Student Profile: Emma Sklar
Public Health Sciences major Ella Sklar worked with the Center of Program Evaluation to study community health services.
Please explain what you are researching and your daily role in the study.
The research I worked on this summer was through the Center of Program Evaluation, within the Department of Health Promotion and Policy. I had the opportunity to work with local government partners and learn strategies and techniques for mixed-methods evaluation services. I also learned skills related to quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, which has helped further my knowledge as both a researcher and a student. Every day looked different in this research role, which is one of the reasons I really enjoyed this experience. Some days were spent doing independent work, reviewing relevant literature, and writing up manuscripts. Some days were spent in meetings, working collaboratively with other members of my team, and learning from them. Others were spent on-site, interacting with the community, collecting data to conduct our evaluation services.
What made you interested in this research?
This research was a particularly ideal match for me; in addition to my public health major, I am also double majoring in legal studies. I am passionate about improving access to health services, as well as improving the quality of services that are available. To do this successfully, it is important to have a public health background but also to be knowledgeable about government and the infrastructure of the public sector. Exploring that intersection, and how to improve it, is something that I hope to continue to research in the future, and I am very grateful for this research opportunity and the relevant and interactive experience that I was able to partake in.
How have your experiences at UMass prepared you for research?
My experiences at UMass were an essential part of my preparation for participating in this research. Coming to UMass, I knew that research was something that I wanted to make sure that I did during my time as an undergraduate. UMass has many different research areas and resources to connect you with professors and other students participating in research. One of my UMass experiences that has helped to set me up for research the best is my participation in the iCons program. iCons is a certificate program that accepts students from all different majors and provides opportunities for students to engage with real-world problems through interdisciplinary, collaborative teams. My participation in this program allowed me to learn the basics of research and successful scientific communication, which set me up ideally for this research opportunity.
What about this internship excites you the most?
The most exciting thing about this internship is the work that I had the opportunity to support, as well as the opportunity to work with the other members of my team. The work that we are publishing is directly impacting people’s lives through advocating for better access to and delivery of quality health services. This excites me because this work is a positive light of affirmative change in a time when many public health services are becoming limited or are ending completely. The members of my team are all deeply knowledgeable and have amazing insights and experiences in the field of public health, and I am so excited to learn more from them, both academically and professionally, as I continue to work with them.
What do you hope to do in the future, either at UMass or after graduating?
After graduating, I hope to continue my education and go to graduate school for a degree relating to public health, law, policy, or the combination of these fields. I hope to continue my passion for research and help improve the healthcare system in America, whether that is working in the private or public sector. I am sure that this research experience and the skills that I have been able to learn and develop are an essential part of the beginning of my career as a public health professional, and I am so thankful for this experience and all that it has taught me.
