Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Student (Summer 2021)

"Through my REU internship this summer I was able to develop a broad range of skills and perspectives. Through work on the Violence Intervention Program (VIP)'s main research project, which is a formative evaluation of the program, I learned about and practiced multiple steps in the qualitative coding process, from codebook development to the implementation of codes. This is a crucial skill that is necessary when condensing a vast amount of qualitative data into more palatable information for analysis.

I also had the opportunity to become familiar with chart abstraction and the software EPIC. I used these skills to help identify youth who were eligible for the services offered by VIP so that they could be connected with the program and its resources.

While helping VIP in a collaboration with a local YMCA to provide programming for their summer camps, I learned about the development of trauma-informed curriculum and the importance of utilizing this curriculum across a broad range of settings, including schools, hospitals, and other healthcare sites. Through this project, I was also able to learn about the development of data collection tools using REDCap and how REDCap can be used for data analysis.

Finally, and most importantly, I learned about how the collaboration of the fields of social work, medicine, and public health can create systemic changes that help youth who have been affected by violence. The commitment and passion of VIP staff was incredibly special to witness and will remain with me as I continue to work in the fields of public health and medicine."