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Research Support Across Projects is Music to Our Ears: Meet Airianne Posey

March 24, 2023
by Melissa Marcus As an advanced research assistant, Airianne Posey supports a wide variety of projects in the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). Her skills range across projects and programs, and she even knows how to carry a tune. And even this is only a fraction of what Airianne...

“Places and People”: New Study Reflects How Black Youth See Their Rural Communities

March 24, 2023
by Melissa Marcus Community. When we hear that word, we might imagine our own homes, neighborhoods, friends and family. For Black teenagers in rural areas, how they see community can differ from our expectations. A recent paper published in the Journal of Community Psychology aimed to understand how Black teenagers...

The Benefits of Experience: New Study Finds More Work Experience Benefits for Youth

February 14, 2023
by Melissa Marcus When you think of public health workers, do you picture teens? It might seem odd. But  work experience plays a large role in youth development. And CHER researchers and partners found new benefits when they worked with Black youth in rural North Carolina counties. Teenage work experience...

Linking Global and Local Public Health: Meet Stephanie Lola

January 31, 2023
by Melissa Marcus Stephanie Lola engages with healthcare on global and local scales through her graduate studies at the Gillings School of Public Health and her work at Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). Get to know Stephanie and her work. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you...

“I never grow tired of this work”: Tonia Poteat Reflects on Pandora Singleton Ally Award

November 30, 2022
by Melissa Marcus Tonia Poteat, CHER Core Faculty and head of the RISE lab, was recently awarded the Pandora Singleton Ally Award. The Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) asked for Poteat’s reflections on the award and learned more about what motivates her research. Presented by SisterLove, the award honors...

From Global Scales to Local Impact: Meet Ciera Thomas

November 22, 2022
by Melissa Marcus Ciera Thomas is a recent addition to the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). Her interest in health equity on both global and local scales drove her to seek out her degree at UNC, and it brought her to CHER to gain experience with her work passion....

Just Getting Started: CHER Hosts Third Health Equity Research Intensive (HERI)

November 8, 2022
  by Melissa Marcus The UNC Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) hosted its third Health Equity Research Intensive (HERI) on August 29 and 30. A new, third day, was scheduled for August 31. That day’s event had to be rescheduled to late September and the HERI planning team was...

Online and On the Ground, Andrea Mendoza Champions Engagement, Supports New IDEAS

October 25, 2022
by Melissa Marcus Even though she’s working remotely, Andrea Mendoza doesn’t let that stop her from engaging communities in and out of the UNC Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). In her role as Community Engagement Specialist, she partners with communities across the United States to improve community awareness and...

“So Many Different Perspectives”: Ph.D. Student Crosses (Not Swims) Oceans, Programs to Study Public Health

October 11, 2022
by Melissa Marcus When Juan Yanguela Eguizabal worked with the UNC Center for Health Equity Research as a Graduate Research Assistant, it was one stop in a varied, ongoing journey. Juan was born and raised in Spain. Now in Chapel Hill, he’s a long way – an ocean and more...

Mini Grant, Major Impact

August 16, 2022
What can a mini grant and a small group do to support diversity, equity and inclusion? A lot, when the group of colleagues are headed to the “largest multiracial, intergenerational conference for racial justice advocates.” In mid-July, the UNC School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion announced the...