Public Health Capstone Course Hosts Spring 2026 Culminating Poster Symposium

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A student presents her research work at the 2026 PHS Capstone Poster Symposium

Seniors enrolled in the undergraduate public health sciences capstone course presented their semester’s work at the Capstone Poster Symposium held on April 28, 2026, in the Campus Center Auditorium. Over 100 students participated in the spring 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.

Seniors worked collaboratively in small groups to investigate a public health problem and develop evidence-informed recommendations to address that problem, notes undergraduate program director Sofija Zagarins. She organized the poster symposium to provide students with opportunities to present their projects to faculty, staff, and students in a formal academic poster session format exclusively dedicated to their capstone work.

A panel of public health graduate students and instructors judged this spring’s poster session. In all, thirteen awards were presented: two abstract winners, three overall event winners; five winners from each capstone class section; and three audience favorite award winners.

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A student presents his research work at the 2026 PHS Capstone Poster Symposium

“Showcasing your work in a professional symposium setting is a meaningful achievement, and you represented yourselves and the program extremely well,” wrote Zagarins in her announcement of the symposium results. “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:

Abstract Winners

• 1st Place: Elise Fornaro, Thomas Manning, Karen Howell, Megan Cummings. “Vaccine Hesitancy: Older Adults in the U.S. Rural South and Educational Interventions.”
• 2nd Place: Gwyneth Woods, Jacey Allen, Travis Knowlton, Ruby Weinkselbaum. “Addressing Postpartum Depression among Adolescent and Young Adult Mothers Through Social Support Interventions.”

Overall Event Winners

• Best Poster: Kayanna Franklin, Julia Quintal, Anika Nagel, Jessica Fox. “Pesticide Poisoning Among Latino Migrant Farmworkers: Breaking Down Systemic Barriers and Improving Education.”
• Best Presentation: Zac Foerster, Ava Karol, Anthony Castro. “Using Food Backpacks to Alleviate Food Insecurity in School-Aged Children in Mississippi.”
• Best Overall: Olivia McClurken, Shadnan Asraf. “Preventing Heat-Related Maternal and Fetal Health Complications: Public Health Interventions for a Warming Climate.”

Class Section Winners

• PUBHLTH 323, Section 1 (Ann-Marie Sylvia): Aastha Patel, Caleb Lam, Drashti Patel. “Raising awareness about safe drinking habits on the UMass Amherst campus to reduce alcohol-related injuries, EMS call volume, and emergency department visits: A Public Health Communication and Educational Campaign.”
• PUBHLTH 494CI, Section 1 (Krystal Kittle): Abby O’Brien, Daniela Paulino, Innocentia Appiah, Evans Appiah. “Smog, Smoke, and Soot: The Silent Threat to Childhood Cognitive Development in Urban China.”
• PUBHLTH 494CI, Section 2 (Ann-Marie Sylvia): Marija Percac, Isabella Russo, Isabel Serrano, Megan Siegfried, Xiaolin Zhou. “Building Trust, Boosting Shots: Educational Strategies for Measles Prevention.”
• PUBHLTH 494CI, Section 3 (David Chin): Olivia McClurken, Shadnan Asraf (also overall event winners). “Preventing Heat-Related Maternal and Fetal Health Complications: Public Health Interventions for a Warming Climate.”
• PUBHLTH 494CI, Section 4 (Sofija Zagarins): Luda Zaitsev, Tanya Kolli, Thea Bassett. “Vaccination Motivation: Prevention, Surveillance, and Recommendations for Dengue Fever in Brazil.”

Audience Favorites

• 1st Place: Samaha Roban, Tess O’Shaughnessy, Rachel Lopriore. “Addressing Healthcare Access for Incarcerated Women in the US Prison System.”
• 2nd Place (tie): Hannah Frank, Jayden Fuentes, Princeton Chinaenyeze. “Where You Live Shouldn’t Decide If You Live: Addressing Maternity Care Deserts to Improve Maternal Health in Rural Louisiana.”

• 2nd Place (tie): Ochuko Ogagan, Ashera Alpert, Alona Lynch, Gloria Walker-Hoover, Louis Waibel. “Maternal Mortality Rates and Healthcare Education: A Comprehensive Analysis of Louisiana’s Healthcare System and Racial Inequities.”