The dissemination of research is pivotal to the advancement of public health. Beginning during their undergraduate career, students across George Mason University's College of Public Health are trained to hone their skills in conducting and presenting research. At this year’s National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR), six students from the college showcased their work while also building their self-confidence as field practitioners.
“Getting the opportunity to present my research at a national conference during my second year of undergraduate studies truly allowed me to see how capable I am of contributing to bigger things during my time as an undergraduate student,” said community health major Deema Osman, who is working on a clinical science concentration. Overall, my experience at NCUR strengthened my desire to continue devoting my time to the field of public health outside the classroom."
Osman and her co-researcher Daphne Bernal, BS Community Health ’25, global health concentration and French minor, presented their work on the effects of (ex)cannabis use on well-being and health communication, through the exploration of Reddit online communities and digital culture.
“Presenting research gave me confidence that I am capable of doing research and presenting it to other students from different subject backgrounds. The college ensured that I had practice presenting and educated me on the context of my research topic,” said Bernal, who will be pursuing a master of public health degree at George Mason.
Nallely Calles Ortega, BSW ‘25, alongside MSW student Betzy Oviedo, BSW '24, showcased the research she has done as a part of her advocacy work securing compensation for social work students during their field placements.
“The conference was not just about sharing our findings, but also about growing as scholars and advocates,” Calles Ortega said. "It was inspiring to see the innovative work other undergraduates were doing, and it motivated us to continue building on our research and explore future opportunities for publication and policy impact."
Their research, which consisted of multiple exploratory surveys here at George Mason targeting BSW seniors and MSW students to better understand how unpaid field placements impact their mental health, finances, and academic performance, contributes to the broader national conversation on equity in social work education. The college was pivotal in preparing her to undertake presenting on a national platform.
“Professors like Dr. Daniel Freedman were instrumental in helping us reach our participant goal and improve our response rates. Additionally, the research courses SOCW 471 and SOCW 472 provided us with a strong foundation in research methods and data analysis. I also briefly worked with the Social Work Integrative Research Lab (SWIRL), which further enhanced my skills and understanding of applied research. The mentorship, resources, and academic training from the college gave us the confidence to present our work on a national stage,” Calles Ortega said.
All college student presenters and topics:
Nalley Calles Ortega (Social Work) and Betzy Oviedo (Social Work): Unpaid Internships: Exploring the Hardships of Social Work Students
Deema Osman (Community Health) and Daphńe Bernal (Community Health): Reddit Netnography Exploring (Ex)Cannabis Users’ Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being Outcomes and Understanding the Role of Online Forums for Informal Health Communication
Sandra Le (Dual Major Community Health and Geographic Information Systems): Spatiotemporal Analysis of Vegetation and Water Dynamics in Libya’s Extreme Flood Event 2023 Using Remote Sensing and Google Earth Engine (GEE)
Paris Stephens (Community Health) and Farah Bahr (Community Health): The Effectiveness of Culturally Relevant Breast Cancer Education Messages Tailored for Young Black Women