The panel was led by ������Ƶ faculty members Ifeoma Udeh, Titch Madzima, Sandra Darfour-Oduro, Sheila Otieno and Mussa Idris. Each speaker contributed unique perspectives shaped by their research, professional backgrounds, and personal experiences, offering attendees a multifaceted view of contemporary issues affecting African nations. Throughout the event, the panelists addressed a series of thought-provoking questions that guided the discussion. “Which issues in Africa have most influenced your research? allowing each speaker to reflect on the driving forces behind their academic work.

Healthcare, trade, culture and religion in African countries were the major focus of discussion. Panelists emphasized the importance of the African Continental Free Trade among African countries. They also acknowledged the surge in non-communicable diseases and discussed promoting health education, investing in healthcare, and expanding access to medical care in Africa.

Religion and culture were explored as a powerful social force, particularly in response to the question, “Can religion be leveraged as a tool for social and health promotion in Africa and how?” Panelists discussed how religious institutions often serve as trusted community hubs and can play a significant role in disseminating information, encouraging positive behavioral changes and fostering social cohesion.

Finally, the discussion concluded on an optimistic note with the question, “What gives you the most hope about Africa’s future?” Panelists pointed to many different things that gave them hope, but among them were the continent’s rapidly growing youth population, increasing innovation and expanding opportunities as key sources of hope. They emphasized the resilience and creativity of African communities, as well as the potential for continued growth and global influence. The event was moderated by Salome Onikolase and Mariama Jalloh.

In addition to the academic discussion, attendees were treated to a traditional Ghanaian meal, which added a meaningful cultural dimension to the event. Sharing food created a welcoming atmosphere and allowed participants to experience a tangible aspect of African culture, reinforcing the event’s goal of connection and understanding. The event was made possible through the support of Associate Provost for Academic Inclusive Excellence Naeemah Clark, Dean of Global Education Nick Gozick, the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center at ������Ƶ, and Beth DeFord, program assistant.

Since his 2023 arrival at ������Ƶ, Kelly has hosted a ‘listening tour’ and spent time with each department to hear directly from faculty and staff about what they value. Kelly said that common themes soon emerged from those conversations and the new statement reflects dozens of discussions.

������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences new vision statement reads: “The Heart of an ������Ƶ Education: Ignite Curiosity, Engage Challenges, Transform Worlds.”

The mission statement then declares:

“Upholding the centrality of the liberal arts, we explore and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge for inquiry, creativity, discovery and problem solving in a complex and changing world.”

The statement lists core values that include accessibility, belonging, critical thinking, diversity, equity and inclusion, integrity, intellectual curiosity, problem-posing and respect for human dignity.

Community Reflections

• “There were several opportunities for different groups, departments, branches, interdisciplinary programs, to discuss versions on the table. It was in those conversations where we might learn how a word or phrase was heard within and across disciplines; where we found convergence, deeper awareness, and respect. The both-and of this process modeled what we value and genuinely captures our shared identity as ������Ƶ College.” – Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of exercise science
• “It was always important to us that this wasn’t a process where faculty were just asked to weigh in at the end, after the real decisions had already been made. From start to finish, it was grounded in listening to what faculty across the college say we do well and what values they believe guide our shared work. Our task wasn’t to invent a mission, vision and values, but to clearly articulate what faculty are already living and leading with. I think that’s why faculty can so readily see themselves and their departments represented in the final statements.” – David Buck, associate dean of ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and an associate professor of psychology
• “Having shared goals and articulated values helps everyone in the college feel connected as a community, value each other’s work and prioritize our energies on initiatives that matter to us.” – Shannon Duvall, interim associate dean of ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of computer science
• “I appreciated the collaborative nature of it all, not just between the dean’s office and department chairs, but also extending to faculty members across ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences. It really did involve all of us. What particularly stood out to me were the conversations in our chairs’ meetings with the dean where we came to agreements on core values. It’s inspiring to see that distinctly different types of disciplines uphold the same core values.” – Joel Karty, chair of the Department of Chemistry and ������Ƶ’s Sydney F. & Kathleen E. Jackson Professor of chemistry
• “I appreciated being part of a process that felt genuinely collaborative. Our participation was not merely symbolic. It felt meaningful, and I experienced the dean’s office as truly listening. The process itself was also inspirational, and I feel bolstered in leading my own department through similar work. It was powerful to see such a broad, collective effort take shape into something tangible.” – Samantha DiRosa, chair of the Department of Art and a professor of art and environmental studies
• “The process of creating a new vision statement, mission statement and core values for ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences was both thoughtful and deeply collaborative. Over many months, department chairs worked together to reflect on what makes us distinctive and how best to express those qualities in guiding statements. The process intentionally sought input from across departments, ensuring that everyone in the college had the opportunity to contribute their perspectives. Personally, the time spent reflecting with fellow chairs on what makes each of our departments special fostered a deeper sense of shared purpose and collective commitment.” – Carrie Eaves, chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Policy and associate professor of political science and public policy

