On October 4, 2023, during Homecoming Week on the campus of Saint Augustine鈥檚 University, HealthLit4Wake (or HL4W) students hosted an event named 鈥淧ut that Heat on鈥�. The purpose of this event was to encourage students to put on their freshest outfits while receiving education on health-related topics such as mental health, STD/STIs, COVID-19, research, and other issues. The purpose of this initiative is to address COVID-19-related health disparities among minority populations through improved health literacy initiatives coordinated by HealthLit4Wake, a multisector health equity collaborative. The students who work within Health Lit4Wake are referred to as Community Health Student Ambassadors (CHSA), partnered with other organizations on campus such as Safe Falcons, Daughters of Saint Augustine鈥檚 University (DOSA), Delta Research and Education Foundation (DREF), and a few off-campus organizations such as Soy Milk & Hope and Southeast Promise.

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According to the NCDHHS, the workforce in North Carolina鈥檚 local health departments is 80% white, 90% female, with 60% over the age of 45. Nationally, of the public health workforce, and post-millennials were nearly missing from the workforce completely.

鈥淚 am extremely proud of our students for being selected to participate in the NCDHHS Internship Program this summer,鈥� said 探花精选 President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail. 鈥淭he selection of our students for this program is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and excellence. It also reflects our university鈥檚 faculty, staff, and administrators’ contributions toward creating a more diverse public health workforce.

鈥淥ne of our  is , which starts with training the next generation of public health leaders,鈥� said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. 鈥淧ublic health and human services are focused on making a difference in our communities and the world. We鈥檙e grateful these students are choosing to spend their time dedicated to making that difference with NCDHHS.鈥�

The students will be working on projects with the NCDHHS. The internship will last ten weeks and include work in their assigned project area, weekly seminars, presentation practice, and an immersion event at the end of the internship experience.

“With this internship program, NCDHHS makes a crucial workforce investment and builds upon our strong partnership with North Carolina鈥檚 HBCUs and MSIs to engage students in learning firsthand about public health and human services careers,鈥� said Angela Bryant, NCDHHS Assistant Secretary for Equity and Inclusion in the Health Equity Portfolio. 鈥淣CDHHS and its Division of Public Health are excited Jeremiah, Jennifer, Hannah and Lee have chosen to join 49 other students and recent graduates in making a difference for North Carolina residents through this internship.鈥�

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In addition to planning events, the labor these students execute includes evaluations with qualitative data. This work includes collecting data from Community Health Workers who use NC CARE360 doing their duty work in neighborhoods and turning that data into a codebook. Doing so helps narrow down the root problems of Covid-19 causes in the community and the needs these families face.

The CHSA鈥檚 also responsible for hosting communication events. Some examples are Ask the Doc and Listening Sessions. The Ask the Doc sessions provide an opportunity for people in the community to get answers in regard to health-related questions and services. The listening sessions help as informational meetings, helping increase the health literacy of the community, not only increasing health knowledge but also promoting the use of health services.

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“I fought for funding for these essential projects because I know they will make a positive difference in our community,” said Congresswoman Ross听听“This week, we are coming back to Washington and putting politics aside to make government work for the American people. From Raleigh to Wendell, these projects address critical needs in Wake County and represent transformational investments in families, students, seniors, and more. I look forward to voting for this package and working with local leaders to ensure these projects deliver tangible results for North Carolina.”

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探花精选 will use this funding to open its Tuttle Public Health Center (TPHC), now known as the Public Health Education Center (PHEC).听

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“Congresswoman Ross’ advocacy uniquely positions us to build upon our long-term history in healthcare,” said 探花精选 President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail. “We have the idea that 探花精选 will be the center for providing opportunities for healthcare preparation globally.”

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In addition, the PHEC will support health and wellness education, student research regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19, and related programs that will benefit 探花精选 students and the surrounding community. Funding will be used to support faculty, establish smart classrooms for students, and purchase research and lab equipment.

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“This grant will strengthen our public health program,” said Dr. Mark A. Melton, Interim Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs. “We appreciate Congresswoman Ross and her efforts to assist 探花精选 with this endeavor.”

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The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate will vote on the package this week.

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听to read more about Congresswoman Ross’ announcement.

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Saint Augustine’s University and the School of Science, Mathematics and Allied Health is proud to announce that three Public Health majors have been accepted into the听Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars Program听Cohort听4听for 2021-2023.

As AHEC Scholars, students will have exclusive access to educational and experiential training activities that will give them an advantage in a competitive market. They will also have the opportunity to work with students and professionals in other health professions to enhance their learning experience as well as improve health care quality and delivery in North Carolina.听 As an added incentive after the successful completion of each year students will receive a stipend in the amount of $1,000.

