Synthesis Archive

Ella Norman: Air Quality and Community Health in South San Francisco: A Community-Engaged Project in Partnership with Rise South City
Format: Interactive Map for Rise South City

This initiative focused on developing an interactive map that represents air quality and its impacts on South San Francisco's low-income, majority-Hispanic community. Collaborating closely with Rise South City, Ella prioritized community engagement by utilizing local data and actively involving residents in the project. This approach ensured that the map effectively addressed pollution concerns specific to the community, showcasing the importance of community relationships and input in developing practical solutions.

Angie Casarez: Sexual Health Education Teaching Guidebook
Format: Curriculum for ACT for Women & Girls’ teaching staff

In this project, Angie aimed to develop a trauma-informed curriculum tailored to the unique needs of the local population through community-based participatory research. By fostering meaningful dialogue with educators and community partners, Angie created a flexible curriculum that incorporates both in-person and virtual options. This collaborative approach empowers students and educators while promoting informed decision-making regarding sexual health, highlighting the vital role of community engagement in educational initiatives.

Sydney Helfand: Nutritional Guide for Cancer Patients
Format: Handbook for UCSD

Sydney's project sought to empower cancer patients to understand and manage their nutritional needs during treatment, achieved through an extensive literature review and community-based inputs. By including feedback from cancer patients and healthcare providers, she created a guide that addressed common nutritional misconceptions while remaining accessible and engaging. This project underscores the significance of community engagement in addressing gaps in healthcare resources and improving patient outcomes through tailored solutions.

Jasmine Nevarez: Engaging San Francisco Bay Area Students as Agents of Change
Format: Curriculum for One Voice

This initiative encompassed a four-module curriculum designed to educate students on community health, citizen science, and the social determinants of health, ultimately empowering them as agents of change. Collaborating with local schools, Jasmine engaged students in meaningful discussions on public health and advocacy, enabling them to propose data-driven solutions. The project not only provides a valuable resource for ongoing community health engagement but also exemplifies how student involvement can stimulate positive change.

Emily Swinth: Creating Community-Based Solutions to Food Insecurity
Format: Narrative Report for La Cocina

Emily focused on addressing food insecurity by orchestrating a collaboration between the Food as Medicine Collaborative and La Cocina, aimed at providing gift cards to food-insecure patients. Through direct engagement with patients, overseeing survey design, and evaluating the program's impact, this project illustrates the power of community involvement in addressing systemic health issues. By integrating community feedback and insights, Emily’s project demonstrates how public service initiatives can create meaningful and sustainable impacts.

Grace Rabinowitz: Digest This: Healthcare News and Views
Format: Podcast

Digest This is a podcast that breaks down healthcare topics, providing listeners with manageable insights and practical wellness tips through expert interviews. Grace successfully utilized connections she previously established to invite expert guests and released episodes throughout the year, ensuring ongoing project momentum. Using the podcast as the medium it allowed for the information to be more accessible and relatable to a broader audience. 

Xochilt Lorenzo: Sueños de Bienestar: Latinos within the Los Angeles County Healthcare System
Format: Documentary

This documentary captures a thoughtful exploration of the Latino community’s experiences within the Los Angeles County healthcare system. Xochilt conducted 15 interviews over Winter break giving her ample time for qualitative analysis and video editing. Xochilt chose the documentary format for its ability to convey authentic stories, allowing for deeper engagement with community voices.

Julia Todderud: Art and Anatomy
Format: Original Artistic Pieces

This project includes original anatomical art that explores the relationship between art and anatomical understanding. It was inspired by a study abroad experience and built on her prior coursework in the art department. This showcases the power of artistic expression in communicating complex scientific concepts.  

Anna Kiesewetter: Hysterical: Essays on Living in a Woman's Body
Format: Collection of Essays

This project consists of a powerful collection of essays that delve into her experiences as a woman, exploring themes of identity, societal expectations, and personal growth. The written format allows for eloquent and nuanced articulation of her thoughts and emotions. She invites readers to engage with her personal narrative on both an intellectual and emotional level.  

Tianna Trepte: Mind, Body, Spirit: A Personal Documentary
Format: Self-documentary

This project captures the personal health and wellness journey, framing her experiences from childhood to the present, as she integrates her understanding of holistic health into her life. The documentary style effectively conveys her story visually, and features interviews with loved ones and personal reflections.

Creative Fiction projects give students the opportunity to create stories and characters, allowing for imaginative exploration of themes and emotions.

Koree French:  All The Things I Couldn't Say Out Loud
Format: Short Stories

This project creates fictional short stories that raise awareness of healthcare disparities. The blending of scientific literature with creative storytelling provides a multifaceted exploration of the topic. By interviewing individuals, Koree captures personal stories and experiences that can resonate on a deeper emotional level than statistics alone. This method of exploration not only educates but also empowers and gives voice to a community that faces significant challenges.

