Health Equity Scholars selected to pursue community-based research projects

Six University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign undergraduate students have been selected as the first cohort of Health Equity Scholars, a new program launched by the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI) and the College of Education. During this 10-week summer program, students will work closely with a faculty mentor and community organization as part of an existing research collaboration focused on issues in health disparities. Health Equity Scholars will have the opportunity to improve the health and well-being of others in a supportive educational environment.

Selected students represent units from across campus. Each project aims to directly benefit the community members served by the partner organization.

IHSI will share more about these students’ experiences throughout the summer. Please follow @IllinoisIHSI #ILHealthEquityScholars on Twitter and subscribe to the IHSI newsletter to receive updates about this program.

Edit: IHSI's Health Equity Scholars program has become the Community-Academic Scholars program. For more information, visit the Community-Academic Scholars page.

Jahnellia Brown will work with Rachel Garthe and Kevin Tan, assistant professors in the School of Social Work, and DREAAM House to help administer and evaluate the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) program aimed to prevent youth violence.

Geraldine Dagher will work with Shardé Smith, an assistant professor in the Departments of African American Studies and Human Development and Family Studies, DREAAM House, and the Community Healing and Resistance through Storytelling (C-HeARTS) Collaborative to identify what practices may promote community healing in response to racial trauma caused by gun violence.

Pascale Grant will work with Margarita Teran-Garcia, a research assistant professor in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the Departments of Human Development and Family Studies and Nutritional Sciences, and the Multicultural Community Center (MCC) in Rantoul to identify the best tools and opportunities to promote culturally-tailored health messages on improving behaviors on nutrition, physical activity, and positive family function (including mealtimes).

Alexandra Kontos will work with Karen Tabb Dina, an associate professor in the School of Social Work, and the Identifying Depression Through Early Awareness (IDEA) Women's Coalition to conduct a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of depression screening during pregnancy for racial/ethnic minority women and their infants.

Eric Solberg will work with Chelsea Singleton, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Community Health, and Experimental Station in Chicago to evaluate the effectiveness of the Link Match incentive program in increasing the affordability and accessibility of locally grown fruits and vegetables in low-income communities.

Leslie Villarreal will work with Susan Aguiñaga, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, and several adult day centers in Central Illinois and Chicago to examine the impact of exercise on cognition, physical function, and quality of life for older adults in Latino communities.