The following students were accepted:

Shaquelle Bain听(Senior)

Dilcia Diaz听(Junior)

Noemi Garo Carbajal听(Senior)

Congratulations to our wonderful Falcon Scholars!

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The School of Sciences, Mathematics & Allied Health would like to recognize听Dr. Kelcy Walker Pope听and three of her Public Health majors,听Ms. Noemi Garo Carbajal, Ms. Malique Webb, and听Mr. Levit Bain, for their participation in the听Duke Cancer Institute Office of Health Equity Community Health Ambassador Training Program.听The Community Health Ambassador (CHA) Training was designed to build capacity within communities to increase knowledge about cancer prevention, screening, and participation in research clinical trials with the overall goal of decreasing health disparities, specifically related to cancer.

Dr. Kelcy W. Pope, Department Chair of Public Health and Exercise Science, states, 鈥淗aving our Public Health students participate in this training opportunity speaks to their commitment to ensuring those who are experiencing health disparities receive the vital information needed to make informed health decisions.鈥�

Read the full article here听鈫�

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We are building at Saint Augustine鈥檚 University! After an almost two year delay in construction, Interim President Dr. Maria A. Lumpkin and Dr. Derrick Sauls focused on re-energizing this project in October. With the help of Councilman Corey Branch, the City of Raleigh granted the university permits needed to complete Tuttle Public Health Community Center. The project is funded by a Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) Grant.

The SAFRA grant is awarded through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program of the Department of Education. The purpose of the Title III/SAFRA program is to assist HBCUs in establishing and strengthening their physical plants, academic resources, and student services to continue to fulfill the goal of equalizing educational opportunity.

The estimated completion date of this project is July 2020.

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Saint Augustine鈥檚 University will host Fresh Check Day鈥� a concept created by The Jordan Porco Foundation and designed to bring the whole campus community together to “check-in” on the mental health and wellness of college students. The event is free and has been organized by the #SafeFalcons Peer Health Educators with collaborating campus departments at Saint Augustine鈥檚 University, student volunteers, and representatives of The Jordan Porco Foundation.

Saint Augustine鈥檚 University Fresh Check Day will take place April 3, 2019, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Martin Luther King (MLK) Mall Area will be transformed into an expo-like atmosphere to bring together interactive exhibits combined with food, prizes, and giveaways. The booths feature peer-to-peer messaging in a positive, community-focused setting.听

For more information, please visit the

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Dr. Walker’s research, “Unraveling Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Insured African American Men and Women” was selected by APHA for poster presentation in the Cancer Forum Poster Session 5: Disparities in Cancer Screening, Outcomes, and Care.

This action research study explored the perceptions of screening beliefs for colorectal cancer among insured, African American men and women who were age-appropriate for screening but who had not completed it.听 Nine men and women were recruited from three predominantly African American churches in North Carolina.听 The goal of this qualitative research study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the health beliefs related to screening recommendations for colorectal cancer among African American men and women who had never engaged in any form of screening for colorectal cancer previously.听听

This study sought to elicit dialogue with participants about their reasons to delay or refuse this preventive screening.听 To gain insight, the researcher collected data through one-on-one interviews using a health beliefs model framework (Rosenstock, 1966). This approach explored the viewpoints and perceptions of African Americans as to their reasons for not completing this highly publicized (Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2016), and highly effective preventive care screening (ACS, 2016).听听

A number of health belief themes emerged regarding why screening for colorectal cancer was delayed or refused by African American men and women for whom it was appropriate, including: a lack of knowledge about colorectal cancer screening, a perception of a lack of physician engagement in the process, the lack of culturally appropriate care availability, a belief in greater vulnerability to developing cancer among certain populations, a belief in a relationship between poor diet and colorectal cancer, fear about the screening procedure itself, and lastly, fear of cancer diagnosis.听

The University is thrilled to have distinguished faculty such as Dr. Walker who continue to push their fields of research further while inspiring the students of Saint Augustine’s University.

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Mr. Carter has worked countless hours as the Public Health Intern under the direction of April McCoy, Program Assistant/Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health. He has worked diligently on establishing a tobacco-free policy, conducting various activities and programming on campus to support the passing of the policy. In addition, he is spearheading the planning process of the Saint Augustine’s University and Shaw University Presents: Together We Can: One Health, One Body HBCU Summit to be held on November 2, 2017, on our campus from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (registration coming soon).听

The department is proud of the work Mr. Carter has put in and continues to do to make our campus a safer environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Falcon Pride, Personified!!!听

To view the PSA click here:

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