Posted 09/07/2007

Kellogg Program gives head start for minority students interested in public health studies

Minority students interested in public health are getting a head start thanks to a program operated by the Arnold School of Public Health and five of the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 

Supported by a $2.7 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the African-American Public Health Fellowship and Development Program is designed to increase the number of African-Americans entering graduate training programs and careers in public health, said Program Director Andrea Williams. 

“Our goal is for these students to come to graduate school at USC’s Arnold School, but even if they go elsewhere, we want to see them in the field of public health,” said Williams, who also is associate director for USC’s Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities. 

The institute, headed by Dr. Sandra Glover, is an arm of the Arnold School. 

This summer found 16 students from S.C. State University, Allen University, Claflin University, Benedict College and Morris College participating in a Summer Enrichment Program on the USC campus as part of the Kellogg initiative. 

All of the institutions are members of South Carolina’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).  Missing is Vorhees College which was part of the program when it started five years ago, but dropped out because of a staffing shortage, Williams said. 

Each of the HBCUs has a Kellogg advisor/coordinator to recruit and advise students about the enrichment program which provides the student participants with a $7,500 annual stipend for undergraduate education expenses. 

The qualifications for a Kellogg fellowship are more detailed but, in general, applicants must meet citizenship and academic standards, agree to complete public health classes at their schools, join the Public Health Student Alliance on their campus, and participate in local workshops.  Participants also do individual public health research - primarily on the issue of obesity, a particular problem in South Carolina. 

Attending the summer program is another requirement of the students. They reside on the USC campus for two weeks during which time they complete a series of intensive class assignments.  Williams says this summer’s session offered workshops and classes in GRE preparation, public health research, scientific and academic writing, oral communications and personal and leadership development. 

Classes were taught by faculty from the HBCUs, the Arnold School, and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. 

Gwen Preston, Institute assistant director and coordinator of student and faculty development programs, said the Kellogg program helps students understand that  public health is a distinct discipline apart from traditional medical practice. 

“It’s our job to make sure that the students understand we’re dealing with preventive rather than reactive measures when it comes to diseases,” she said. 

The program is also a good training opportunity for faculty at USC and the HBCUs.  Dayna Campbell, who teaches at Allen University, and Brandi Wright, a doctoral candidate at USC, were on the staff of this summer’s institute.  

Preston said the presence of Campbell and Wright was a plus for the institute because the students find it easy to relate to two young women not much older than themselves.  

A companion summer program is also available to high school students interested in public health programs, said Preston. 

Thirty-six students participated in this year’s companion program which offered a series of workshops on public health disciplines taught by Arnold School faculty and staff from DHEC.  These students also were offered SAT preparation classes.