.

The Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Sports was established by an executive order in 1976 and placed under the guidance of the Department of Health. The 15-member council is composed of individuals representing various sectors, including amateur and professional sports, business and industry, state and local governments, other state agencies, persons with special needs, public health, education, community recreational organizations, the medical profession and the general public.

CMH was established in 1994 with a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and is committed to taking a leading role in the nation's prevention agenda to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities as described in Healthy People 2010, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative. Details about the center can be found on the CMH Web site at www.cmh.pitt.edu. The telephone number of CMH is 412-624-5665.

Founded in 1948 and fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, GSPH is world-renowned for contributions that have influenced public health practices and medical care for millions of people. One of the top-ranked schools of public health in the United States, GSPH was the first fully accredited school of public health in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with alumni who are among the leaders in their fields. The only school of public health in the nation with a chair in minority health, GSPH is a leader in research related to women's health, HIV/AIDS and human genetics, among others.