The SPPH Student Association closed its 2025–2026 academic year with 12 programming events, two fundraising initiatives, and a community outreach presence that extended from campus into the broader Galveston area. This report covers Executive Board activities, the post-event communication system developed this year, 17 financial transactions, and three priorities for the incoming administration.
12 Events & Activities | ~30 Active Members | $1,283 Total Income | $598 Year-End Balance |
Executive Board
Faculty and Staff Sponsors: Dr. Dana Wiltz-Beckham and Christina Ross.
Message from the President
As Student Association President, it has been incredibly rewarding to witness the growth of our organization and the impact we have made throughout this academic year. This year marked a significant step forward in strengthening our organization, and building meaningful partnerships between students at the School of Public and Population Health and community organizations.
Through volunteer initiatives, professional development events, and student engagement programming, our board continuously demonstrated a commitment to service, leadership, and public health. We worked to create opportunities that not only connected students with one another, but also connected our organization more intentionally with the communities we aim to serve.
“I am incredibly proud of everything our Student Association accomplished this year and grateful to every student, faculty member, and community partner who contributed their time, ideas, and support.”
Emily Edgar, President 2025–2026
I want to specifically highlight my gratitude to our Faculty and Staff Sponsors: Dr. Dana Wiltz-Beckham and Christina Ross. The continued enthusiasm and dedication from our entire board has laid a strong foundation for future growth, and I am excited to see these relationships and initiatives continue to expand in the years ahead.
Mission and Foundational Pillars
This organization serves as the bridge between SPPH as a school and is committed to facilitating representation amongst our school’s student body, ensuring cohesive collaboration is achieved to bring about the best opportunities for UTMB SPPH. Our focus is bringing students together who are passionate about public health and making a difference. We pride ourselves on community engagement, student involvement, and career development — helping our students grow as leaders while giving back to the communities we serve. We offer volunteer opportunities, professional workshops, and various social events to build a strong, supportive environment for future public health professionals.
Foundational Pillars
Community Involvement We understand that public health is not simply learned in a classroom, but practiced in the community. Throughout the year we organized and facilitated public health–related events, initiatives, and service projects that foster student engagement. | Professional Development We strive to create opportunities that not only help students during their time in school, but will enhance their foundation for a successful career — through workshops, seminars, guest lectures, research, and advocacy. Student feedback this year highlighted a desire for more epidemiology-based skill-building workshops. | Student Engagement Our organization is built upon serving our students and ensuring that we deliver what our student body voices. We tailor our events and opportunities to meet student needs, ensuring their experience at UTMB is optimal. |
Membership and Meetings
Membership Membership is open to all students with no formal process. All students in the School of Public and Population Health are members of the Student Association, and active involvement is not mandatory. Elected positions — President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer — comprise the Student Association Board. Elections for President and Vice President occur during the summer semester. Secretary and Treasurer elections are held in the fall and are open to incoming first years as well as returning students. | Meetings General meetings — open to the board and the full student body — were held at minimum once per semester. The fall semester included two: one at the beginning of the semester and one in the final weeks. Board meetings for elected positions and faculty advisors were held once every two weeks throughout the academic year, with exceptions for holidays. |
Events and Activities
The 2025–2026 board organized 12 events spanning professional development, community service, cultural programming, and recurring student support initiatives. The following is a summary of the year’s programming.
First Day of Class
September 2025 Instagram
A social media kick-off marking the first day of the fall semester. The Student Association highlighted several students on Instagram, each holding a back-to-school sign displaying their year of study and concentration. The series put faces to programs and gave incoming students a glimpse of who their classmates are.
Lunch & Launch
September 17, 2025 HEC 2.220 · 12:00–1:00 PM
The board’s first general meeting of the year, held in person. The event offered catered lunch, an interactive segment with prizes for attendees, and a presentation on the board’s mission and goals for the 2025–2026 year. Approximately 30 students attended.
Volunteer with Central Church
September 2025 On-site
The first community volunteer event of the year. Central Church reached out to the Student Association for help taking inventory of emergency supplies. Approximately five students participated in the on-site effort.
LinkedIn Workshop
October 2025 In-person + Teams
A professional development workshop hosted by two students with expertise in building an effective online presence. Participants received practical guidance on using LinkedIn to strengthen their professional profiles and expand their networks. The session drew approximately 15 attendees, with a virtual option available.
¡Hablemos!
October 2025 In-person + Teams
A cultural exchange gathering centered on building cross-cultural communication skills. Students shared cultural snacks and drinks and contributed to a collaborative music playlist for the sessions. The event — whose name means “Let’s talk” in Spanish — reinforced the Student Association’s commitment to building a welcoming, multilingual community among SPPH students, and drew approximately 15 attendees.
Profit Share at Conex Coffee
November 18, 2025 Conex Coffee — 2312 Market St
An all-day fundraising event at Conex Coffee in Galveston, running 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students were encouraged to stop by throughout the day, with a portion of each sale benefiting the Student Association. The evening featured a community Game Night from 5 to 7 p.m. The event raised $173.30 in revenue for Student Association programming.
Writing Accountability Group (WAG)
November 2025 – April 2026 Monthly · 1–7 per session
A recurring monthly session designed to promote academic focus and peer support. WAG gave students a dedicated space to sit down, concentrate, and complete coursework alongside peers in the same mode. Sessions were held primarily in person, with one virtual option offered during the year.
