Empowering the Future: A Summer of Tribal Health Exploration with HCOPH Faculty

We are excited to announce a partnership between our college faculty members and the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board’s Tribal Health Experiential Student Internship Seminar (THESIS) program for the summer of 2024. This collaboration brought together the expertise of our faculty with the mission of the THESIS program to provide a unique learning experience for students interested in Native American health.

A total of 58 interns were accepted into the THESIS program, representing 26 different states from 56 different universities and encompassing a total of 30 different majors. This diverse group of interns had the opportunity to learn from our faculty members who led various courses.

Dr. Lancer Stephens, an Associate Dean and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences, led the course “Intro to Public Health with Diverse Communities”. Dr. Stephens’ extensive work with multiple tribes and tribal organizations locally and nationwide provided students with a rich understanding of tribal health.

Dr. Sydney Martinez, an Assistant Professor in Epidemiology, guided students on their “Journey to a Scientific Poster: Research 101”. Dr. Martinez’s research on the intersection of commercial tobacco and diabetes, along with her commitment to training the next generation of health equity researchers, offered students a unique perspective on public health research.

Dr. Janis E. Campbell, a professor of Epidemiology with nearly 30 years of experience, introduced students to the field of epidemiology. Her extensive experience in health prevention and control programs, cancer health disparities, and working with American Indian tribes provided students with a comprehensive understanding of epidemiology in the context of tribal health.

Anne Kapka, a Ph.D. student at our college, co-led a session on “Gaps in Education and Resources for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in Oklahoma”. Anne’s passion for applying her epidemiologic knowledge in program evaluations and qualitative data analysis methods provided students with a practical understanding of the personal, everyday stories behind the data.

The program also benefited from the participation of 45 mentors from a variety of organizations including the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, CDC Healthy Tribes, Indigenous Science Advocacy, OUHSC, ASPPH, Oklahoma City Indian Health Clinic, and the Deputy Commissioner for Public Health of New York.

This partnership represented a significant opportunity for students to learn from experienced professionals in the field, gain meaningful experiences in public health settings, and make a life-long impact.

Learn more about the THESIS program at https://thesis.spthb.org/