Allie Murphy, MPH candidate at School of Public and Population Health, will evaluate decade-long teen pregnancy prevention initiative
Allie Murphy, a Master of Public Health candidate at the University of Texas Medical Branch's School of Public and Population Health (SPPH), has been selected for the highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to conduct public health research in El Salvador during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Four-Month Application Journey Culminates in Prestigious Award
Murphy will partner with the University of Gerardo Barrios to evaluate the effectiveness of El Salvador's National Intersectoral Strategy for the Prevention of Pregnancy in Girls and Adolescents, a decade-long government initiative launched in 2016 that concludes in 2027. Her research will combine quantitative trend analysis with qualitative community surveys to assess sexual health education needs and inform future public health strategies.
"It is an unbelievable honor to be selected for the Fulbright Student Award," Murphy said. "The application process was extensive—in total, creating the proposal took over four months. When I received the acceptance letter, the most rewarding part was being able to deliver the good news and thank everyone who helped me through this process."
Elite Global Recognition Among World's Most Competitive Scholarships
The Fulbright Program, established by Congress in 1946, is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. With approximately 8,000 awards given annually worldwide, Fulbright recipients are selected through a highly competitive process that evaluates academic excellence, project feasibility, and leadership potential. Notable alumni include 62 Nobel laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 44 heads of state or government.
Tackling Central America's Persistent Teen Pregnancy Challenge
Murphy's research addresses a critical public health challenge. According to the World Bank, El Salvador has historically maintained higher adolescent pregnancy rates than the rest of Latin America, with San Miguel—Murphy's research focus area—recording the fifth highest teenage pregnancy rate nationally and the highest in the eastern region.
"Sexual wellness and education has always been a priority of mine," Murphy explained. "Born in rural Oklahoma and growing up in a Title I school district of Texas, I have personally seen how sexual education—or the lack thereof—can lead to high teen pregnancy rates. I believe that the promotion of public health in the form of sexual education is a women's rights issue."
Eight-Month Research Project to Shape Post-2027 Public Health Strategy
Her comprehensive project will analyze adolescent pregnancy trends from 2016 to 2026, conduct surveys with teenage girls, parents, and healthcare providers, and develop recommendations for post-2027 programming. Murphy will collaborate with Laura Chavarria, a researcher at the University of Gerardo Barrios who specializes in adolescent pregnancy.
The research aims to answer critical questions about program implementation and community retention of sexual health education. "The primary questions that I hope to address within my research is what parts of the National Intersectoral Strategy are being implemented and what are the teenage girls retaining past the lessons," Murphy said.
Global Health Experience Across Four Countries Informs Research Approach
Murphy brings extensive international public health experience to the project. She has conducted research in Guatemala with La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados, worked on maternal health research in Bangladesh through Scope Impact, and served as a biostatistics intern with the Texas Department of State Health Services. She currently serves as a program evaluation intern with Cambodia Global Health and chairs the Galveston chapter of Sisters in Public Health.
"The biggest lesson that I have learned through my experiences in Guatemala, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Texas is that there is no 'one size fits all' solution in public health," Murphy reflected. "I am approaching the Fulbright project with an open mind. I view this as an opportunity for me to learn from the community, not the other way around."
Research Findings Will Target Texas Communities and Global Health Network
The research holds particular relevance for Texas, which ranks eighth nationally for teenage pregnancy rates and has the second-highest number of Salvadoran immigrants in the United States. Murphy plans to leverage insights from her research to inform public health initiatives in similar communities upon her return.
Murphy plans to publish her findings in both English and Spanish, present recommendations to El Salvador's Ministry of Health, and share results with the broader global health community to inform similar prevention programs worldwide. "We aim to publish the findings so that researchers can conduct further research on the subject and public health practitioners locally and abroad can adopt any relevant recommendations," she said.
Cultural Exchange Through Education and Community Engagement
Beyond her core research, Murphy will engage in cultural exchange activities, including volunteer English teaching and collaboration with FUSALMO, a local organization promoting STEM education for youth. "A major part of the Fulbright program is cultural exchange," Murphy noted. "I would like to participate in language exchange classes in the community."
SPPH Training Provides Methodological Foundation for Global Research
"Through the MPH program, you can find your areas of interest or your niche," Murphy said of her experience at SPPH. "The faculty are truly the most supportive people I have ever met and will help you discover your passions and get you to where you want to be."
Murphy credited her diverse research experiences at SPPH—spanning climate change, aging, public health education, and tuberculosis—with providing the methodological foundation for her Fulbright project. "Each of these projects has taught me a different study design from scoping reviews to qualitative analysis to cohort studies. These research skills will be used during my Fulbright."
Dean Celebrates Distinguished Achievement for Global Impact
Dr. M. Kristen Peek, Senior Vice President and Founding Dean of the School of Public and Population Health, praised Murphy's selection in announcing the award to the SPPH community and UTMB leadership. "Her commitment to improving reproductive and sexual health outcomes in underserved communities—both abroad and here in Texas—demonstrates the caliber of leadership, integrity, and impact that defines the Fulbright mission," Peek said.
The Fulbright award represents a significant achievement for both Murphy and UTMB, highlighting the university's growing reputation in global initiatives and the quality of students attracted to its public health programs.
Murphy will begin her research in El Salvador in 2026 following completion of her MPH degree at UTMB.
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