Public Health Practice Award
Applications are now being accepted for the AAPHP Public Health Practice Award to support a student-led public health project. This project may include the practicum, or some other intervention, research and/or evaluation project conducted in a mutually beneficial partnership with a community partner (defined as an educational, governmental or non-governmental organization). Activities used to complete the requirements for a thesis or internships may be eligible. Examples of how funds can be used include (although this list is not exhaustive): purchase supplies or technical expertise for the project; provide incentives for research participation; cover travel costs for disseminating the findings; or support the awardee directly.
Three Scholarships Available:
- One scholarship to support an undergraduate student project ($500).
- Two scholarships to support graduate student projects ($1000 each).
Student eligibility requirements:
- Enrolled in a public health degree program in an AAPHP member or affiliate institution.
- Completed at least 15 graduate semester units or 22.5 quarter units and are in excellent academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0 for undergraduate students and 3.5 for graduate students ).
- Are currently approved by their program to conduct a community engaged project or thesis.
- Are currently conducting or will begin the planned project by February 1, 2021
Only one scholarship will be awarded per program.
Applications and supporting documents must be submitted to AAPHP by December 31, 2020. Scholarship awards will be announced by January 28, 2021.
2020 Scholarship Awardees
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Rae-Ann Santos - San Jose State University
Abstract Rae-Ann Santos is finishing her B.S. in Public Health / Health Services Administration at San Jose State University in May 2020. As a Filipino-Hawaiian born and raised in Union City, California, she is involved in various health projects at SJSU and in Santa Clara County. Volunteering with the Global Public Health Brigades in Honduras sparked her passion for working with marginalized communities. Her current work on the RTS project is aimed at shifting the paradigm of student success at the institutional and policy level. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering in her community. Rae-Ann's current work is a participatory evaluation of a digital storytelling intervention aimed at supporting marginalized college students’ resilience. This intervention grows out of a yearlong Resilience Through Story collaboration between students and faculty to develop a set of digital stories showcasing many different challenges students face ranging from depression to discrimination to financial hardship to the death of a loved one. During the intervention, we will screen these stories to undergraduate students and conduct a mixed-methods participatory evaluation to understand the short and medium-term impact of witnessing these stories on self-esteem, sense of belonging, and community norms. |
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Henry Okorie Ugorji - Ensign College of Public Health
Abstract Henry Okorie Ugorji has a background as a Physician Assistant and is currently doing his Masters in Public Health at the Ensign College of Public Health in Kpong-Ghana. He represented Ghana as a youth delegate at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) at Nairobi-Kenya in 2019 and interned with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana. He has an interest and passion in topics like Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Epidemiology, Global Health, Occupational Health, etc. Henry Okorie's vision is to one-day, help strengthen the public health systems in Ghana, Africa and across the world. Henry Okorie's study is aimed to assess the quality of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care, young people receive in Lower Manya Krobo Municipality. The Specific Objectives are: A) To determine how long pregnant women, receive emergency obstetric care at the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality B) To ascertain how long it takes pregnant women to move from referral linics, CHPS compound, and Health Centers to the referred hospital and C)To determine whether the emergency obstetric and newborn facilities have the appropriate equipment and supplies at the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality. Expected outcome: Aiding healthcare facilities especially in Ghana, to improve EmONC facilities and make it friendly to young people; in averting preventable maternal and neonatal mortality which is most prevalent within this group. |
2019 Recipients
Julia Ausmus - University of Nevada, Reno
Abstract
The goal of Julia Ausmus' thesis project is to develop a community health education program for the indigenous people living within the Ayacucho Village, Loreto, Peru. This program will focus on providing health education including topics of: nutrition, hygiene, and basic first aid. It will be administered by providing educational classes to the women's cooperative and providing basic supplies and resources needed dissemination. Once trained, the members then will teach their community. This project will be completed in collaboration with Nevada Building Hope Foundation (NBHF) which has been working in the area for many years.
Nneze Eluka - University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Abstract
The purpose of Nneze Eluka's dissertation study is to understand community health worker (CHW) strategy selection and implementation for refugee health access, and their handling of barriers encountered during the process. This study is important because refugees are a marginalized population and CHWs are trusted public health workers who share the same language and culture and thus help connect refugees to healthcare through culturally appropriate strategies. Using a constructive grounded theory lens, Nneze will explore CHW experiences specific to connecting refugee communities to the healthcare system. She will collect data through individual in-depth interviews and a demographic profile questionnaire with a purposeful sample of 10 CHW participants. Nneze will use knowledge gained will to develop a theory to allow for an improved understanding of CHW roles, strategies and burdens.
Lidia V. Kridelbaugh - University of Utah
Abstract
Lidia Kridelbaugh's thesis project seeks to improve the mental, and ultimately physical wellbeing of Latinx immigrant communities of Utah. In collaboration with Comunidades Unidas, a local non-profit organization, they will evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based cognitive intervention known as MindShield™. MindShield™ provides individuals with skills to reduce symptoms of emotional trauma, build awareness for identifying symptoms of stress and serious mental health symptoms, and acquire tools for protecting the mind by processing stressful situations, problem-solving, and communicating effectively. Compared to US-born children, refugee and immigrant youth experience significantly higher rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and trauma during migration, which has the most significant impact. The World Health Organization has reported that these mental health disorders play an impactful role in the development of poor physical health. Unfortunately, various factors often limit immigrant families from seeking mental health services, additionally putting them at an increased risk of negative physical health outcomes.
Julia Ausmus - University of Nevada, Reno
Abstract
The goal of Julia Ausmus' thesis project is to develop a community health education program for the indigenous people living within the Ayacucho Village, Loreto, Peru. This program will focus on providing health education including topics of: nutrition, hygiene, and basic first aid. It will be administered by providing educational classes to the women's cooperative and providing basic supplies and resources needed dissemination. Once trained, the members then will teach their community. This project will be completed in collaboration with Nevada Building Hope Foundation (NBHF) which has been working in the area for many years.
Nneze Eluka - University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Abstract
The purpose of Nneze Eluka's dissertation study is to understand community health worker (CHW) strategy selection and implementation for refugee health access, and their handling of barriers encountered during the process. This study is important because refugees are a marginalized population and CHWs are trusted public health workers who share the same language and culture and thus help connect refugees to healthcare through culturally appropriate strategies. Using a constructive grounded theory lens, Nneze will explore CHW experiences specific to connecting refugee communities to the healthcare system. She will collect data through individual in-depth interviews and a demographic profile questionnaire with a purposeful sample of 10 CHW participants. Nneze will use knowledge gained will to develop a theory to allow for an improved understanding of CHW roles, strategies and burdens.
Lidia V. Kridelbaugh - University of Utah
Abstract
Lidia Kridelbaugh's thesis project seeks to improve the mental, and ultimately physical wellbeing of Latinx immigrant communities of Utah. In collaboration with Comunidades Unidas, a local non-profit organization, they will evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based cognitive intervention known as MindShield™. MindShield™ provides individuals with skills to reduce symptoms of emotional trauma, build awareness for identifying symptoms of stress and serious mental health symptoms, and acquire tools for protecting the mind by processing stressful situations, problem-solving, and communicating effectively. Compared to US-born children, refugee and immigrant youth experience significantly higher rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and trauma during migration, which has the most significant impact. The World Health Organization has reported that these mental health disorders play an impactful role in the development of poor physical health. Unfortunately, various factors often limit immigrant families from seeking mental health services, additionally putting them at an increased risk of negative physical health outcomes.
