Bringing Data Science to Investigative Journalism</h1> <article> <h1>Bringing Data Science to Investigative Journalism</h1> <p>kviancou — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:03:15 +0000</p> <span>Bringing Data Science to Investigative Journalism</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-16T12:03:15-04:00" title="Monday, March 16, 2026 - 12:03">Mon, 03/16/2026 - 12:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Declan Bradley ’26 is a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science">computer science</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science">data science </a>double major with a minor in English from Rockford, Michigan. At �鶹��Ƶ, he is a senior staff writer for <em>The �鶹��Ƶ Review</em> and an active participant in ExCo.</p><p><strong>Can you describe your summer internship?</strong></p><p>As the Dow Jones News Fund data reporting intern for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland, I specialized in data analysis using the programming languages R and Python. My day-to-day work involved conducting in-depth research for the Howard Center’s investigative stories, which drew on months of reporting by University of Maryland students, faculty, and newsroom partners.</p><p>As a data intern, my contributions ranged from creating visualizations in R or D3 to writing data analysis memos explaining key findings from my research.</p><p>During my first few weeks at the Howard Center, I analyzed national data on the transport of hazardous materials, isolating insights that opened new avenues of inquiry for the team. I also scraped and cleaned datasets from the CDC and EPA to support other reporters’ investigations and built internal tools in HTML and JavaScript that made key portions of the 250-gigabyte database under study accessible to team members without computer science experience.</p><p><strong>How did �鶹��Ƶ influence you to pursue your internship?</strong></p><p>As a transfer student, I chose �鶹��Ƶ for the way it combines expertise in the sciences with a strong liberal arts grounding. I took a statistics course with Professor Bob Bosch, who emphasized the importance of critical and ethical thinking when applying statistical methods in research.</p><p>His teaching prepared me well for my work at the Howard Center, which combined the computational study of large datasets with the real-world ethics of investigative public service journalism.</p><p><strong>How did your internship align with your post-college goals?</strong></p><p>I plan to pursue a career as a computational journalist, and the Howard Center was an excellent opportunity to apply my studies in computer and data science to grounded news reporting. I admire the work of nonprofit investigative outlets such as ProPublica and hope to contribute to a newsroom like that after graduation.</p><p><strong>How has your liberal arts education shaped the way you think about science or research?</strong></p><p>My study of history and literature informs my work in journalism a great deal. As a data reporter, I investigate complex systems through a computational lens. But those systems are the product of politics, culture, and history. Understanding the wider historical and social context behind the stories we cover can make them richer and more informative for our readers.</p><p><strong>What drew you to your major?</strong></p><p>In 2022, I attended a week-long residency workshop on computational reporting taught by members of the data journalism team at <em>The Washington Post</em>. Their passion for their work inspired me to apply my own computational skills to public service reporting—a goal I have pursued ever since.</p><p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">At the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, Declan Bradley ’26 combined programming, analysis, and reporting as a Dow Jones News Fund intern.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-16T12:00:00Z">Mon, 03/16/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4151">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4153">Computer Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science" hreflang="und">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" hreflang="und">Computer Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Dow Jones News Fund interns in 2025.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Declan Bradley</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>A Mind for the Brain</h1> <p>kviancou — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:51:52 +0000</p> <span>A Mind for the Brain</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-13T15:51:52-04:00" title="Friday, March 13, 2026 - 15:51">Fri, 03/13/2026 - 15:51</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Long before fourth-year student William Muliawan declared his major at �鶹��Ƶ, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to study. What started with books and videos discussing the psychology of the human brain led to a fascination with understanding the progression of brain diseases. </p><p>Muliawan took classes at �鶹��Ƶ that were relevant not only to learning how brain diseases develop but also to understanding how research on those diseases helps develop new therapeutics and inform the public about potential exacerbating factors. </p><p>His upper-level <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience">neuroscience</a> lab courses “have only helped me find the kind of research that I want to do in the future,” he says. Those courses also allowed him to learn about research conferences such as the Society for Neuroscience and the Midwest and Great Lakes Undergraduate Research Symposium in Neuroscience, both of which he presented at in 2024, as well as an internship at the University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio in 2024.