The 2025 Faculty Student Research and Scholarship Mixer brought School of Public and Population Health (SPPH) faculty and students together at noon in the Health Education Center (HEC). More than twenty faculty members from Population Health and Health Disparities, Bioethics and Health Humanities, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics and Data Science took part, along with chairs, the dean, and associate deans. Their presence signaled a shared commitment to helping students connect with research early in their training.
Faculty highlight diverse research
The mixer opened with brief faculty introductions that outlined the range of work happening across the school. Examples included community-based projects in Kenya, research on tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance, studies of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, health communication and health services use, and clinical trials.
Bioethics faculty described work on the ethics of biotechnology and longevity, including questions related to anti-aging interventions and biocontainment. Biostatistics and data science faculty outlined projects that apply artificial intelligence and natural language processing to electronic health records, turning clinical information and physician notes into data that can support population health research. Faculty with both clinical and research training added perspectives that connect patient care and public health.
Students explore interests and next steps
Students then introduced themselves and shared where they are in their programs and what currently interests them. Many were early in their graduate studies and used the mixer to explore possibilities rather than commit to a single topic. Some already had focused ideas, such as vitamin deficiencies and health outcomes in minoritized communities. Others were still scanning the landscape and asked broad questions about how to get started and how to balance research with coursework.
Conversations at individual tables turned those introductions into concrete next steps. Faculty described open projects, upcoming grant work, and options for joining teams through thesis and capstone projects, applied practice experiences, or integrative learning activities. Students from last year’s mixer shared positive feedback, and several collaborations have already produced presentations and publications. Those experiences helped shape this year’s event and encouraged new students to take part.
Building a culture of early engagement
By the end of the session, many students had identified faculty mentors to follow up with and projects to explore further. Faculty noted that the format helped them meet students they might not see in a typical semester and begin relationships that can grow over time.
The 2025 mixer reflects SPPH’s effort to pair classroom learning with engagement in research and community-focused scholarship. Creating structured opportunities for students and faculty to meet in an approachable setting supports mentorship, skill development, and belonging in the school’s scholarly community.