Summer Scholars Program Puts Undergrads on Path to Public Health

On a recent morning, 30 undergraduates in the 2024 Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) gathered in Hess Commons to practice presenting their research ahead of a visit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. Speaking to a room full of their peers, they introduced their findings on various topics, from reproductive health to smoking cessation, nutrition, mental health stigma, and more.

The ten-week program, recently honored by Insight Into Diversity magazine with a 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award, is designed for students from historically excluded and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Faculty introduce participants to foundational concepts in public health, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health sciences, health disparities, and more. Students also take part in internships and conduct research. The depth of their learning was evident in their presentations, which showcased their use of sophisticated tools like R statistical software and techniques like linear regression.

SPHSP is one of three summer pathway programs to promote diversity in public health. The Biostatistics Epidemiology Summer Training (BEST) program launched in 2007. Since then, numerous graduates have gone on to earn degrees and pursue careers in public health. This year, a recent graduate of the PrIMER (Program to Inspire and Mentor Undergraduates in Environmental Health Science Research), Isaac Mullings, won a Fulbright to pursue research on water pollution in Ghana.

Columbia Mailman faculty have participated in SPHSP since 2011; this year, the School became the lead on the program. It is now led by Michael Joseph, vice dean of education and the principal investigator of the CDC-funded program; Troy Hoffman, director of Educational Initiatives, and Ivy Green, program coordinator. The CDC funds the program.

During the recent practice session, students were given five minutes to introduce their research, including methods, objectives, and findings. Bishoy Ibrahim, a rising senior at Harvard, presented his research with the Columbia WHO Center for Global Mental Health on stigma related to mental health among Kazakhstani youth, finding sexual orientation and depression were significant factors. Chaehyun Lee, a rising junior at Dartmouth, spoke about her research with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene examining the negative impact of restrictive abortion policies on maternal and infant mortality.

Gabrielle Harris, a rising junior at the University of Miami, presented her research with NYC Health and Hospitals on effective communications of infectious disease threats, particularly around the rising threat of bird flu. She drew lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the importance of having officials acknowledge that their guidance is based on information that is evolving and not fixed. Reyna Patel, a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spoke about her research with the New York Common Pantry into the challenges in one low-income neighborhood to following healthy nutrition guidelines taught in public schools.

Harris, a major in public health and global health, heard about SPHSP through a campus program called Project Public Health. She says she has really enjoyed her time in New York City, her internship with NYC Health and Hospitals, and lectures from Columbia Mailman researchers. “It has been so helpful to hear from people working in all different areas of public health,” she says. “It gives you an idea of all the different things you can do in the field.”

Reyna Patel, who is majoring in sociology and medical anthropology, was drawn to public health because of its relevance to so many issues, and she hopes to continue to study it in graduate school. “Public health is everywhere,” she says. Her time at SPHSP has given her valuable hands-on experience through her internship. She says she also learned a great deal from her cohort, all of whom were supportive of each other. “At the end of the day, public health is a collaborative field, and you have to work together to succeed.”