Kelly said he was pleased the final language resonated with the faculty in the college.

“The true measure of a successful attempt to lead a group or an organization towards a renewed vision, mission and core values is whether the words and sentiments ‘sound like us’,” he said. “When I heard that some faculty believed my presentation of our vision, mission and core values at our spring faculty meeting ‘sound like us,’ I knew that our work together in small and large group settings was a huge success. It means that stakeholders were heard and that the words resonate so much so that the tune or melody is familiar. The vision, mission and core values reflect truly who we are and where we are going with much intention.”

Mitchener’s connection to ������Ƶ began through an unexpected source: her mother’s nursing practice. Her mother was treating a patient who was attending ������Ƶ, which gave Mitchener access to explore the campus.

She recalls the day she visited for the first time: “While my mom was seeing her patient, she left me downtown. I went to Oak House and walked around the campus. And after the tour, I fell in love with ������Ƶ. I knew that this was my campus, and this was my home,” she said.

After this newfound love, Mitchener explored ways to begin her ������Ƶ journey through financial aid programs. She discovered and applied to both the Odyssey Program and Public Health Scholars.

She remembers the night her academic potential was recognized; it was the night of her final senior year dance concert. As the show wrapped up, she received a call from ������Ƶ’s Odyssey Program delivering good news of her acceptance into the program through the Kerrii Brown Anderson Odyssey Scholarship.

Now a senior double major in public health and policy studies, Mitchener is actively involved in creating solutions for the community’s public health problems.

“Growing up, I always thought the way to help others was just being a doctor,” she said. “I really love how public health is grounded in not only finding the root issue, but understanding the community that you’re working with.”

While Mitchener was in a public health course that was required for the Public Health Scholars Program, she recalls her professor, Associate Professor of Public Health Studies Stephanie Baker, stating: “If you’re going to be a healthcare professional and be upset at the systems that don’t allow you to help your patients to the full extent that you want to, being a healthcare professional might not be for you.”

“That stuck with me, because I think of insurance and how much medicines can cost, making it very difficult for people to access healthcare. I want to be a piece of the healthcare solution,” said Mitchener.

Now, Mitchener and her course group are currently working to revise the Public Art & Honorary Policy for the city of Burlington. This includes making an application form for any community member who wants to donate a piece of art or get a memorial plaque. Additionally, she created a resource for community members to connect with local and statewide art collectives.

“We share all of our deliverables with the city in hopes that they will implement the policy. They can make any edits they see fit, and it was a collaborative process where we were constantly in contact with the city,” said Mitchener.

Also involved with Periclean Scholars, Mitchener was able to mentor the sophomore class and go to their global partner in Sri Lanka.

“The Periclean cohort has honestly just been such a light in my ������Ƶ experience and not only given me community but also purpose,” she said.

Her initiative for change doesn’t stop there; Micthener is also a HealthEU Senator with ������Ƶ Student Government Association.

“A big piece of Student Government is writing legislation and advocating for the student body and what they need,” she said.

Through the SGA, she has already taken noticeable action to improve the ������Ƶ community through HealthEU policy. She identified a lack of seating accessibility at the bus stop near the Dalton L. McMichael Sr. Science Center. Now, there is now a covered seating area that sits beautifully outside the McMichael Science Center.

Mitchener also took the initiative to further amplify student voices at a dinner with ������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book. Through her connection to the community and the students in it, she identified a common problem among ������Ƶ students having access to transportation to the airport during breaks. After she represented and stood up for community needs, changes were made. Students now have wider access to airport transportation through ������Ƶ-provided shuttles.

