Lehigh University College of Health

Congratulations to all of the 2024 Lehigh University College of Health Graduates! Wishing you all the best on your new adventure. Lehigh University.

Check out this article on groundbreaking developments in the field of organ transplantation. Scientists at NYU have successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into a human recipient. Michael Gusmano shares his views on this topic as a bioethicist. Click the link to learn more! https://lnkd.in/edETJudD

Congratulations to Olivia Wojtowicz, M.S. on receiving the Teacher's Assistant (TA) of the Year Award. Wojtowicz, a TA for Statistical Literacy in Health, was recognized for expressing her deep appreciation for her expertise, her care about her students' success, and her kindness. "I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for receiving the TA of the Year award! This recognition isn't just about the accolade itself, but the journey it represents. Creating and delivering a new course in the College of Health has been a transformative experience, shaping not just my teaching style, but also my understanding of myself as an educator and person. My deepest appreciation goes to my students, as their trust and support provided the space for me to continue to blossom into the future professor and mentor that I aspire to be."

Ellie Hoffmeister '24 focused her capstone project on her internship, Soundprint, an app that guides people to quieter places, aiming to support mental health. Hoffmeister conducted an independent study in the Lehigh community to prove how students' mental health could benefit from meditation spaces.

Join us on Thursday, April 25th, from 12–1:30pm EST for a discussion on "Believing in Yourself & Sharing Your Story Will Help You Grow" with James Durham, TBI survivor, Motivational and Educational Speaker. Don't miss out—register here: https://lnkd.in/euZUQRmT

Join us on Tuesday, March 26th, from 12–1:30pm EST for an insightful discussion on "Freedom & A Friend: Service Dogs, Disability & the Animal-Human Relationship" with Aparna Nair, PhD, MPH (she/her), Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Don't miss out—register here: https://lnkd.in/egwy_63f

Senior, Dakota Feldman '24 focused her capstone presentation on a comparative analysis of government funded healthcare programs. Healthcare programs in the United States are among the best, but funding is allocated differently by the program. From her research, Feldman's results determined more funding needs to be allocated to the Indian Health Service (IHS) program.

Two of our COH juniors, Kareem Hargrove & Monelli Esfandiary, spent the past couple of days with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, and the Models of Infectious Disease Agents Study (MIDAS). Over the course of this workshop they discussed a wide variety of topics such as: compartmental models, wastewater epidemiology, science communication, data translation, nowcasting vs. forecasting, etc. Kareem says, “As I reflect on my time participating in the workshop, I’m immensely grateful for having had the opportunity to meet such diverse array of individuals. Though many of us shared similar Major or Degree titles, a quick conversation with anyone would inform you of the immense brevity of the field of public health. It was particularly motivating to witness leaders on the field call for increased diversity in all senses of the word. Participating in the workshop not only allowed me to hone my skills in R but also network with so many inquisitive peers, mentors, and (hopefully) future colleagues. My unwavering commitment to data-informed public health policy was only bolstered through this experience. Thank you to the many individuals that organized this experience.” Monelli notes, “Two days wasn’t nearly enough time!!! It was such a valuable experience getting to know all the students and staff through the wide range of backgrounds. There are so many more intersections of public health that I learned about and I’ve never realized were out there. My favorite part was hearing from Dr. Brandon Ogbunu who gave an amazing presentation on his scientific work with the NBA, Grammy award winning artist Lupe Fiasco, prison reform, and the movie Gattaca. I’ve loved getting to immerse myself in mathematical modeling/public health fields and hold a true appreciation for all the work being put into it. I’m so grateful to be apart of such a brilliantly intelligent and passionate group of people.” Can’t wait to see what both your futures entail!

The Community Service Office at Lehigh University is seeking candidates for an Assistant Director role. Despite our name, our office focus isn’t solely on volunteerism and public service, our core focus areas also include leadership development & education, community education, civic & democratic engagement, engaged scholarship and experiential learning. The Assistant Director position manages a portfolio of community engagement and leadership development initiatives, including our alternative service trips and management of the low-ropes course on campus. This role will aid in event planning, student coaching and advising, and program development. Lehigh is often referred to as “big enough to keep meeting new people, small enough to build close relationships.” 👥 We’re a high-energy, collaborative office that loves food and laughter. You'd be joining a great team with our Assistant Dean/Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, office coordinator, 2 graduate assistants and 20-25 student employees. 📍Located in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem is a vibrant city, rich in history, and known for its small-town friendliness and feel. The Lehigh Valley is the third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and home to several top-notch entertainment centers, shopping malls and award-winning restaurants. 🚙 More adventures are within driving distance with New York City, Philadelphia and the Pocono Mountains all within a 90 minute range. The beaches in New Jersey and Delaware are close enough for a day or weekend trip. 💻 Apply at go.lehigh.edu/applyCSO. We are interviewing at TPE Virtual Placement March 4th - 8th and hoping to complete all first round interviews by March 15th.

Sara Levy took a holistic health approach through her senior capstone project. Levy’s capstone partnered with Heudia Health, a technology driven healthcare company. Heudia Health utilizes AccessMeCare which connects with the social determinants of health. Levy directly researched the gaps in healthcare and discovered a need for improvement in the role the social determinants play as well as technology. By connecting the two in her project Levy developed a case scenario to highlight the real-life need for this connection and showed how technology can be of an asset to all, and specifically the underprivileged.