Graduate Research Assistant and MPH Student, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science
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Background and Interests

The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis at the age of 13 months, leading to a near death experience and resulting in severe hearing loss, has given me the inspiration to enter the healthcare world.  I am from Brandenburg, KY, and attended Bellarmine University, where I began a degree in nursing and later changed fields to graduate with a B.A. in Communication.  My array of experiences as a nursing assistant, as a physical therapy tech, in customer service, and in physician training led me to pursue the field of public health at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS).  I am currently in my last year of the MPH program and serve as secretary for the SPHIS Student Government.

My interests and motivation in the health field involves improving the health and well-being of individuals to enrich their quality of life.  Therefore, prevention is my focus to achieve positive health outcomes, thus ultimately decreasing both economic and healthcare burdens.  Currently my practicum project involves measuring knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among college athletes regarding community acquired-methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA).  The purpose is to determine what preventative measures can be applied to minimize the threat of staph infection spreading within the athletic environment.  Similarly, accepting a job as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Brown Cancer Center will allow me to explore the horizons of prevention and research.

Current Projects

Understanding and modeling the behavioral, cognitive, and affective responses of two lung cancer screening modalities, Chest X-ray (CXR) and low-dose Spiral Computed Tomography (SCT) under the protocol of randomized clinical trial. 

Providers Practice Prevention: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence - Nurse Practitioners

Masters Practicum: Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, University of Louisville.  CA-MRSA knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among college athletes.

• Aim #1: Through a survey process, determine the athletes' knowledge level regarding CA-MRSA and their previous experiences with skin and soft tissue infection.
• Aim #2: Evaluate athletes' hygiene practices as part of college-level athletics participation.
• Aim #3: Use the survey results to guide the development of educational materials.
• Aim #4: Re-administer the survey 3-4 months to determine the impact of the educational materials on the knowledge, attitudes, and personal hygiene activities of the college athletes.