The spring was a very eventful and successful semester. A number of our students attended conferences, presented oral and poster presentations, acquired new jobs, traveled abroad and, most importantly, demonstrated hard work and dedication to UTC and the Public Health program. Special congratulations to the following students who were recently commended for their service, leadership, and academic accolades.
Health & Human Performance (HHP) Outstanding Student Award
Zachary Farley (presented on April 10, 2019)
Zach Farley was nominated by program faculty to receive the Outstanding 1st Year Public Health Student Award for his service and leadership. Zach is a dedicated student, who is always eager to help. He serves as a Public Health Student Association (PHSA) board member, assists with recruitment efforts and participates in community outreach efforts. Zach embodies the mission of the Public Health program and UTC as a whole!
UTC Graduate School Award for Excellence in Public Health
Kimberly Reid (presented on April 11, 2019)
The UTC Graduate School Awards Ceremony acknowledges top students from every graduate program on campus. Kim Reid was selected as the first ever recipient from the Public Health program for her scholarly achievements throughout the year. Kim is an exemplary student who is motivated and hardworking in and out of the classroom. When interacting with others in the community, she demonstrates a unique ability to create a warm, welcoming, non-judgemental environment. Kim is a shining star and the well-deserved recipient of the UTC Graduate School Excellence in Public Health!
Inspirational Women in Lifelong Leadership (I WILL) Award
Rosa Cantu (presented on April 17, 2019)
The UTC Center for Women & Gender Equity awards UTC students who identify as women and embody leadership and commitment to the community. The Public Health program nominated Rosa Cantu for this award because of her passion and dedication to numerous community efforts. She is working with Dr. Dawn Ford and the local Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help raise awareness about the Lead Superfund in Southside Chattanooga. Rosa is also the President and founder of the UTC Lions Club, recently hosted an event at the Bethlehem Center to spread awareness about the lead contamination to the local community. Rosa is truly a lifelong leader committed to serving the community!
Presentations
ReSearch Dialogues is the largest academic conference on the UTC campus. The event highlights the scholarship and creative endeavors of more than 600 UTC faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff from all campus programs and disciplines. Congratulations to the Public Health students who presented oral and poster presentations.
| Student | Presentation | Title |
| Rosa Cantu | Poster | “Dietary Oil Preference in Ants & Arthropod Diversity in Urban Environments” |
| Kimberly Reid | Poster | “Assessing the current and desired levels of training and applied experiences in chronic disease prevention of students during medical school” |
| Ashley Simmons & Mckenzie Gregg | Oral & Poster | Oral: “Implementing the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program: Benefiting Community Members and Students”
Poster: “The Power of Feeling Connected: Associations between Perceptions of Love with Health Behaviors and Satisfaction with Life” |
In addition to ReSearch Dialogues, our students are active in several other local and national events:
- February 8 – Rosa Cantu presented a campus-wide lecture on childhood lead poisoning in the Southside Chattanooga with Dr. Dawn Ford.
- February 22 – Phillip Anderson was a panel speaker providing insight into graduate school preparation and the field of public health to undergraduate students at the 16th Annual Morehouse College Graduate School Workshop in Atlanta, GA.
- May 8 – Zachary North will talk on smoke free housing and health disparities at the 4th Annual Tobacco Free Chattanooga Clear the Air Conference at Orchard Knob Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.
- May 29 – Layra Navarro-Flores will present strategies to reduce the effects that implicit bias in the classroom has on student’s health at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in Portland, OR.
Summer Internships
Summer internships are opportunities to provide students with invaluable public health experiences, learn from leaders in the field, and shape their future career paths. Congratulations to the following students who have accepted 2019 summer internships.
| Student | Institution |
| Zachary Farley | National Cancer Institute (NCI), Washington, DC |
| Kimberly Reid | Erlanger Scholars Program, Chattanooga, TN |
| Shay Stutts |
University of Tennessee Extension System, Maury County, TN |