Paw Mar Gay: Teddy Bear & Jujubes: A Story About Autism
Format: Children’s Book

This project is designed to educate young readers about autism through the narrative of two sisters. The method involved extensive research of existing children's literature, drafting multiple iterations, and integrating visual elements. It utilizes storytelling and illustration to convey complex concepts in a relatable and engaging manner for young audiences.

Koree French:  All The Things I Couldn't Say Out Loud
Format: Short Stories

This project creates fictional short stories that raise awareness of healthcare disparities. The blending of scientific literature with creative storytelling provides a multifaceted exploration of the topic. By interviewing individuals, Koree captures personal stories and experiences that can resonate on a deeper emotional level than statistics alone. This method of exploration not only educates but also empowers and gives voice to a community that faces significant challenges.

Paw Mar Gay: Teddy Bear & Jujubes: A Story About Autism
Format: Children’s Book

This project is designed to educate young readers about autism through the narrative of two sisters. The method involved extensive research of existing children's literature, drafting multiple iterations, and integrating visual elements. It utilizes storytelling and illustration to convey complex concepts in a relatable and engaging manner for young audiences.

Sierra Maciorowski: Born for Death: Dysfunction and Infection in a World of Epidemics
Format: Creative Nonfiction

The project explores the complexities of disaster public health and communication in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It involved analyzing the response to infectious diseases, exploring historical contexts of pandemics, and understanding the broader impacts on global health systems and policy-making. By creating a compelling narrative that combines factual rigor with emotional resonance, the student was able to make complex issues more relatable and understandable to a broader audience.

Rachel Lit: Surrounded by Smoke: Health Risks Facing First Responders in a New Era of Wildfires
Format: Journalistic

This project highlights the critical intersection of climate change and its impact on public safety, particularly for first responders. Rachel conducted in-depth interviews and thorough research to explore the escalating health risks faced by first responders amid increasing wildfires. The project aims to raise awareness among the general public, policymakers, and stakeholders about the dangers these individuals encounter, thus fostering a greater understanding of the associated issues.

Sawye Raygani: Debunking the Protein Myth through Plant-Forward Cooking
Format: Cookbook Website

This project focused on transforming traditional Persian recipes into plant-based alternatives to promote healthier eating habits. This project was conducted through research, recipe development, and a community dinner event to gather feedback and foster cultural acceptance of plant-forward dishes.This cookbook successfully combines cultural heritage with environmental sustainability and nutritional education.

Oluwaseun Adebagbo: A Conversation with Black Women in Medicine

Format: Documentary

This project explores the experiences of Black women in the medical field through personal narratives while emphasizing the importance of representation and connection. By interviewing mentors with similar backgrounds, it fosters authentic and relatable conversations. The documentary combines storytelling with visual representation, allowing the message to resonate strongly with the audience.

Brooke Seay: Body Sovereignty: Exploring the Synchrony of Trans and Reproductive Health Justice
Format: Zine

This project explores the interconnectedness of trans and reproductive health through storytelling and visual art. The method involved researching historical, philosophical, and political perspectives, incorporating feedback throughout the process, and transitioning to a zine format to communicate complex ideas. The zine format allowed for a creative and non-linear presentation of intricate topics, fostering open dialogue and engagement from diverse audiences on critical social issues.

Jeramy Botwe: Ananse Ntontan: My Good Health
Format: Zine

This is an insightful exploration of black identity and public health, creatively weaving essays, poetry, digital illustrations, and photography to narrate personal and historical stories of health inequities, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and black maternal mortality. Through an innovative blend of various media, the project effectively engages readers in a thoughtful dialogue about complex societal issues, making it a noteworthy example for students pursuing similar creative writing endeavors.

Lea Rysavy: Adopted Bodies in the World
Format: Anthology

This project involved collecting and sharing the personal adoption stories of transracial transnational Asian adoptees. Through unstructured interviews and the collection of various creative expressions like poetry and audio clips, the project provides a platform for adoptees to share their experiences and insights. This anthology fosters a deep understanding of complex identities while allowing for diverse modes of expression, encouraging connection, and challenging assumptions surrounding adoption.

Vignesh Kumar: Design for Healthy Friendships: A Multi-Level Approach to Social Connection
Format: Student Initiated Course: HUMBIO 41SI

This course focused on addressing loneliness and the lack of meaningful connections among college students through a comprehensive course dedicated to the topic. The course was developed by Vig, integrating human-centered design and public health frameworks while drawing from personal experiences and extensive research on friendship and social health. By creating a formal academic setting, this facilitated meaningful engagement and interaction among students, fostering a supportive community where students could share their experiences and insights.

Samuel Ogunsanya: Introduction to Performing Arts Medicine
Format: Student Initiated Course: HUMBIO 77SI

This course was a 10 week speaker series organized into two modules: one focusing on healthcare options and the other on the experiences of performers. This structure aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of performing arts medicine, and its relevance to musicians, particularly regarding issues such as repetitive strain injuries. This course created a unique educational experience that benefitted both himself and his peers while addressing important health issues within the performing arts community.

