Student Scientific Writing and Review Training Committee

Building the next generation of public health researchers will require introducing students early to training and learning opportunities to strengthen scientific publishing expertise. Student appointees to the Student Scientific Writing and Review Training Committee are 1) exposed to cutting-edge research and evaluation from around the country; 2) taught how to carefully critique strengths and weaknesses of scientific research, evaluation, and practice; and 3) familiarized with a journal’s review processes in selecting manuscripts for publication. After receiving training, students are assigned to serve as peer reviewers on submitted manuscripts and receive feedback on their reviews. Appointees receive a certificate after successfully completing their appointment. All appointments to the Student Scientific Writing and Review Training Committee are for one year and come from high school, undergraduate, master’s, doctoral (eg, MD, PHD, DrPH, EdD), and postdoctoral levels.

 

 

Andres Felipe Gil Arana

Candidate, Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

After completing a bachelor’s degree in cell and molecular neuroscience with honors in global health, he will further his research education through a doctoral program in population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine as chief strategy officer for The Brightside Productions LLC and co-manager of FSU College of Medicine’s Global Health Collaboration Project. Mr. Gil Arana is interested in population-based research and advocacy projects to dismantle local and global barriers to health equity and to increase health access.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Kristina Calvin

Bachelor’s Degree Student
Community Health and International Studies
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma

Ms. Calvin is a rising junior at the University of Oklahoma double majoring in community health and international studies on a pre-law track. Ms. Calvin is currently a member of the University of Oklahoma’s American Mock World Health Organization. She is passionate about global health and seeks to pursue a career in global health law and advocacy. In her free time, she likes to read, bake, and write.
Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Uche Stanley Chukwuemeka, MD

Candidate, Masters Degree in Health
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View, Texas

Dr. Uche Stanley Chukwuemeka is a master’s student in the School of Public and Allied Health at Prairie View A&M University. He completed his medical training in China and practiced general medicine as a medical officer in Nigeria for 2 years. He currently works as a graduate assistant in the toxicology lab at Prairie View. Dr. Chukwuemeka is passionate about medicine and health outcomes. His research focuses on the chemical components of medications and how they affect the human gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Chukwuemeka is a member of Eta Sigma Gamma Epsilon Epsilon and president of the Nigeria Student Association Prairie View Chapter. Dr. Chukwuemeka plans to learn different strategies to effectively write and review manuscripts, expand his professional network, and increase his leadership skills.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Madison Haiman, MSW

Candidate, Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas

Ms. Madison Haiman is a doctoral student at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin and a 2023-2024 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), and Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) Policy Fellow. She completed both her undergraduate and master’s programs at the University of Alabama. Her bachelor’s degree is in addiction and recovery and her master’s degree is in social work. Ms. Haiman is also a research assistant at the Center for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine and a part of the Health, Behavior, Research, and Training Institute at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Ms. Haiman’s research focuses on maternal and reproductive justice, with a particular interest in prenatal substance use. She seeks to address the systemic and structural issues at the intersection of the maternal health and substance use crises to improve maternal health experiences and outcomes. Ms. Haiman is involved with quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and community-engaged projects.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Derek Jin

High School Student
Noble and Greenough School
Dedham, Massachusetts

Derek Jin is a student at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts. He currently serves as an advisory council member and editor of the The Patient is U (TPIU) Digest at The Patient Is U Foundation, a computed tomography-based nonprofit organization promoting compassionate health care. Mr. Jin aspires to apply computer science and mathematical tools to real-world public health and environmental problems. Recently, he served as first author of an article currently under review with a peer-reviewed journal focusing on rethinking sustainable food policy through optimization modeling and machine learning. He was also first author of a book chapter in the Essential Rational Healthcare Economics and Its Environment. A chess national master and United States of America Mathematical Olympiad qualifier, Mr. Jin has taught chess and math to underserved youths in NYC and Boston through his leadership in several national and local organizations. He is committed to empowering minds and building a more humane world through chess, math, and health care.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Dylan Nguyen

Candidate, Master of Public Health
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas

Dylan Nguyen is pursuing an accelerated Master of Public Health in epidemiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. He currently serves as a research assistant for the Family Health Pattern Study, working on a variety of aspects, including following a participant through the entire study. His current academic research interests include the effects of food insecurity in rural communities. Mr. Nguyen is passionate learning more about chronic diseases and their many risk factors. After attainment of his degree, Mr. Nguyen plans to pursue a career in public health as a state epidemiologist.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Jimin Park

