Public Health Capstone Course Hosts 2nd Annual Poster Symposium

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The poster symposium's overall winning team of Hailie Duquette, Aryana Colon, Julia Powell, and Nidhi Manchikanti.

Seniors enrolled in the undergraduate public health sciences capstone course presented their semester’s work at the Capstone Poster Symposium held on November 20, 2025, in the Campus Center Auditorium. Approximately 110 students participated in the 2nd annual event.

As the culminating experience of the public health sciences major, the capstone course is designed for students to synthesize and integrate their learning from previous coursework, internship, and extra-curricular activities in the discipline. The class, which satisfies the integrative experience requirement for the major, also helps students to develop skills in teamwork, communication, and leadership.

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Associate Dean Gloria DiFulvio listens to a presentation at the 2025 Capstone Poster Symposium

“Our annual Capstone Symposium showcases the work of seniors in the public health sciences major, who work collaboratively in small groups to investigate a public health problem and develop evidence-informed recommendations to address that problem,” explains undergraduate program director Sofija Zagarins, the symposium’s lead organizer. “Students present their projects through academic posters evaluated by graduate students and faculty, giving them an opportunity to share their ideas with a broader academic community.”

Zagarins organized the poster symposium to provide students enrolled during the fall semester with the opportunity to present their projects to faculty, staff, and students in a formal academic poster session format. In the spring semester, students typically present their capstone projects at the Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference or the SPHHS Research Day.

“After a semester of drafting and revising, it was wonderful to see students showcase their public health projects, get feedback, and spark new ideas,” notes Alex Knee, a lecturer in biostatistics who served as one of capstone course’s instructors. “These opportunities are so important in building confidence and getting exposure to how we move science forward, which is critical in public health.”

“Sharing our work at the symposium showed us how much we've grown and learned about research and health communication,” adds Monica Barsoum, a student presenter.

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Public health sciences majors Alison Martin and Summer Golen at the symposium.

“It was great to hear from our peers and see how they approached creating an intervention plan and recommendations for taking action on pressing public health issues,” says Alison Martin, a public health sciences major who attended the event. “I particularly appreciated seeing all of the hard work my peers put into their projects, and each presentation was uniquely thought out.”

A panel of 16 public health graduate students and instructors judged this year’s poster session. “What impressed us was that the students from various groups were not only able to answer our questions, but also were cognizant of what they had not covered,” says lecturer and judge Renu Sharma-Gehring.

“It was an honor to serve as judge for this year’s capstone symposium,” adds doctoral student Jessica Kumah. “The quality of work was remarkable this year and it’s beautiful to see the amount of work the students put into it.”

In all, nine awards were presented: one overall winner; five winners from each capstone class section; and three audience favorite award winners.

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to each of you for the time, effort, and enthusiasm you brought to yesterday’s Capstone Symposium,” wrote Zagarins in her announcement of the symposium results. “Your presentations showcased an impressive range of ideas, thoughtful analyses, and meaningful contributions to public health. Our judges and guests shared how impressed they were by the quality of your work, and it was wonderful to see the energy and pride you brought to your projects!”

This year’s winning teams are:

Overall Winner:

• Team: Hailie Duquette, Aryana Colon, Julia Powell, Nidhi Manchikanti. Project: “Structural and Social Barriers to Reproductive Health Services for College Students: A Systematic Review.”

Section Winners:

• Team: Joseph Frumkin, David Lewis, Akim Abramkin. Project: “Urban Air Pollution Prevention Initiatives for Dementia: Policy Targeting a Novel Pathway.”
• Team: Hailie Duquette, Aryana Colon, Julia Powell, Nidhi Manchikanti. Project: “Structural and Social Barriers to Reproductive Health Services for College Students: A Systematic Review.”
• Team: Emma O'Connell, Harini Sibi, Natalie Chen, Natalie Wilson. Project: “The Effects of Social Media Exposure on Anxiety and Depression in Young Adults: A Systematic Review.”
• Team: Priscillia Meta, Merly Winklaar, Emma Morrissey. Project: “How To Treat Stress in Latina Mothers to Reduce Cases of Postpartum Depression and In Turn Prevent Child Developmental Delays.”
• Team: Sakshi Mantripragada, Monica Barsoum, Lakshmi Doobay, Ron Dardeno. Project: “Together for Health: Promoting Flu Prevention Among College Students.”

Audience favorites:

• 1st Place: Team: Saranya Sribalaharan, Abigail Lowry, Maia Dooley, Rayha Karanth. Project: “Decreasing the Risk of Shaken Baby Syndrome through Education for Expecting Parents.”
• 2nd Place (tie): Team: Quinn Beisel, Kate Moritoso, Julia Quintal, Aimee Lee. Project: “Fuel your Future: Addressing the Absence of Dietary Knowledge Among College Students.”
• 2nd Place (tie): Team: Julia Bo, Immaculate Kamau, Amanda Bast, Katelyn Murphy. Project: “The Opioid Crisis Among First Nations and Inuit Communities in Canada: Assessing Barriers to Treatment and Paths Toward Culturally Grounded Intervention.”

Public health sciences majors present their capstone project.