“It taught me how important having connections is,” she said. “If I didn’t have a connection with those students, if I didn’t take my time to ask and understand their needs and why they have them, the problem wouldn’t have been addressed or been on the radar.”

Remembering the help she received along the way, Mitchener states her Odyssey scholarship acted as a “launching pad” for her success in her public health and policy studies.

“The Odyssey Program doesn’t just keep you stagnant,” she said. “It empowers you to branch out and pursue whatever you want on campus. It’s allowed me to fully embrace the college experience.”

Mitchener describes a recent “melt your heart moment” she experienced with another student. While leading a tour of ������Ƶ to prospective students, one girl spoke up and said, “I love this school. I want to go here so badly. But I don’t know if I can afford it.” It was then that she offered to share the Odyssey and scholarship resources with the prospective student to help her achieve her dream ������Ƶ experience. Just a year later, the prospective student had committed to ������Ƶ on an Odyssey scholarship and is now Mitchener’s mentee.

“Donors get to empower a student,” said Mitchener. “I don’t think about it like you just give a student money and walk away. Instead, you’re empowering them and giving them the tools to pursue whatever it is that they want.”

Miranda is the sixth ������Ƶ student in five consecutive years to receive District 7690’s Rotary Club’s Global Grant. She follows Faith Leslie ‘21, Allison Potter ’22, Kiara Hunter ’23, and joint recipients Megan Curling ’23, Ava de Bruin ’23 and Nazaneen Shokri ’24. All recipients since 2022 have had at least one major in public health, a testament to the Department of Public Health’s ability to successfully prepare leaders who address the most pressing public health concerns of the 21st century.

This opportunity is not limited to public health majors, though, and all interested ������Ƶ students and alumni should contact the National and International Fellowships Office for more information about the application process.

From ������Ƶ to the CDC

At ������Ƶ, Miranda double majored in public health studies and international & global studies and minored in geography. She made the most of her undergraduate experience by engaging in research and service, and studying abroad in Tanzania. Outside of the classroom, she worked in the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and is proudest of her time as a Multifaith Intern.

The combination of these experiences prepared Miranda well for a post-graduate career with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she served for five years. She first served as a COVID-19 epidemiologist in Kentucky before transitioning to a new role at the Vermont Department of Health, where she specialized in public health emergency preparedness and response. Miranda’s time with the CDC helped her clarify her passions and refine her professional philosophy: “equitable access to healthcare is essential for thriving communities.”

With this domestic training under her belt and her philosophy front of mind, Miranda was ready to go global.

An Intersection of Values

When the time came to think about furthering her education, Miranda grew confident in her decision to look beyond the United States.

“I knew I wanted to shift my career toward global health, but I also knew I did not want to do so without first understanding my own interests, values, and limits through hands-on experience,” she explained. “When I began thinking about graduate school, I realized that studying abroad would allow me to expand that perspective while learning how health systems operate in a different cultural and policy context.”

Miranda was drawn to Taiwan for its strong public health infrastructure and commitment to disease prevention. National Taiwan University’s MSc in Global Health program, with its emphasis on international perspectives, offered an unparalleled opportunity for her to deepen her academic and technical training.

To support her goal of attending NTU’s Global Health program, Miranda began working with the National and International Fellowships Office at ������Ƶ, which assists students and alumni in identifying and applying for externally funded scholarships and grants. She first applied for a study/research grant through the and was unfortunately unsuccessful, but undeterred. She continued conversations with Ann Cahill and Nicole Galante, director and assistant director of the ������Ƶ National and International Fellowships Office, and it quickly became clear that she was a perfect fit for another fellowship: The Rotary Global Grant.

Guided by their core areas of focus, Rotary is a highly values-based organization that seeks to support students who are just as passionate about solving the world’s problems as they are. The intersection between Miranda’s work and Rotary’s goals was evident to both Miranda and her advisors.

“I couldn’t think of a better fit. It’s almost as if Holly has spent her whole life preparing to be a Rotarian without actually knowing it,” said Galante.

It was no surprise, then, when Miranda applied for and ultimately received the $30,000 grant that enabled her to begin graduate studies in the fall of 2025.

Returning to the Classroom While Arriving in a New Country

Returning to the classroom after five years—in a new country, no less—presented its challenges for Miranda, but she quickly found her footing.