</p><p>While at UTHSCSA, Muliawan worked in the research lab of David Morilak, where he assisted with studying the effects of stress and a model of exposure therapy using behavioral tests that are translatable to human psychiatric disorders, namely post-traumatic stress disorder. The internship was meaningful in other ways as well, he says. </p><p>“While learning a lot of new techniques involving animal work, I also learned the ethics of using animals in research,” he says. “More introspectively, it also made me realize that while animal work is difficult and important, it's not for me, and that I should pursue other avenues of research.” Such an insight will serve him well as he continues his studies after �鶹��Ƶ. </p><p>“As a student doing research, I think my liberal arts education allowed me to approach the different techniques that I learned at UTHSCSA and think critically about why we perform these techniques,” Muliawan says reflectively. “On top of that, I feel like I can voice my opinions about how the techniques are performed to my mentors in the program.”</p><p>Outside of the research lab, Muliawan, who is from Los Altos, California, is a member of Now Chorale, a student-led contemporary classical choir group. </p><hr><p>To learn more about summer internships as an �鶹��Ƶ student, check out <a href="/career/set/summer">Career Exploration and Development</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">William Muliawan ’26 turned an early fascination with the brain into hands-on research, conference presentations, and a clearer vision for his future in science.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-13T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/13/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">By Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4075">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">William Muliawan ’26 at work in Professor Gunnar Kwakye’s neuroscience lab at �鶹��Ƶ.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"> By Abe Frato '26</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Change Agent</h1> <p>tapplega — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:27:08 +0000</p> <span>Change Agent</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-09-19T11:27:08-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 19, 2023 - 11:27">Tue, 09/19/2023 - 11:27</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Jesse Kohler ’16 set foot in �鶹��Ƶ with a dream of baseball stardom. But like the unpredictable curveballs he threw from the mound, life directed him toward a path of public service, and the baseball enthusiast evolved into a beacon for community and national advocacy that took shape through his major in <a href="/node/3396">law and society</a>.</p> <p>Kohler hails from the outskirts of Philadelphia, where he was intimately exposed to the challenges many families face in raising children and making ends meet. Witnessing these difficulties up close fueled his desire to make a tangible impact and ultimately led him to pursue a career informed by trauma-informed care, a medical framework through which providers aim to connect with people who face negative consequences from past experiences. </p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>Jesse Kohler pitched for three seasons on the �鶹��Ƶ baseball team.</figcaption> </figure> <p>�鶹��Ƶ’s culture of advocacy left an indelible mark on Kohler. “I came with cleats and gloves, thinking the field was where I’d shine,” he says. But the fertile sociopolitical climate on campus began to shape his aspirations. “Transitioning from my introductory <a href="/node/3366">psychology</a> classes to the depth of the law and society major broadened my horizons.”</p> <p>We caught up with Kohler to learn how his work at �鶹��Ƶ led to a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that employs scientific research to improve overall well-being among challenged populations.</p> <p><strong>What are you doing these days?</strong></p> <p>I’m the founder and president of The Change Campaign, a nonprofit birthed from my senior project at �鶹��Ƶ. The campaign also works with government agencies and other organizations that have similar goals. Because of my work with The Change Campaign, I was selected as the executive director for the <a href="https://www.ctipp.org/">Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice</a> (CTIPP), a nationwide organization trying to create a resilient society by addressing the injustices that cause poor health and supporting the integration of resilience-building and healing activities.</p> <p>Apart from this, I’m on the board of the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC) and an advisor for the Compassionate School Leadership Academy (CSLA) at Yale. My main aim is fostering a sustainable planet and a hopeful future. Early in my career, I’ve emphasized leadership that’s community-led, trauma-informed, and resilience-focused.</p> <p><strong>What led you down this career path?</strong></p> <p>My initial dream was to be a professional baseball player. My academic leanings were toward <a href="/node/3411">neuroscience</a>, <a href="/node/3366">psychology</a>, and <a href="/node/3391">political science</a>. However, my grades in Psych 100 challenged this path. Consequently, the law and society program at �鶹��Ƶ caught my attention, offering a blend of multiple disciplines and the chance of law school. My interest in the school-to-prison pipeline [the higher likelihood of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds being incarcerated] began here, and it led me to my work at an educational nonprofit. This, in turn, resulted in a master’s in educational leadership from Arcadia University and an influential internship with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.</p> <p><strong>What facets of your work are you most proud of?</strong></p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Kohler speaking at the Council for Tribal Employment Rights conference.