Student Spotlight August 2015
Clara Sears
Clara received her BA in Biology with a minor in Business from Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana. In the Spring of 2014 she graduated with her MS in Epidemiology from UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences and has since continued on in the PhD program. Clara will be starting her dissertation this Fall.
I came to the University of Louisville because I love the city and knew I would enjoy living here.
I am interested in community-based research addressing health disparities. I am currently involved with research evaluating heavy metal exposure and neurobehavioral symptoms in children, as well as research assessing tobacco use and communication of youth in Appalachia. I enjoy working with trans-disciplinary teams and interacting with community members to identify how behavioral and environmental factors contribute to health..
2015 - SPHIS Travel Award
2014 - University of Louisville, School of Public Health and Information Sciences Dean’s Award
2014 - Graduate Research Assistantship - University of Louisville
Publication:
Zierold, K.M., & Sears, C.G. (2015). Community views about the health and exposure of children living near a coal ash storage site. J Community Health, 40(2), 357-363.
I have found my research assistantship in the Department of Communication to be the most enjoyable part of my graduate school experience thus far. I enjoy working with people in different disciplines with various interests because it broadens my knowledge and exposes me to different research methods. I have enjoyed traveling to collect data and present at conferences in places that I would not otherwise visit. My brilliant bosses have also been very encouraging and wonderful role models throughout my experience.
I currently live in Louisville with my husband, Nick Wesman, and dog, Alfi. I am originally from Paoli, Indiana where my parents and siblings still reside.
A talent you have always wanted: I wish I could dance.
Favorite book: Candide by Voltaire
Favorite quote: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein
If you weren’t in graduate school, what would you be doing now? Traveling the world.