During her first semester, she took courses like Global Health Science, Introduction to Epidemiology, and Social and Behavioral Health, while also participating in field trips to the National Health Care Agency, the global think tank CAPRI, and the Taiwan International Workers Association. To get the most out of her experience in the country, Miranda also took advantage of the free Chinese language courses offered by NTU for international students. Her intensive winter course met for three hours a day, five days a week.

As she looks towards the remainder of her time in the program, Miranda is eager to begin her master’s thesis.

“I’m looking forward to conducting my thesis research, focusing on adolescent mental health. I am honored that Professor Shu-Sen Chang is my thesis advisor; he is a leading expert in mental health and suicide prevention in Taiwan and the region. It is a privilege to be part of his lab and to contribute to this area of public health, which I am deeply passionate about,” she said

Once she graduates, Miranda will be well prepared to re-enter the workforce, strengthening health systems, enhancing disease surveillance, and improving outbreak preparedness. In the long term, she aspires to lead outbreak response efforts with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), combining the values and experience she’s gained from ������Ƶ to Taiwan, to no doubt make this world a better and healthier place. 

The “Childbirth” core seminar created and led by Cynthia Fair, a professor of public health and human service studies and the Watts/Thompson Professor at ������Ƶ, has become a transformative course on campus that Fair describes today as a highlight of her teaching career and one of her favorite courses.

Students and graduates say they feel the same way and several have cited the course as a meaningful experience that influences their career journeys through its exploration of the social, historical and cultural aspects of childbirth.

First offered in 2003, the course’s origins date to Fair’s undergraduate studies at Davidson College when she learned about a professor who taught a childbirth course to non-biology majors. “It was one of those moments where the clouds parted,” said Fair, who has mentored dozens of undergraduate researchers at ������Ƶ over the past two decades. “I knew I was meant to teach this course.”

Fair brings three aspects of experience to the classroom: lived experience as a mother, clinical experience working with pregnant people and families, and research on childbirth topics such as waterbirth and fertility.

“Throughout the course we look at the historical portrayal of women’s bodies, the effects of structural racism, cultural anthropology, the evolution of midwifery care, and even the language we use around birth,” Fair said. “Language shapes how we see the world, and it shapes how care is delivered. I love teaching this course because I lived it.”

Students also examine where birth occurs, from hospitals to homes to birth centers, and consider how environments, systems and support networks influence labor and outcomes.

Fair said she hopes students leave the course with more than academic knowledge. She wants them to develop a voice they can use in any medical context. Discussions often focus on strategies to reduce maternal mortality and how to support a birthing person’s decisions.

“Everyone is born, yet we rarely talk about birth,” Fair said. “Students have so many questions, and I create a space where no question is ‘stupid’.”

A signature assignment asks students to reflect on their own births to explore how personal experience, family stories and cultural messaging shape their understanding of childbirth.

Throughout the semester, the classroom becomes an interactive space. Students learn and practice baby massage techniques and explore breastfeeding practices and holds. Fair regularly invites guest lectures, including a childbirth educator, midwife, doula and neonatal intensive care unit clinical social worker.

Whether students pursue clinical careers or become advocates for maternal health, Fair said, she is proud of the course’s impact.

“My dream is for students who enter health-related fields to nurture this passion and to improve outcomes. I also want each student to know how to advocate for themselves in a medical setting.” Fair said.

Over the years, Fair’s course has shaped career paths for several students who either discovered or deepened their passion for maternal and child health. Some ������Ƶ alumni now volunteer their time to visit with Fair’s current students.

Cat Palmer ’15, a practicing nurse-midwife, visited the class during the most recent fall semester to share her own story with current students.

“The midwifery philosophy honors the autonomy and sovereignty a person giving birth has over their body and their own experience,” Palmer said. “Dr. Fair’s class sparked a passion I did not know I had, and demonstrated that scientific rigor, public health, healing arts and service to one’s community could all meet in the discipline of midwifery. In many ways, the balance of didactic coursework and experiential learning in the ‘real world’ that I received at ������Ƶ set me up perfectly for my career as a midwife.”

Because of Fair’s course, Harper McEvoy ’25 shifted her own career trajectory from pursing a degree in physician assistant studies to becoming a midwife. McEvoy had long been interested in childbirth and was even able to connect with Palmer to talk about similar experiences.