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Supporting the development of CTIPP’s programs that have enabled some of those policy wins are some of the most rewarding experiences of my career thus far. I learned so much working alongside trauma-informed leaders throughout the United States to create programs that fill unmet needs in the field. I have been fortunate to have played a significant role in the development of CTIPP’s Community Advocacy Network (CTIPP CAN) to organize trauma-informed advocates across the country; PressOn envisions an infrastructure to connect and mobilize federal to state to local collaborations to propel the community-led, trauma-informed, prevention-oriented, resilience-focused, and healing-centered movement forward; and Ideas Lab, which promotes tools and resources to build the movement.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">How a senior project at �鶹��Ƶ became a life calling for Jesse Kohler.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-09-19T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/19/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Applegate</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After �鶹��Ƶ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2771">Athletics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2382">Community Service</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25396">Law and Society</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/law-and-society" hreflang="und">Law and Society</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pull-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Gallery Style)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Jesse Kohler</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32103" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>�鶹��Ƶ nurtured my curiosity, helping me understand the root causes of world problems. The interdisciplinary learning there became the foundation of my knowledge.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27789" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p><strong>How did �鶹��Ƶ equip you for your current roles?</strong></p> <p>The Change Campaign—my senior project—was a significant one. I had been working with [local nonprofit] <a href="https://www.oberlincommunityservices.org/">�鶹��Ƶ Community Services</a> for a year and a half before the <a href="/winter-term">Winter Term</a> of my senior year. I was serving as a public health advocate when we wrote a grant to the Ohio Commission on Minority Health for $20,000 to fund a Text for Wellness program, making crisis counselors available for the state through text messages. I played a very minor role in that project but learned a ton. As I marinated on the experience, I realized that if �鶹��Ƶ students donated an average of $20, we could raise $60,000 of flexible funding for community services.</p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ nurtured my curiosity, helping me understand the root causes of world problems. The interdisciplinary learning there became the foundation of my knowledge. Moreover, the deep introspection fostered at �鶹��Ƶ about my position and privilege has been invaluable in my professional journey.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Kohler's first professional experience after college was with 12+, empowering underprivileged students to succeed after 12th grade.</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>How did you secure your first post-college position?</strong></p> <p>I met Rob Reed, the executive deputy attorney general for the Pennsylvania Office of Public Engagement, during my fellowship with 12+ [a nonprofit aiming to bring educational equity to K-12 students in Philadelphia]. Rob asked if I wanted to meet with him, and I came prepared to talk all about The Change Campaign. I told him all about the project and what we hoped to accomplish, and when I was done, he told me about the project he was working on—the Pennsylvania Trauma-Informed Care Network—and asked if I wanted to help him with its development. This was my introduction to trauma-informed care, and it changed my entire life. In that position, I met leaders of CTIPP when it was first coming together, and this led to me becoming CTIPP’s first official intern. </p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>Kohler was a member of the 2015 team that won the NCAC Championship. </figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>What’s your fondest memory of �鶹��Ƶ? </strong></p> <p>The 2015 �鶹��Ƶ baseball team won the North Coast Athletic Conference. We were underdogs and went on an incredible run at the end of the season. I didn’t play a lot that season. I got a concussion earlier in the year when an errant throw hit me in the head, but I found a role serving as a bullpen catcher and tried to be the best teammate I could. This humbling experience taught me more than my successes did. The night after we won the conference championship, we drove back from Chillicothe and stayed up the entire night celebrating until the sun came up!</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Voice of Experience</h1> <p>tapplega — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:48:03 +0000</p> <span>Voice of Experience</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-06-27T12:48:03-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - 12:48">Tue, 06/27/2023 - 12:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Véronique Harris ’23 chose to attend �鶹��Ƶ because of its history of progressive firsts and its deeply ingrained commitment to activism. During her time on campus, she deepened her own commitment to social justice and public service with a double major in <a href="/node/3431">Africana studies</a> and <a href="/node/3396">law and society</a>. </p> <p>Harris’ lifelong interest in public-service law has culminated in her receiving the prestigious <a href="https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship">William