Angie Casarez: Sexual Health Education Teaching Guidebook
Format: Curriculum for Community Partner

This project focused on trauma-informed teaching methods to address the unique needs of this population. Utilizing community-based participatory research, she engaged with educators and community partners to create a curriculum that incorporates both in-person and virtual teaching options while providing essential resources tailored to the region's challenges. She combined her passion for reproductive justice with her academic background, ultimately aiming to empower students and educators while promoting informed decision-making regarding sexual health.

Libby Rouffy: Booster Heroes: A COVID-19 Booster
Format: Coloring Book

This project creatively merges art and science to enhance youth vaccination education. This project involved illustrating and distributing a coloring book aimed at helping children understand the importance of booster shots in a fun and engaging way. Through community engagement with vaccination events and interactive learning session, the project addresses a critical public health need and created an effective education materials tailored to child development.

Bianca De Los Reyes: Young STEAMERS Module
Format: Curriculum for Community Partner

This project designed and implemented a series of engaging lesson plans focused on human physiology within exercise. By prioritizing hands-on, interactive teaching methods and adapting her approach to meet the diverse needs of her students, she fostered not only knowledge of STEM topics but also critical confidence in their abilities to learn. This project addressed educational gaps in under-resourced communities, inspiring future efforts to create equitable access to STEM education.

Jasmine Nevarez: Engaging San Francisco Bay Area Students as Agents of Change
Format: Curriculum for One Voice

This project encompassed a comprehensive four-module curriculum aimed at educating students about community health, citizen science, and the social determinants of health, to empower students as agents of positive change. Drawing on her work as a research assistant, she designed and implemented the curriculum in collaboration with local schools, fostering meaningful discussions on public health and advocacy while allowing students to propose data-driven solutions. The resulting curriculum enhances students' learning and provides the lab with an essential resource for future research and ongoing community health engagement.

JoyAnne Molloy: Lab Greening Toolkit
Format: Toolkit for research labs

This project is an educational resource designed to help research laboratories reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions through practical guidelines and sustainable practices. The project involved thorough research, collaboration with sustainability experts, and the creation of an engaging online booklet, featuring sections on waste audits, sustainable alternatives, and easy tips for implementation. This toolkit addresses the pressing need for environmental sustainability in academic settings while empowering labs to make informed changes for a healthier planet.

Sydney Helfand: Nutritional Guide for Cancer Patients
Format: Handbook

This project aimed at helping cancer patients understand and manage their nutritional needs during treatment. Conducted through extensive literature review and powered by her experiences in behavioral health interventions, the project combines evidence-based guidance with strategies to counter common nutritional misconceptions. This addresses a critical gap in cancer care but also employs accessible design and engaging content, making it a valuable resource for patients seeking to improve their health outcomes through nutrition.

Ella Norman: Air Quality and Community Health in South San Francisco: A Community-Engaged Project in Partnership with Rise South City
Format: Interactive Map for Community Partner Website

This project focused on developing an interactive map that illustrates the air quality and its effects in South San Francisco, particularly within a low-income, majority-Hispanic community. Conducted in collaboration with Rise South City, it utilized community data and actively engaged residents to ensure the map effectively addressed local pollution concerns. This project built upon strong community engagement while also showcasing technical skills in data analysis and use of software to create an interactive and informative tool for the community.

Hallie Schiffman: A journey of unlocking the potential of female athletes through training, nutrition, and lifestyle
Format: Personal Website

This project involved research aimed at unlocking the potential of female athletes through training, nutrition, and lifestyle, ultimately presented on a personally designed website. By using her academic background and personal experiences as a female athlete, she engaged with the nuances of female physiology, addressing an often overlooked area in sports science. The website is well-suited for sharing interactive and accessible educational resources with other athletes.

Elizabeth Heckard: COVID-19 Mental Health Repercussions on the Stanford Student-Athlete population
Format: Presentation

This project investigated the mental health repercussions of COVID-19 on Stanford student-athletes through interviews with 47 participants. The survey was conducted by engaging directly with student-athletes to gather qualitative data that highlights their unique challenges and experiences. This project blended personal insight and information from surveys, culminating in a presentation to university staff in key positions, aimed at driving active change in mental health resources.

Emily Swinth: Creating Community-Based Solutions to Food Insecurity
Format: Narrative Report

This project focused on creating community-based solution to food insecurity by coordinating a collaboration between the Food as Medicine Collaborative and La Cocina to provide gift cards to food-insecure patients. The project was conducted through direct engagement with patients, overseeing survey design, distribution of gift cards, and evaluation of the program's effectiveness. This project showcases the integration of community engagement and applied learning, demonstrating how students can create meaningful impacts while addressing systemic health issues.

Mary Rose Hawkins: Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on East Palo Alto Youth
Format: Report

This project explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on East Palo Alto youth by conducting in-depth interviews with nine middle school students regarding their experiences with online education. The project was carried out through qualitative interviews that allowed students to express their feelings and challenges surrounding camera use during virtual classes. This project showcases how personal engagement with community members can lead to valuable insights and inform future educational practices.