McEvoy will soon attend Yale University School of Nursing, where she plans to become a nurse-midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner.

“Hearing real-life stories and participating in hands-on exercises helped us truly experience how these professionals create environments that advocate for and support women through such a transformative experience,” McEvoy said. “Dr. Fair’s course helped me realize what truly excites and fulfills me, and it gave me the clarity and confidence to change direction. I realized I wanted to be someone who honors birth, advocates for mothers and stands with them through both the most challenging and joyful moments.”

Titled “Disrupting power structures to promote equity in community-based learning,” this conversation championed ways in which relational power dynamics between academic institutions and community partners can be equitably reformed. This session was guided by two overarching questions: 1) How might we engender robust self-examination around the question of whether academic programs are operating in equitable or paternalistic ways? and 2) What can academic practitioners do to break down barriers to true equity in community partnerships and meaningfully enhance equity in program design, execution, and evaluation?

Best practice models in community-based learning, such as Fair Trade Learning, emphasize that academic practitioners must equitably co-create programs with community partners. While many practitioners agree with these aspirational standards, bringing them to life poses challenges. Communities that have been historically subject to colonialism and exploitation may not feel empowered to lead. Community partners may not consider it possible to co-create because of deeply rooted assumptions that academic institutions lead and community partners follow.

Academic programs often approach partners to seek their approval for complete/nearly complete memorandums of understanding, project plans, and course syllabi. This can happen intentionally or be the product of assumptions about the default way of doing things. Such approaches do not display equitable co-design through collaboration. Embedded and presumed imbalances in power dynamics that exist between academic institutions and community partners need to be acknowledged and comprehensively explored. Partnership outcomes must focus on mutual benefit instead of primarily privileging student benefits and outcomes. And the senior leadership and counsel’s offices of academic institutions must understand that it is healthy to cede significant components of control over partnerships while, at the same time, doing everything required to keep students and community partners safe.

“Living in Alamance County for four years, I just thought it would be really beneficial to give back to the community that gave me so much,” said Lee. “This position sounded exactly like what I wanted to do.”

The Year of Service Fellows Program is an opportunity through the university’s Student Professional Development Center that allows recent graduates to work at local organizations to improve health, education and economic development in the Alamance County community. Lee is one of six Fellows in the program, with three working at Impact Alamance.

Impact Alamance has three focus areas: healthier (focusing on improving community health), smarter (focusing on education) and stronger (focusing on strengthening community partnerships).

As an employee for “healthier,” Lee has worked on a variety of different grant projects, including installing a local basketball court in the town of Mebane, North Carolina, funding a mobile recreational unit and planning Impact Alamance’s annual wellness summit.

“I’ve worked on smaller projects, but it means so much to the people that we help,” Lee said. “That’s probably my favorite part; just seeing how much Impact Alamance truly does.”

Since beginning her year of service for Impact Alamance, Lee has been able to draw on her experiences within her coursework at ������Ƶ, in addition to her previous internships.

“My last internship was with my public health practicum class with the Women’s Resource Center of Alamance County,” Lee said. “That was my first local internship and really shaped my path, showing how great it was to work for and help the people of Alamance. I think ultimately, that’s what led me to decide and apply.”

Additionally, Lee credits different professors from both public health and political science for igniting her interest to double major, as well as shaping her world view on the healthcare system.

“Dr. Yanika Faustin was the reason I decided to double major in public health after taking one of her courses, Reproductive Justice,” Lee explained. “She definitely shaped my time at ������Ƶ, as well as Dr. Stephanie Baker who was my senior seminar professor for public health. She really showed me that this is what I wanted to do.”

Lee has been able to reap the benefits of the Year of Service Fellows program, as it has provided her real-world experience before beginning a post-graduate degree. Since her first undergraduate internship was also with Alamance County, she has been able to continue honing her relationships and making an impact in the community.

This story is part of a series of features on the 2025-26 Year of Service Fellows, highlighting the work they are doing in the Alamance County community.

“After taking my first intro to public health class, I was like, ‘This is it!’” Ecker says. “Education doesn’t stop in a classroom. [Public health] touches so many parts of your life.”

That realization led her to join the Periclean Scholars program and travel to Denmark, India and Sri Lanka, transformative experiences that informed her view on global public health. Yet it was a local opportunity that offered her the most meaningful lesson in community involvement.