H. Gates Public Service Law Scholarship</a>. Named for the former prominent attorney, philanthropist, and father of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the scholarship covers all expenses to the University of Washington School of Law and includes guaranteed internships for each recipient. In accepting the award, Harris has committed to working in public service for at least five years following graduation—a commitment that paves the way for her planned career as a civil rights attorney. </p> <p>“I have a lifetime of experiences that built up to this moment,” she says. “I have known that I wanted to be a lawyer since I was 14.” </p> <p>Raised in a suburb of Seattle, Harris was exposed to systemic racism and structural inequality from a young age. “I come from a family of blue-collar Black, white, and Filipino laborers,” she says. “My family is a microcosm of society’s failure to address the basic needs of BIPOC and working-class people; I grew up witnessing the impacts of these systemic failures daily.” </p> <p>Her father, a dedicated factory worker who was committed to providing for his family, was exposed to toxic chemicals in the workplace for decades. As a result, he developed an occupational lung disease, and his preexisting heart condition worsened. </p> <p>“I learned about the intersection of race, class, education—or lack thereof—as well as environmental racism and health disparities, and felt called to fight them at a young age,” Harris says.</p> <p>In high school, she devoted time volunteering, protesting, and grassroots organizing with groups such as the <a href="https://www.aclu-wa.org/">American Civil Liberties Union of Washington</a> and a local community youth council. While attending �鶹��Ƶ, she ran a successful social media campaign and petition that resulted in her former high school replacing its Confederate rebel mascot. “Parents and students alike thanked me for my perseverance, expressing that the mascot change would promote a safe and inclusive learning environment for students of color,” she says.</p> <p>Deeply affected by the death of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant at the hands of Columbus, Ohio, police, Harris raised more than $2,000 to assemble and distribute self-defense kits for Black women and femmes throughout the state. “I used the slogan ‘We protect us’ for the self-defense kit distribution because Black Americans cannot rely on police protection within a structurally racist system,” she says. Also at �鶹��Ƶ, she was a member of <a href="https://oberlinstudentsforafreepalestine.wordpress.com/">Students for a Free Palestine</a>. The club’s work, and her experiences with lawyers fighting for Palestinian human rights, further fueled her desire for a career in public-service law.</p> <p>Today, Harris is more determined than ever to dismantle systemic racism and address socio-environmental challenges. After law school, she hopes to work in the NAACP’s Environment and Climate Justice Division or another nonprofit that supports her advocacy of decolonial frameworks to counter environmental racism. </p> <p>She credits her �鶹��Ƶ professors—including <a href="/node/4981">Charles Peterson</a> in Africana studies, <a href="/node/4931">Joyce Babyak</a> in religion, and <a href="/node/384671">Amanda Zadorian</a> in politics—for shaping her academic life and her career aspirations through their formal guidance and teaching, as well as through regular chats about current events during office hours.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Véronique Harris grew up a witness to inequality. Now she’s dedicating her life to eradicating it through a career in public-service law.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-06-27T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/27/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Applegate</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2409">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25396">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/charles-peterson" hreflang="und">Charles Peterson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/joyce-babyak" hreflang="und">Joyce Kloc Babyak</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/amanda-zadorian" hreflang="und">Amanda Zadorian</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/law-and-society" hreflang="und">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Véronique Harris</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32094" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>I am so very grateful for all of these wonderful professors. They have truly impacted my life in more ways than they know.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27741" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Harris praises Babyak, who also chairs �鶹��Ƶ’s law and society program, in particular. “She helped me create a plan for studying for the LSAT, sponsored my <a href="/winter-term">Winter Term</a> projects, wrote many recommendations, and encouraged me throughout the law school application process.” </p> <p>As Harris embarks on her journey in public-service law, she carries with her the experiences and lessons from her young life. </p> <p>“I eventually would like my career to have an international reach,” she says. “I am very pleased that through the Gates Scholarship, I will have the ability to complete internships in the summers of my first and second years, so that I can see how different organizations are doing this work and how I can be of most use to the cause in the future.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Health for All</h1> <p>tapplega — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:55:35 +0000</p> <span>Health for All</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-06-20T10:55:35-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 20, 2023 - 10:55">Tue, 06/20/2023 - 10:55</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Annie Griffith found her passion for reproductive health issues stoked by ongoing conversations soon after she arrived in �鶹��Ƶ. Those campus connections inspired her to become involved on a national level—and this year led her to an Obie mentor in a somewhat unlikely place.