7 Gillings students receive Community Engagement Fellowships

April 5, 2023

Seven graduate and professional students in the Gillings School have been selected as 2023 Community Engagement Fellows through the Carolina Center for Public Service.

Quetzabel Benavides

Quetzabel Benavides and Tatiana Aguilar in the Department of Health Behavior received a fellowship for their project, “Examining Diabetes Distress in the Dominican Republic,” which they will complete in partnership with Chronic Care International. Their advisor is Deshira D. Wallace, PhD, assistant professor of health behavior.

Allie Reimold

Allie Reimold in the Department of Health Behavior was named a fellow on the strength of her project, “A qualitative exploration of how low-income communities utilize dollar stores as food retailers,” which she will complete in partnership with Jordyn Appel-Hughes and Feast Down East. Her advisor is Shelley Golden, PhD, associate professor of health behavior.

Emily Seiger

Emily Seiger in the Department of Nutrition earned a fellowship for her project, “Youth Changemakers in Partnerships: Addressing Racial Injustice, Cultivating Purpose and Community,” which she will complete in partnership with Jennifer Castillo and Youth Interns of The Resiliency Collaborative. Her advisor is Alexandra Lightfoot, EdD, associate professor of health behavior.

Mercy Neal

Francie Sentilles

Francie Sentilles and Mercy Neal in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering received a fellowship in response to their project, “Fishers as First Responders Pilot Training,” which they will complete in partnership with Fishing Association z-31 in northeastern Brazil. Their advisor is Amanda Northcross, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences and engineering.

Andromede Uwase

Andromede Uwase in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering was made a fellow for her project, “Environmental health education and well water quality testing for youth in Warren County,” which she will complete in partnership with the Living and Learning Youth Center in Warren County. Her advisors are Northcross and Michael B. Fisher, PhD, assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering. (This project received funding specifically through the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Community Engagement Fellowship, which supports graduate and professional student field study and engaged research related to environmental issues.)

Learn more about all these projects — and their potential impact for communities in North Carolina and beyond — at the Carolina Center for Public Service website.

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.