The Morrowtown Mission

Ecker wanted to conduct research early, and her public health professors connected her with Professor of Education Scott Morrison. He had been working with the , a grassroots organization in a historically Black Burlington neighborhood. Founded in 2017 by Lydia Jones and Joyce Moore, MCG’s mission is “to educate, empower and encourage individuals through acts of service and giving.”

Professor of Religious Studies Rebecca Todd Peters had previously helped MCG establish a community land trust and secure the land for a community garden. When efforts to sustain the garden fizzled out, Jones reached out to Morrison for help. He began taking students from his Teaching Garden-
Based Learning course a couple times throughout the semester to assist.

By 2021, Morrison’s students were regular  volunteers. A chance meeting with Ashlie Thomas, a local gardener, author and food scientist, sparked a lasting partnership, and they began working at the Morrowtown Community Garden together. When Ecker approached Morrison in 2023 about research opportunities, he introduced her to Thomas and MCG.

“I told him about my interests in community gardens, public health and community-based work,” Ecker says, adding that MCG resident leaders Lydia Jones and Roscoe Alston were excited by the idea of working together to build up the garden.

At first, Ecker assumed the garden existed mainly to address food insecurity. Ultimately, what she found was deeper. MCG envisioned the garden as a gathering space, a place that could strengthen relationships, particularly among families and youth. Listening to the residents’ needs became central to her research collaboration.

Putting the “co” in community collaboration

Ecker, Morrison and Thomas grounded their work in Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR), an approach that makes community members equal partners in the research process. The team wanted to avoid establishing a non-reciprocal relationship with Morrowtown, where their research overshadowed the needs and wants of the community members.

“Emily and I had a lot of conversations about ‘are we “co” enough?’” Morrison says. “Because it’s not just about us, it’s about them and what they’re doing.”

Ecker spent that summer attending community meetings, volunteering at the garden and building deeper connections and trust with community members. Establishing those relationships was key when it was time to conduct the survey about resident perceptions of the community garden. That survey would ultimately shape the resources and support that Ecker, Morrison, Thomas and others would seek to provide Morrowtown moving forward.

Fifteen in-depth interviews at the garden with resident leaders evolved into 30 resident surveys. Two major needs emerged: increasing resident participation in the garden and more activities for community youth to promote educational support. “It’s so important to know that [these] were resident-identified needs and not just us coming in and saying we wanted to do this program,” Ecker says.

Rooted Together

To address those needs, the team created Rooted Together, an eight-week program that combined gardening, literacy, math and nutrition lessons for local children. Five to 10 kids, ages 3 to 8, attended weekly sessions in spring 2025, learning about plant cycles, exploring gardening tools and preparing meals. Recipes and handouts were also translated into Spanish to make the program more accessible.

The program was free for participants thanks to the ������Ƶ Student Government Association’s Acorn Fund. Ecker received a $5,000 grant to buy the ingredients, utensils, gloves and other supplies.

“We would buy enough groceries to be able to give a bag of food that we just made to [each child], so they could take them home to their families with the recipes,” Ecker says. “That way, what we were doing went beyond the garden and into their homes.”

As new community feedback emerged, such as changing start and end times to better suit participants’ schedules, the group adapted the program. Children returned every week, and other community members began helping set up tables and chairs for sessions. Almost 40 people across generations attended the final event, a testament to the trust the program engendered in the community.

“Scott and Emily have accelerated the educational and learning programs at the Morrowtown garden,” Alston says. “They have increased the harvest from the garden. They have beautified the garden.”

Connecting Beyond the Classroom

Survey results also showed concern about the garden’s infrastructure, such as rain water pooling on top of garden beds. Ecker and Morrison knew others at ������Ƶ could help.

Ecker reached out to Assistant Professor of Engineering Will Pluer, who brought his Introduction to Environmental Engineering class to the garden. After conducting an assessment, the students designed a rain garden — a sloped area at the end of the community garden with plants that absorb and drain rain water. Assistant Teaching Professor of Environmental Studies Jacob Rutz and students in his Sustainable Food Production class built it and prepped the community garden for summer planting.

“They didn’t know me,” Ecker says of Pluer and Rutz, “but their excitement and their openness to working with me and trying to figure this all out together was great.”