</p> <p>In January, Griffith completed a Winter Term internship at All Families Healthcare, a reproductive health clinic in rural Whitefish, Montana, where she worked under the guidance of nurse practitioner <a href="https://www.allfamilieshealth.org/about-us">Helen Weems ’91</a>, the clinic’s director. A former <a href="/node/3196">environmental studies</a> major at �鶹��Ƶ, Weems was celebrated locally for rebuilding All Families after its original location was intentionally destroyed, then for successfully suing the state of Montana to expand abortion access. Inspired by Weems' monumental victory—and with key support from biology professor <a href="/node/5196">Maureen Peters</a>—Griffith secured an internship at Weems’ clinic during Winter Term of her junior year.</p> <p>Now a rising senior with majors in <a href="/node/3366">psychology</a> and <a href="/node/3426">gender, sexuality, and feminist studies</a>, Griffith gained unique insight into the clinic’s day-to-day operations and the lives of the people who depend on them. "I was exposed to all aspects of a small, community-engaged, reproductive health-care clinic,” she says. “This included learning about administrative and clinical facets, research projects, continuing education, and community outreach." </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annie Griffith turned to Montana to serve in an �鶹��Ƶ alumna’s reproductive health clinic.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-06-20T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/20/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Applegate</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3830">Pre-Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3898">Stem</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25361">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/maureen-peters" hreflang="und">Maureen Peters</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/sara-verosky" hreflang="und">Sara Verosky</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs" hreflang="und">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/global-health" hreflang="und">Global Health</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Annie Griffith (right) with Helen Weems ’91, director of All Families Healthcare in Whitefish, Montana, where Griffith served as an intern.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Annie Griffith</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32093" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-large> <p>One of the things I find both interesting and disheartening about the health-care industry is the amount of medical gaslighting and trauma people experience upon entering a doctor’s office.”</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Annie Griffith</em></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27737" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>But the impact of Giffith’s experience extends far beyond the daily tasks she performed. From her clinic co-workers, and particularly Weems, she came away reassured by a field that had previously left her feeling discouraged. “One of the things I find both interesting and disheartening about the health-care industry is the amount of medical gaslighting and trauma people experience upon entering a doctor's office,” she says. </p> <p>Nuances of human interaction are central to Griffith’s �鶹��Ƶ studies too. She is a psychology research assistant under professor <a href="/node/6336">Sara Verosky</a>, with whom she has worked on experiments that focus on how people make judgments about one another based on facial perceptions.</p> <p>The compassion she witnessed at All Families turned her passion into a drive to pursue a career that supports reproductive rights, and she credits �鶹��Ƶ with fostering that devotion. She considers campus a safe space for students to express their beliefs, grapple with societal issues together, and expand their understanding and expertise. She trained to be an abortion doula with the �鶹��Ƶ Doula Collective, where she learned how to care for people experiencing abortions. During spring semester, she presented at �鶹��Ƶ’s <a href="/node/453552">Reproductive Justice Symposium</a>, joining fellow students in detailing practical implications related to abortion access in Ohio since the overturning of <em>Roe v. Wade</em>. Her presentation included resources currently available as well as those no longer available as a result of the Supreme Court decision.</p> <p>Griffith believes that academic institutions are the perfect place to cultivate sexual and reproductive health advocacy. “The best way for �鶹��Ƶ to be supportive of their students who are passionate about these topics would be to support, advocate for, and fund the organizations that are already in place,” she says, emphasizing the importance of the Sexual Information Center (SIC) and Survivors of Sexual Harm and Allies (SOSHA), among other groups.</p> <p>To Griffith, the simple things—such as donations of time, money, and activism—go a long way in alleviating the challenges faced by citizens in regions that are restricted in their access to reproductive health care. “Vote in local and national elections, call your representatives, talk to your older relatives who may have different opinions, and share your story,” she says.</p> <p>Perhaps more than anything, Griffith’s journey underscores the transformative power of a dedicated community. </p> <p>“Working at the clinic reinforced my passion for reproductive justice and health care equality,” she says, “and reminded me how important this work is.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> </main></body></html>