For most women, pregnancy is the period in which they will have more interaction with the healthcare field than any other period in their lives. The quality and accessibility of obstetric care varies greatly throughout the United States, and health disparities in this field have the largest impact on African American women. Black mothers in the U.S. are three to four times more likely than white mothers to die as a result of pregnancy related complications. The increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality seen in the African American population is largely due to preventable causes. This thesis project includes three case studies which analyze the most prevalent and preventable sources of health disparity affecting Black mothers: preeclampsia, hemorrhage, and cesarean section. Possible solutions to each of these disparities are explored on an individual, institutional, and societal scale.

A Conversation on Stuttering is a documentary film that is aimed at raising awareness about stuttering. Still not fully understood by modern research, stuttering (stammering in the UK) is a diagnosis often accompanied by years of ridicule, shame, and misconceptions. We set out to interview people who stutter, researchers, and clinicians alike to gain insight into the impact stuttering can have. Our participants in this documentary included four people who stutter, two clinicians, and 2 researchers (one of them being a person who stutters). The questions asked ranged from topics of physical and emotional aspects of stuttering to therapy experiences and research on what causes stuttering. From the mix of genuine, sometimes emotional, responses, the film captures flowing conversation on a range of experiences had by our interviewees. Through these responses, we hope to open further dialogue about the themes of identity, understanding our differences, and perspectives that can make a more accepting world.

A Conversation on Stuttering is a documentary film that is aimed at raising awareness about stuttering. Still not fully understood by modern research, stuttering (stammering in the UK) is a diagnosis often accompanied by years of ridicule, shame, and misconceptions. We set out to interview people who stutter, researchers, and clinicians alike to gain insight into the impact stuttering can have. Our participants in this documentary included four people who stutter, two clinicians, and 2 researchers (one of them being a person who stutters). The questions asked ranged from topics of physical and emotional aspects of stuttering to therapy experiences and research on what causes stuttering. From the mix of genuine, sometimes emotional, responses, the film captures flowing conversation on a range of experiences had by our interviewees. Through these responses, we hope to open further dialogue about the themes of identity, understanding our differences, and perspectives that can make a more accepting world.

A notable dilemma in the educational systems of current year is the lack of diversity in the faculty, administration, and curriculums. Diversity in education is colloquially understood to instill benefits in students that include development of sophisticated communication skills and heightened motivation, which may in turn have measurable benefits on health. In an effort to articulate the impact of introducing greater variegation into these systems and vocalize recommendations toward incorporating diversity into existing educational systems, the history of minority groups in schooling systems was analyzed, as were common health concerns for these communities. To this end, local students from Arizona State University were surveyed about their perceptions on diverse populations within their educational system. Moreover, these groups were also polled about how the messaging they receive about health and diversity may impact self-perceptions about their own health, as well as how applicable that messaging is with their own experiences.