June 5, 2018
Winning papers announced for population health Library Research Awards
The Population Health Initiative has awarded Population Health Recognition Awards to four students participating in the annual Library Research Award for Undergraduates. Award winners were chosen based on the quality of their writing and how well they connected their work to the theme of population health.
This award was created in partnership with the UW Libraries and was open to students from all three campuses. Submitted projects were completed for either UW credit course or for the Undergraduate Research Program.
The four awardees and the titles of their papers or presentations are:
Muhen Huang (Environmental Science and Resource Management), "Animal Agriculture and Antibiotic Resistant Disease"
What social, economic, or political factors affect the way antibiotic use is regulated in the US? In the United States, farmers feed their animals antibiotics at low doses to prevent disease and promote their growth. Because the low doses do not kill all the bacteria, the bacteria that survive will then reproduce, and the strain eventually becomes resistant. These antibiotic resistant diseases that emerge from farms pose a health problem to the people who work with these animals and the people who consume them, as well as to wild animals that live nearby. Byproducts of animal farming, such as manure or runoff from farms, can carry with it antibiotic resistant diseases that can change the microbial dynamics of an ecosystem. However, the interests of pharmaceutical companies and farmers, especially large monopolizing farm corporations, means the practice of recklessly using antibiotics for non medical purposes has continued.
Caleb Huffman (Political Science and Communication), "Fuel on the Flame: Open-Air Drug Markets and Homicide Clusters"
Homicide hotspots are shown to be intensified by the introduction of open-air drug markets. Although the introduction of an open-air hotspot is not necessary for a homicide hotspot to occur, open-air drug markets act as fuel to the flame, sustaining increased intensity of homicide hotspots through trends that would typically work to deter homicide occurrence, like an improved economy. The results are achieved through a qualitative process tracing of Seattle and two of its neighborhoods. A theoretical explanation for the phenomena is discussed under the theoretical frameworks section and suggestions for further research proposed in the discussion section.
Katelyn Graham (Law, Societies, and Justice), "Accommodating Public Space to Uphold Rape Myths: The Danger of Using Environmental Design to Prevent Sexual Violence"
This paper investigates the ways environmental design perpetuates rape myths through critiquing of the use Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design strategies as a preventative measure against sexual assault in public spaces. This is done through analyzing media language around sexual violence, site specific case studies, and applying feminist theory to current urban design trends.
Sarah Duncan (Public Health), "An Overview of the HIV Epidemic in Brazil: From Past Challenges to Future Directions"
This research project aims to investigate the course of the HIV epidemic in Brazil. After exploring the history of HIV/AIDS and the current state of the epidemic, this paper explores the current challenges that Brazil faces in combating the spread of HIV. This research encompass a broad range of economic, social, and political challenges related to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, especially as it pertains to populations that have been disproportionately impacted. Based on this information and several recent studies that speak to Brazil’s current HIV mitigation strategies, this project then seeks to provide recommendations to local and regional organizations that will help improve the current situation of the HIV epidemic.
Please visit our funding page to learn more about these awards.