I think in a culture that often celebrates individual achievements, it’s harder to pitch a collaborative effort. — Scott Morrison

The garden was also in need of a sturdier meeting and storage shed. Yet another class, Design for Service, surveyed the site and drew up design options. Once the team and the Morrowtown community members settled on a design, Ecker secured an ������Ƶ Innovation Grant to help fund the project. Plans for the shed are currently underway and it is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

In November, Ecker, Morrison and Thomas presented their findings at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Expo, where Ecker earned a student award for a poster presentation — one of only a few undergraduate students to achieve the honor.

Lasting Impact

Now a double major in public health and international and global studies, Ecker graduates in the spring, leaving behind strong programs and relationships in Morrowtown. She credits Morrison with helping her develop those connections in meaningful ways.

“He has really guided me on how to show up,” Ecker says. “It has really helped me to know how to form relationships and how to enter into a space that you’re not part of or you start out as an outsider. I think that’s going to be really helpful for when I continue my public health journey or career in general.”

Morrison noticed early on that Ecker’s ability to connect with others and the intentionality behind those connections would make her a good fit for the work and relationships with Morrowtown community members. He is most proud of the spirit of collaboration she has developed.

“I think in a culture that often celebrates individual achievements, it’s harder to pitch a collaborative effort,” Morrison says. “I think that’s what Emily is really good at.”

Ecker hopes more ������Ƶ classes will volunteer and establish reciprocal relationships with Morrowtown as the community’s needs change over time. One thing she knows for sure: Morrison’s continued leadership and guidance will remain.

“I really care about the longevity of my commitment with the Morrowtown community,” Morrison says. “This has not been just a one-time project. It has evolved.”

The trust he, Ecker and other ������Ƶ partners have built with Morrowtown, he says, is their most important harvest yet.

When I was a freshman at ������Ƶ, full of ambition but lacking direction, Dr. Fair invited me to join her undergraduate research team. At the time, her focus was on the impact of health issues on children, and I wanted nothing to do with kids. So, we pivoted. I launched a project exploring the impact of stigma and discrimination on individuals living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We met weekly. I completed the research, turned it into a senior-year internship, presented at the Student Undergraduate Research Forum and eventually co-authored a paper with her. The year after graduation, we were published and presented at a national conference. I landed a job supporting state HIV programs, and I was good at it.

But when I think of Dr. Fair, it’s not the résumé bullet points that come to mind. It’s her enduring influence on who I am. She’s a wellspring of patience, knowledge, resilience and curiosity. She never settles for the status quo. She sees students — and the world — as works in progress, always evolving. She gave me, an eager but slightly jaded kid, the space to ask big questions, to embrace setbacks and to celebrate small victories. Through every life milestone since graduation, through highs and lows, she’s been there. She always says, “When you come up for air, I’ll be here.” And she always is. For the record, I’m still working on changing the world. But Dr. Fair? She already has

Britten Pund ’06 is a public health program consultant with more than 19 years of experience supporting state health department and federal HIV programs. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Zack Pund ’05, and their three children.

The effort began during Family Weekend, when current students and their family members joined faculty to decorate 540 postcards. Additional public health students contributed throughout the semester, as did family members of faculty.

“It became a beautiful community-building activity that strengthened relationships across multiple groups,” said Cindy Fair, professor of public health. “We even had graduates return for Alumni Weekend to join in the fun. It felt like a chance to give back to those who dedicated their lives to improving the health of all communities and were now struggling to find their professional footing.”

Public health student Mallory Otten ’26 reflected on the experience.

“Making postcards for our alumni showed me how powerful small acts of recognition can be,” said Otten. “Especially in a moment when public health is not always visible or valued, it felt important to honor alumni whose continued work represents the heart of our ������Ƶ community.”

Each postcard included a QR code linking recipients to the Office of Alumni Engagement, ensuring graduates can easily access the university’s resources as they continue their professional journeys.

“It felt great to share words of encouragement with students who have served as mentors, even after graduating,” added Niara Legette ’26. “Knowing that public health is going through a period of uncertainty, it’s important to remain encouraged and to know that the ������Ƶ community is standing by them. My mom got super involved, and I think as a parent it meant a lot to support students who are in the position I’ll likely be in a year from now.”

The project reflects the strong sense of community within ������Ƶ Public Health, one that extends beyond campus walls and supports graduates through both celebration and challenge.