“It’s a great opportunity for these two students to learn about research. They’ll also be working with some graduate students, so they’ll get an idea of what graduate school will be like.”
Dr. Daniel McDermott / Associate Professor of Biology
Two students in the College of Science at SAU will gain career experience as the result of a grant extension of $500,000. The two students are Lynn Enzor, a senior public health major, and Ranessa Ricker, a sophomore biology major.
The extension builds on the previous $1 million dollar grant for the “Building a Diverse Workforce to Advance Health Equity.” Through this extension, SAU will partner with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas to conduct a comprehensive population health survey of 3,000 adults residing in 17 counties in southwest Arkansas. The survey is designed to provide a detailed picture of the social determinants of health disparities.
The two SAU students will be working with Dr. Micheal Nino at the University of Arkansas to administer the survey and analyze the results from the survey. This will provide the students with hands-on experience carrying out Public Health research, while also contributing towards an important project that provides vital health information in our community.
Enzor earned her B.A. in English from SAU in 1998. She is now back at SAU in pursuit of her degree in Public Health. She hopes working on the survey team will give her experience in her chosen career field. “It’s going to give me an opportunity to take book learning and apply it to real-life situations,” said Enzor. “It was very flattering to be asked to apply for this and to be chosen for this project.”
Dr. Daniel McDermott, associate professor of biology, is one of several members of the faculty in the College of Science who are helping with the project. He said the survey will allow the two SAU students to gain invaluable experience. “It’s a great opportunity for these two students to learn about research,” said McDermott. “They’ll also be working with some graduate students, so they’ll get an idea of what graduate school will be like.”
Ricker, a 2023 graduate of Mena High School, is considering attending medical school after she completes her undergraduate degree at SAU. Like Enzor, Ricker also hopes the experience she gains working on the survey will help her in her career in the medical field. “Dr. McDermott told me about the survey,” said Ricker. “He told me how the research side would be helpful to me. I thought it would be really fascinating.”
The study team is comprised of twelve donors from five state institutions in Arkansas. The team, which is led by Dr. Michael Nino of the University of Arkansas, has extensive experience in survey design and administration, public health, and advanced quantitative methods.
This additional half million dollars in grant funding will allow the above project to complete its final data collection, along with fund workforce training activities including shadowing healthcare professionals, while continuing to strengthen partnerships with healthcare providers in the region. The SAU students, along with other members of the team, will be conducting the survey this spring.
