Elon students Stephanie Ntim '19, Taylor Jones '19, Samantha Perry '18 and Sarah Holdren '18 presented research at the American Public Health Association Conference held Nov. 10-13 in San Diego.
Elon Department of Public Health Studies students and alumnae recently presented their research at the American Public Health Association Conference held Nov. 10-13 in San Diego.
The American Public Health Association meeting is the most influential public health conference in the world with more than 12,000 researchers, activists, practitioners and policy makers in attendance.
Stephanie Ntim ’19, an Honors Fellow and Lumen Scholar, presented her research titled, “The Art of Malaria Education.” Her research on an arts-based malaria education model was conducted at a junior high school in Pepease-Kwahu, Ghana. The project featured students demonstrating their learning of malaria through their own creation and participation in creative arts performances.
“It was a great experience to be in the company of professionals eager to promote best practices for public health work, and I was excited to talk to others about a project I am passionate about,” Ntim said.
Her research mentor, Assistant Professor Katherine Johnson, also presented her ongoing work on the role of community colleges in public health education in a special session of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, the Undergraduate Public Health and Global Health Education Network Meeting.
“It was a great opportunity to be able to present my undergraduate research at a professional conference with so many like-minded individuals,” Jones said. “My favorite experience was hearing the Surgeon General speak about his vision for public health in our country and it was exciting to see that his vision aligned with my own thoughts about public health.”
Jones’ research mentor is Assistant Professor Stephanie Baker.
Samantha Perry’s Lumen and Elon College Fellows research, “Village Health Teams’ Understanding and Practices Regarding Patients’ Rights in Uganda: A Qualitative, Cross-sectional Study” was presented by co-authors Sahai Burrowes from Touro University, Sarah Jane Holcombe from University of California, Berkeley and mentor Cindy Fair, professor of public health studies. Perry, a human service studies major who graduated in 2018, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration.
Sarah Holdren’s Honors and Lumen research was presented by mentor Cindy Fair along with Aunchalee Palmquist from the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute. Her research, “Had I been able to donate, I would have”: A qualitative analysis of infant feeding narratives during and after the NICU,” argues for family-centered care and the application of narrative-based therapies to help families process their NICU experience. Holdren, a double major in public health studies and anthropology who graduated in 2018, was awarded a Fulbright grant and is conducting research in Finland to better understand their cultural approach to milk utilization in the NICU. Holdren is also the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and following her Fulbright year, she will begin graduate study in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University.
APHA brings together students, scholars, practitioners, and advocates to discuss some of today’s most pressing public health issues. The public health studies department is proud to be a part of this conversation, and invites the Elon community to join us in standing up for public health. Stay connected with us at https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/arts-and-sciences/public-health/.