Kacia Vines is a recent graduate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). There she obtained her B.S in Sociology with a concentration in Social Inequality, and a minor in Diversity and Community Engagement. She was a member of the Track and Field team where she was on the A/B honor roll and Dean’s List. Kacia’s next step academically, is to obtain a dual masters degree in public health and social work where her primary focus will either be on health behavior or … Continued

Kacia Vines is a recent graduate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). There she obtained her B.S in Sociology with a concentration in Social Inequality, and a minor in Diversity and Community Engagement. She was a member of the Track and Field team where she was on the A/B honor roll and Dean’s List. Kacia’s next step academically, is to obtain a dual masters degree in public health and social work where her primary focus will either be on health behavior or health equity. Last summer, Kacia was accepted into a public health internship program called Project IMHTOEP in Atlanta, Georgia. There she was sited at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4, where she conducted quantitative research on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) associated with Particulate Matter (less than 2.5) in Georgia counties. Completing a scientific manuscript, presentation, and a poster presentation, Kacia’s abstracted was accepted into the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Indiana, Indianapolis. Although Kacia’s interests are not in Environmental Health, she tackled that experience head on with the transferable experience she gained. Her true passion is working in underserved communities, implementing new programs and initiatives that diminish societal barriers.