Groundswell Community Day
December 2025 Elementary school garden · Galveston
A joint volunteer day co-organized with Groundswell, a Galveston nonprofit focused on upstream environmental and nutritional health solutions through its Young Gardeners Program. Students joined community members and SPPH faculty at a participating elementary school garden, cleaning and restoring the space for student use. Approximately 17 people participated across community, student, Groundswell, and faculty contingents.
Narcan Distribution
February 2026 Mardi Gras — community venue
A harm reduction outreach event held during Mardi Gras, coordinated by Vice President Izabella Galindo. Volunteers received a brief training — developed and led by Galindo and President Emily Edgar — covering key facts about Narcan and its use. Each distributed kit included an infographic created by an MD/MPH student detailing overdose recognition and naloxone administration. Recipients completed a short survey on their background and what they learned; the data were later presented at the National Public Health Week Poster Symposium. Approximately 15 volunteers participated across one- to two-hour shifts.
St. Vincent’s Health Fair
February 2026 In-person
The Student Association participated in the annual St. Vincent’s Health Fair, hosting a booth distributing infographics covering community resources for housing, food, transportation, health, mental health, and child care. The booth also featured an interactive activity: attendees placed balls into labeled bags representing the public health issues they considered most pressing in their community. Five students volunteered across one-hour shifts.
Distinguished Teaching Award
May 2026
An annual award sponsored by the Student Association recognizing a faculty member who demonstrates exceptional care for student growth, learning, and well-being. Students nominated candidates and voted to select the recipient. The 2025–2026 recipient was Leslie Stalnaker, Director of Public Health Practice.
Amendments to the Constitution
2025–2026
The board codified specific election cycles in the bylaws to provide clearer structure for future board terms. The secretary role was also expanded in the constitution to better reflect the full scope of responsibilities carried out during Sivatmika Palanisami’s term.
Student Outreach
The Student Association developed a streamlined post-event outreach system that served both as a communication channel and a data collection tool for improving future programming.
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| QR Code Check-In at Each Event. A Microsoft Forms QR code, unique to each event, was posted on-site for attendees to complete. The form collected each student’s name, UTMB email, and degree/concentration — enabling accurate attendance tracking and data-driven planning for future events. |
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| Follow-Up Emails Within Three Days. Using emails collected at each event, the Student Association sent follow-up messages within three days — expressing appreciation for attendance and providing a list of upcoming events and opportunities hosted by the organization. |
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| Collaborative Resources. Where appropriate, follow-up emails included collaboratively built resources: Hablemos music playlist suggestions, lists of current advocacy-related news sources that students requested, and a volunteer opportunity list developed in collaboration with Leslie Stalnaker. |
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| Ongoing Event Marketing. Because attendees continued receiving emails after each event, they were automatically notified of upcoming opportunities — creating a self-sustaining communication loop that proved effective for growing engagement and promoting larger Student Association events throughout the year. |
Brand Kit
At the start of the semester, the executive board was tasked with developing a new logo and brand identity that better represented SPPH and the organization’s mission. Vice President Izabella Galindo designed the logo and a comprehensive brand kit. Applied consistently across all Student Association communications and advertising throughout the year, the cohesive visual identity helped boost engagement and recognition across platforms.
Student Association Brand Colors
The Student Association maintains its own brand palette distinct from UTMB’s institutional colors.
Teal #4a9e7c | Lavender #9b89c4 | Yellow #f2d74e | Indigo #3d3b8e | Magenta #b83770 |
Typography
Be Vietnam Pro Be Vietnam Pro Descriptions & key information | HEADING NOW Heading Now 31–38 Section headers | Heading Now Heading Now 71–78 Subheaders |
Logo
Financial Summary
Over the 2025–2026 academic year, the Student Association strategically allocated funds to support engagement, programming, and resources that directly benefited members and the broader community.
$2,107 Opening Balance | $1,283 Total Income | $2,792 Total Expenses | $598 Closing Balance |
Spending by Category
Figure 1 — Spending by Category (Oct 29, 2025 – Apr 29, 2026)
| Personal 62% | $353.43 | |
| Event 32% | $179.99 | |
| Groceries 6% | $36.59 |
16 debits totaling $570.01 · Period: Oct 29, 2025 – Apr 29, 2026
Next Steps
The 2025–2026 board identified three priorities for the incoming administration — each grounded in work that began this year and has clear potential to grow.
01 Expand Community Volunteer Pathways The Student Association can play a larger role in community volunteer efforts. Expanding the volunteer list in collaboration with Leslie Stalnaker and Austin Taylor would create clearer pathways toward Applied Practice Experience opportunities for students. The partnership with Groundswell — whose Executive Director Casey McAuliffe expressed interest in deepening the SPPH student connection — is a particularly strong foundation to build on. | 02 Develop the Narcan Event into a Community Study The Mardi Gras Narcan distribution generated significant interest and produced survey data on community awareness and attitudes toward opioid use. With proper planning and IRB approval, this initiative could evolve into a community study gathering more rigorous data on stigma and knowledge gaps around opioid use in the Galveston area. | 03 Host Events Outside the Campus Setting Hosting student events off-campus would strengthen engagement and give students a change of environment. A bowling night at the Galveston PrimeTime Theater — planned but not completed this year — is recommended for the next administration as a low-barrier, high-return activity for building community among students. |
The SPPH Student Association represents all students in the School of Public and Population Health. Visit utmb.edu/spph to learn more about getting involved.