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Biography
Faculty Advisor: Kirsten Beyer, PhD, MPH, MS
Year Entered MCW: 2021
Previous Education: MPH, Oklahoma State University, Certificate in Statistical Methods and Analyses in Education and Behavioral Sciences; BS, Public Health, University of Arkansas; BA, Sociology, University of Arkansas
Year Entered MCW: 2021
Previous Education: MPH, Oklahoma State University, Certificate in Statistical Methods and Analyses in Education and Behavioral Sciences; BS, Public Health, University of Arkansas; BA, Sociology, University of Arkansas
Research Interests
After graduating high school, I attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. During my time there, I was an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Sexuality Education and Consent Studies Lab for three years. Through this role, I gained experience in qualitative and quantitative methods, grant writing, and dissemination. In my current program, I work as a Project Coordinator in the Sexual Health Research Lab at Oklahoma State University – Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. I have been able to lead projects related to the health of sexual minority men in rural Oklahoma. In addition to these projects, I have also served as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship is a health leadership program for graduate students in the Tulsa area that allows students to pilot programs to address health disparities. Specifically, my project is piloting a motivational interviewing and case management approach for reducing HIV risk among sexual minority men in rural northeastern Oklahoma. Overall, my research interests include health disparities, particularly those experienced by sexual minority men. My research topics of interest include psychosocial determinants of sexual decision-making, enhancement of the HIV/STI and PrEP care continuums, and access to culturally sensitive healthcare. I look forward to pursuing this agenda during my doctoral studies at MCW and learning more about incorporating community-minded principles into my work.