Students share their posters at the MPH Practicum Symposium April 9. Photo by Elizar Mercado.
On April 9, almost 100 University of Washington Master’s of Public Health students gathered to share the impactful public health work they’ve been doing alongside community partners across Seattle, Washington state, and the globe.
The 27th annual MPH Practicum Symposium & Reception was held in the HUB Ballroom, and showcased student-led public health practice initiatives, mentored by hundreds of practitioners from community organizations and supported by UW School of Public Health faculty. Guests from across the field of public health professionals as well as university community members gathered to hear stories about these student-led experiences.
Throughout their practicums, students tackled a variety of problems, from creating a map to track ticks using hiker reports, to developing culturally representative and seasonally appropriate recipes to inspire preschoolers’ food curiosity, and to assessing barriers faced by Afghan immigrant communities to drive new policies.
“Our students develop innovative solutions that tackle both every day and systemic public health challenges,” said SPH Dean Hilary Godwin at the Symposium. “They partner with other subject matter experts in finding solutions. Their work and partnerships are essential in building resilient health systems and promoting health equity.”
Read more about this year’s practicum projects
Hiking toward health: How Alex Eisen’s practicum combines data, community and the outdoors
Three students were recognized at the Symposium with an attendee-voted award, for providing engaging presentations of their projects: Shalom Mhlanga, Faiza Awale, and Mathi Ngamsiripol. Called the Most Memorable interACTIONS award, the honor celebrated effective and memorable communications of students’ public health work.
Every MPH student is required to complete a practicum to receive their degree. The practicum is a planned, supervised, and evaluated field-based experience under the guidance of an SPH faculty adviser and a practicum site supervisor, requiring a minimum of 160-hours of work for a public health organization. The students at the Practicum Symposium represent a cumulative of tens of thousands of hours making an impact in the public health field.
The Practicum Symposium’s virtual presentations will continue April 14-17. Learn more about these virtual presentations.