Three student-led outreach projects addressing health disparities in the Athens-Clarke County community have been selected for funding through the UGA College of Public Health’s 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mini-Grants Program.

The program, launched in Fall 2018 by the College’s Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CoDEI), allows students to not only make an impact in the local community while gaining experience in the grant proposal writing process.  This includes identifying a problem or need, thinking through the logistics of research design, identifying and developing stakeholders in the community, and mapping out ways to implement research and outreach.

Applicants are asked to formulate a community research project that addresses a public health problem confronted by underrepresented or otherwise marginalized or underserved members of the Athens-Clarke County community. Project budgets can be up to $1,000.

The 2021 CPH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mini-Grant awardees are:

• Effectiveness of COVID-19 measures in Athens- Clarke County Homeless Shelters
  • Lamiya Hussain, Undergraduate Student, Development and Family Science
  • Trystan Levao, Undergraduate Student, Health Promotion
  • Tiffany Mukundi, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Health
  • Sanaejah Reid, Undergraduate Student, Biological Science
  • Faculty Advisor: Anne Marie Zimeri, Environmental Health Science

• Hand Hygiene Reinforcement Training (HHRT) in Athens-Clarke County Elementary Schools
  • Kade Donaldson, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Health
  • William McGonigle, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Health
  • Jessica Varnell, Undergraduate Student, Health Promotion
  • Faculty Advisor: Anne Marie Zimeri, Environmental Health Science

• RISE UPP Women: Exploring the Intersection of COVID-19 Related Stress and Racial Stress Among Black Perinatal and Postpartum Women
  • Shantesica Gilliam, Ph.D. Student, Health Promotion & Behavior
  • Emily Hatchett, MSW/MPH Candidate, Promotion & Behavior/ UGA School of Social Work
  • Kandyce Hylick, Ph.D. Student, Health Promotion & Behavior
  • Yashaswini Kavalakuntla, Undergraduate Student, Health Promotion & Behavior (Intended)
  • Dominique La Barrie, Ph.D. Student, Psychology Behavioral & Brain Sciences
  • Erica Taylor, Ph.D. Student, Health Promotion & Behavior
  • Faculty Advisor: Nathan Hansen, Health Promotion & Behavior

Related Stories:

• CPH awards mini-grants to students for community projects
• Students contribute to NE Georgia’s first student-based health clinic

Posted on December 21, 2020. Updated on February 1, 2021 with corrections made to final award list.