Senior High School Student
Episcopal Collegiate School
Little Rock, Arkansas

Ms. Park is a graduating senior at the Episcopal Collegiate School, a private school in Little Rock, Arkansas. She currently serves in leadership roles within many student organizations, including president of the National Honor Society, president of Diversity Council, vice president of honor council, and director of the Workshop Committee at her school’s writing center. Outside of school, she has led and published 2 significant research projects as co-first author, investigating the association between income and health outcomes, such as risk of mortality and development of type 2 diabetes. She hopes to continue building experiences and pursuing medical research. After graduation, Ms. Park plans to major in neuroscience and minor in health equity at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. In preparation for becoming a physician—scientist, she plans to learn of ongoing research in various scientific fields and sharpen her research skills.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Cemre Sengul

High School Student
Gulliver Preparatory Upper School
Miami, Florida

Cemre Sengul is a rising senior in the International Baccalaureate Program at Gulliver Preparatory Upper School in Miami, Florida. As a member of several honor societies, including the National Honor Society, she demonstrates a strong passion for academics and giving to the community. In addition to her academic pursuits, she has played the violin since the age of 3 and enjoys being a dedicated member of her school’s string ensemble. She is heavily involved in mentoring young musicians in her community.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Desiree Shantai Smith, MPH

Candidate, Doctor of Public Health
Diverse Populations and Health Equity
Mercer University
Atlanta, Georgia

Ms. Smith is a candidate for a doctorate degree in public health at Mercer University. Ms. Smith obtained a master of public health degree from Mercer University and a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Central Florida. As a graduate research assistant at Mercer University, she has published research in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities during her tenure. Ms. Smith also has research experience in not-for-profit positions including at the Society for Information Management Foundation, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, Girl Plus Environment, and the Equity Technical Assistance Center that is supported by the US Department of Health & Human Services. Her research interests cover HIV, diabetes, cancer, reproductive health, environmental health, global health, harm reduction, public health workforce training, and capacity building, as well as health and racial equity.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

William Watson, MS, MHSA

Candidate, Doctoral Degree
Health Systems and Services Research
Department of Health Policy and Management
Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
Little Rock, Arkansas

Mr. Watson is a doctoral student in the Health Systems and Services Research program at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed his undergraduate degree in history from Christian Brothers University and holds master’s degrees in health services administration and health care data analytics from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is currently employed at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas where he focuses on data-driven insights to develop new health products and support strategic business initiatives. Mr. Watson’s research interests include diabetes, health systems’ performance, women and children’s health, and the role of payers in health care utilization.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Stacia Wilson, MPH

Candidate, Doctor of Public Health
Social Epidemiology
Mercer University
Atlanta, Georgia

Stacia Wilson is a public health researcher with several years’ experience advocating for health equity and policies for positive health outcomes. She is a driven doctoral student in the Department of Public Health at Mercer University, specializing in Social Epidemiology. She focuses on eliminating disparities in Black maternal health and child health. She earned her Master Public Health and a Master Of Social Work degrees from the University of Alabama. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University. Her research spans area that, include breastfeeding, social determinants of health, trauma and resilience, and adverse childhood experiences to improve long-term health outcomes. Committed to effective communication, Stacia seeks to clarify and broaden the accessibility of complex public health data to enhance understanding across diverse literacy levels. Her collaborative approach in research aims to incorporate diverse perspectives and drive constructive changes in the public health and mental health arenas.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Margaret Woods

Candidate, Master of Public Health
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas

Ms. Margaret Nicole Woods is a candidate for a dual degree in medicine and a master’s degree in public health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), College of Medicine and College of Public Health in Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a native of Little Rock but departed to continue her undergraduate education at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and Spanish. She returned to Little Rock after obtaining that degree and enrolled at UAMS to complete a graduate certificate in biomedical sciences. Ms. Woods began working there as a research assistant at the Office of Health Initiatives and Disparities Research. While in that role, she was immersed in public health research and became interested in health disparities, specifically cancer disparities. Currently, she is a student in the medical and public health program at UAMS with an emphasis in pediatrics. Her research interests include health disparities including, but not limited to disparities in race, disabilities, and socioeconomic status. She is also interested in the physical, behavioral, maltreatment, and developmental experiences of children with disabilities.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

Luyue Zheng, MS

Candidate, Doctor of Philosophy in Nutritional Sciences
University of New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire

Ms. Zheng is a doctoral student in the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Teachers College, Columbia University and is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Ms. Zheng’s research interests span from food security and food systems to nutrition equity and community-based participatory research. Currently, her research focuses on immigrant and minority health, with a vision of building sustainable, equitable and healthy food systems.

Appointment Term: 2024–2025

 

Top