Summer 2026 Community-Academic Scholars Projects
Research projects addressing diverse community needs
IHSI's Community-Academic Scholars Program matches undergraduate students with academic mentors and community partners to address pressing issues affecting health, equity, and well-being in our community. The 2026 program features 13 interdisciplinary projects that blend applied inquiry, creative practice, and real-world problem solving. This year’s projects span topics including sustainable agriculture and food systems education, culturally responsive health and caregiving support, long-term digital health monitoring, immigrant and multilingual health education, nutrition-based interventions for hypertension, disability, and aging research, immersive training technologies for older adults and care partners, strengthening community-campus partnerships, housing and indoor environmental health, equity-centered analysis of artificial intelligence in community health, responsible use of large language models in public health accreditation, assistive robotics for aging populations, and multilingual adult English literacy grounded in critical pedagogy.
Human-Centered Design of In-Home Mobility Monitoring
The Community-Academic Scholar will work with Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Prof. Yiwen Dong and Beckwith Residential Support Services to design privacy-respecting, in-home mobility monitoring tools for individuals with mobility disabilities. The project focuses on human-centered and participatory design approaches to develop sensing systems and interfaces that support autonomy, dignity, and effective care coordination in residential settings.
Multilingual Adult English Learning Through Community-Based Pedagogy
The Community-Academic Scholar will work with Linguistics Prof. Anna Mendoza and Champaign-Urbana Refugee Center to support multilingual, community-based English instruction for adult learners with emergent literacy. The project explores how problem-posing pedagogy and multilingual materials can support language learning, critical reflection, and real-world communication beyond the classroom.
Nutrition-Based Strategies for Hypertension Management in a Free Clinic Setting
The Community-Academic Scholar will work with Food Science and Human Nutrition Prof. Manabu (Mani) Nakamura and Avicenna Community Health Center to evaluate a dietary and lifestyle intervention aimed at reducing blood pressure among adults with hypertension. The project focuses on testing the feasibility of nutrition-based strategies—including dietary quality improvement and behavioral support—to support hypertension management in a free clinic setting.