The University of Kentucky College of Public Health (CPH) hosted its third annual Public Health Showcase on April 21, bringing together students, faculty, staff, and community partners to celebrate the impact of public health research, teaching and practice.
“In 2023, the inaugural Public Health Showcase drew over 200 attendees, a clear indication of its success in reconnecting the community that was lost due to the pandemic. Many students missed opportunities to engage in research and connect with peers and faculty during that time. Thanks to its success, CPH has made Showcase an annual event that fosters connection, engagement, and a sense of belonging” Svetla Slavova, PhD, Associate Dean for Research said.
This year’s Public Health Showcase had nearly 250 registered attendees and featured 95 posters, including 64 from students and postdoctoral researchers. Of those, 47 were entered into the poster competition, reflecting strong engagement from across academic levels.
The student/postdoc contributions included 27 undergraduate, 7 master’s, 19 doctoral, 5 postdoctoral posters, and 6 posters from Frederick Douglass High School students. Additional submissions came from faculty, staff, and partners (31).
The showcase topics covered a wide range of timely public health issues, with common themes including behavioral and mental health, substance use disorder, child and maternal health, social determinants of health, and rapidly growing fields like genomics and artificial intelligence.
While poster presentations are a common feature in academic settings, the Public Health Showcase stands out for the way it brings together students, faculty, staff, and community partners in a collaborative setting. The event encourages informal, engaging conversations and supports peer learning, mentorship and real-time feedback.
“By presenting all work in a poster format, we wanted to encourage interactive feedback and discussions on public health research and practice topics,” said Slavova. “The Showcase provides a friendly and engaging networking environment especially beneficial for students taking their first steps in public presentations.”
Slavova also emphasized that the showcase allows participants to learn from one another, not just students learning from faculty, but across all roles, creating opportunities for mentorship and inspiring potential topics for future research, capstones, and dissertations.
“This is my second year attending Showcase, but this year, I am more involved in CPH,” said Kamryn Morgan, a CPH sophomore. “It’s been really exciting to see my friends presenting their projects, like my friend Sara Dickens, who has been doing an amazing job. I really liked the layout and energy this year.”
For Joseph Ellis, MS, Research Project Coordinator at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, the Showcase marked his first time presenting a poster.
“I didn’t know what I was walking into, but I really appreciate how the event is set up to showcase all types of research,” he said.
Ellis found the opportunity to interact with faculty, staff, and students across the College to be invaluable. He described the atmosphere as “professional yet relaxed, and welcoming environment for everyone.”
Even UK’s mascot, the Wildcat, made an appearance. “At the Public Health Showcase, even the Wildcat gets to learn about public health!” Slavova joked.
New this year was a “Networking Bingo” activity designed to help students step outside their comfort zones and connect with others in the Public Health community. The bingo card included playful and purposeful prompts such as “Find someone who has the same favorite public health topic as you,” “Ask someone what public health superpower they wish they had,” and “Learn someone’s best networking tip and share it with another person.”
Participants marked off their cards during interactive conversations. The activity turned networking into a game, helping all who attended grow their network.
“I have really enjoyed the BINGO, it’s fun and has helped me feel more comfortable starting conversations with new people,” Morgan said.
Also returning this year was the panel discussion, moderated by Alex F. Howard, Vice President for Health & Wellness at Dogwood Health Trust. This year’s panelists included Feitong Lei, PhD, Ashley Carroll, MPH, Elizabeth Edwards, MPH, and Honour Hill, MPH, all graduates of the College of Public Health now working in differing roles across the public health landscape.
The conversation touched on career growth, finding mentorship, and the value of building meaningful professional connections. Panelists reflected on their personal journeys and answered thoughtful questions from attendees, including one from CPH student Sara Dickens, “What advice would you give your younger self before graduation?”
Responses centered on stepping outside of comfort zones, embracing mentorship and asking for help when needed.
“Don’t be afraid to seek help,” said Lei, emphasizing the importance of open communication with faculty.
Others echoed the value of mentorship and boundaries.
“You can either grow or you can sit where you’ve been, you have to choose to grow,” said Hill.
Carroll encouraged students to take advantage of every opportunity, “College is a time to build skills, even a ten-hour project can make a difference.”
Edwards shared, “Don’t be afraid to be awkward...mentorship is awkward, but you’ll get through it.”
The collective message was clear, seek connections, embrace the discomfort, and trust that growth comes through experience.
The Showcase concluded with an awards ceremony honoring outstanding student, postdoc, and staff presentations as well as recognizing notable faculty and departments.
Awards Included:
High-School Research
Kokono Ippongi
Jalee Ashburn
Alessandra Dambacher
Rachel Franklin
Student Research Poster Awards for Undergraduate Students
1st - Isabel Schmitt
2nd - Katherine Dietsch
3rd - Mihail Mihaylov
Student Research Poster Awards for Master’s Students
1st – Amara Danturthi
2nd - Megan Damico
3rd - Emma Hargis
Student Research Poster Awards for Doctoral Students
1st - Haritomane Brillakis
2nd - William Burrows
3rd - Su Su Zin
Student Public Health Practice and Service Poster Awards for Undergraduate Students.
1st - Emma Grace Hague
2nd – Brayden Ward
3rd – Ashley Hardin
Service Poster Award for Graduate Students
2nd – Meghan Steel
3rd – Mason Taylor
Best postdoctoral research poster
1st – Dustin Miracle
2nd – Gyeon Oh
3rd - Ximena Oyarzun Gonzalez
Most Productive Mentor Award
Paula Arnett
Department with the highest participation rate
Biostatistics
Outstanding student mentorship department award
Health Management & Policy
New this year: Outstanding Staff Poster
Jennifer Duncan
People’s Choice
Margaret McGladrey
Linda Kim
The University of Kentucky College of Public Health is undergoing a review by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for re-accreditation. Part of this process includes the invitation to provide third-party comments. Anyone, including students, alumni, employers, community partners, etc., is allowed to share relevant information about the college directly with CEPH. If you would like to provide input to CEPH to inform their review, send your comments to submissions@ceph.org by May 4th, 2025.
