Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, declared in March of 2020, there have been many lifestyle changes which have likely influenced tobacco smoking behavior. Such lifestyle changes include lockdowns, stay at home orders, reduction in social cues related to smoking, increased stress, and boredom among other things. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey which looked into these behaviors, primarily perceived risk to COVID-19, and determined if there is an association between perceived risk and education level/race. Education level is a proxy for income and material resources, therefore making it more likely that people with lower levels of education have fewer resources and higher perceived risk to negative effects of COVID-19. Additionally, people of color are often marginalized in the medical community along with being the target of heavy advertising by tobacco companies which have likely impacted risk to COVID-19 as well.

In this formative research project, we seek to better understand the general barriers to refugee access to higher education. Using mixed methods research--which included surveys, interviews, and course data--we evaluate the benefits and challenges experienced by refugee students in Israel who are enrolled in Arizona State University's Education for Humanity programs. In the end, this case study resulted in 24 recommend programmatic changes designed to eliminate the barriers that prevent refugee students from accessing and succeeding in higher education.

This research analyzes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/ questioning (LGBTQ) students’ experiences with sex education in Arizona. This research is a grey literature review of Arizona’s previous state policies, current state sex education curricula law, and legislative proposals within the past few years. Analysis focuses on changes after the repeal of the “no promo homo” law in 2019. Through defining the differences between abstinence only and comprehensive sex education (CSE), this will provide a framework to better understand approaches to sex education. As of now, Arizona stresses abstinence-based education. Delving into LGBTQ students’ general experiences in schools provides a foundation to better understand why these students especially benefit from CSE. Since LGBTQ students are disproportionately affected by bullying and are at increased sexual health risks, it is important to address misperceptions surrounding the LGBTQ community. The purpose of this research is to push for more LGBTQ inclusive sex education curricula in Arizona.

In this formative research project, we seek to better understand the general barriers to refugee access to higher education. Using mixed methods research--which included surveys, interviews, and course data--we evaluate the benefits and challenges experienced by refugee students in Israel who are enrolled in Arizona State University's Education for Humanity programs. In the end, this case study resulted in 24 recommend programmatic changes designed to eliminate the barriers that prevent refugee students from accessing and succeeding in higher education.

Salud Empoderada is a bilingual English-Spanish blog with the goals of providing pre-medical advice, exposure to careers in medicine through interviews with leaders in medicine and science, and resources to support and encourage Latino pre-medical college students at Arizona State University. This information is provided in the forms of blog posts and infographics. Salud Empoderada was created as a way to address the lack of representation of Latino medical students enrolled in U.S. medical schools and Latino physicians in the U.S. Therefore, Salud Empoderada targets Latino students in the first stage of their journeys to becoming a doctor, pre-medical students, to help inspire and guide them to pursue their dreams despite the challenges they may face, including struggles with mental health, socioeconomic status, access to Latino mentors in medicine and science, health disparities, gender, DACA status, attacks on affirmative action, and the MCAT exam. Furthermore, Salud Empoderada encompasses my trip with Barrett, The Honors College to Costa Rica to share insight on life in Costa Rica and the Indigenous tribes residing there. Sharing this experience with Latino pre-medical students may provide them further exposure to other cultures, the heterogeneity within Latin America, the importance of cultural competence in medicine and the possibilities that global health and Spanish studies offer to become well-rounded and holistic future physicians.

In January of 2020, the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the United States with one of them being an Arizona State University student. Since these initial cases, over 2.4 million more cases have been recorded in Arizona alone. As of March of 2020, Arizona State University Ambulatory Health Services moved to adjust their healthcare delivery methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to identify areas of ASU Ambulatory Health Services as of March of 2020 that need improvement based on an anonymous survey carried out among ASU students, faculty, and staff. The survey was created through Survey Monkey and consisted of 20 questions about the participant’s experience with ASU’s Ambulatory Health Services; while the survey was being created, a literature review was being conducted concerning ASU’s health care delivery in the past and the health care delivery in the greater Maricopa County region. The overall consensus of the 54 participants who took the survey was that approximately 55% of participants had an overall very satisfactory experience through ASU Ambulatory Health Services with a net promoter score of 87% satisfaction and approximately 47% of participants were very likely to recommend ASU Ambulatory Health Services with a net promoter score of about 79%. Most participants reported overall satisfactory experiences but when asked for further commentary they provided more specific criticisms of their experience that could be improved. The specific frustrations that were mentioned were issues with insurance, lack of awareness with available services, instructions on updated regulations and scheduling, and issues with patients’ visits being logged into their medical records. We recommend that ASU Ambulatory Health Services improve in these areas highlighted by the survey answers; as most of these issues are results from communication issues between ASU Ambulatory Health Services and the public, we suggest better means of communication between the public and the health services.

In January of 2020, the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the United States with one of them being an Arizona State University student. Since these initial cases, over 2.4 million more cases have been recorded in Arizona alone. As of March of 2020, Arizona State University Ambulatory Health Services moved to adjust their healthcare delivery methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to identify areas of ASU Ambulatory Health Services as of March of 2020 that need improvement based on an anonymous survey carried out among ASU students, faculty, and staff. The survey was created through Survey Monkey and consisted of 20 questions about the participant’s experience with ASU’s Ambulatory Health Services; while the survey was being created, a literature review was being conducted concerning ASU’s health care delivery in the past and the health care delivery in the greater Maricopa County region. The overall consensus of the 54 participants who took the survey was that approximately 55% of participants had an overall very satisfactory experience through ASU Ambulatory Health Services with a net promoter score of 87% satisfaction and approximately 47% of participants were very likely to recommend ASU Ambulatory Health Services with a net promoter score of about 79%. Most participants reported overall satisfactory experiences but when asked for further commentary they provided more specific criticisms of their experience that could be improved. The specific frustrations that were mentioned were issues with insurance, lack of awareness with available services, instructions on updated regulations and scheduling, and issues with patients’ visits being logged into their medical records. We recommend that ASU Ambulatory Health Services improve in these areas highlighted by the survey answers; as most of these issues are results from communication issues between ASU Ambulatory Health Services and the public, we suggest better means of communication between the public and the health services.

In January of 2020, the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the United States with one of them being an Arizona State University student. Since these initial cases, over 2.4 million more cases have been recorded in Arizona alone. As of March of 2020, Arizona State University Ambulatory Health Services moved to adjust their healthcare delivery methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to identify areas of ASU Ambulatory Health Services as of March of 2020 that need improvement based on an anonymous survey carried out among ASU students, faculty, and staff. The survey was created through Survey Monkey and consisted of 20 questions about the participant’s experience with ASU’s Ambulatory Health Services; while the survey was being created, a literature review was being conducted concerning ASU’s health care delivery in the past and the health care delivery in the greater Maricopa County region. The overall consensus of the 54 participants who took the survey was that approximately 55% of participants had an overall very satisfactory experience through ASU Ambulatory Health Services with a net promoter score of 87% satisfaction and approximately 47% of participants were very likely to recommend ASU Ambulatory Health Services with a net promoter score of about 79%. Most participants reported overall satisfactory experiences but when asked for further commentary they provided more specific criticisms of their experience that could be improved. The specific frustrations that were mentioned were issues with insurance, lack of awareness with available services, instructions on updated regulations and scheduling, and issues with patients’ visits being logged into their medical records. We recommend that ASU Ambulatory Health Services improve in these areas highlighted by the survey answers; as most of these issues are results from communication issues between ASU Ambulatory Health Services and the public, we suggest better means of communication between the public and the health services.