OKLAHOMA CITY – A team of three undergraduate students majoring in public health at the University of Central Oklahoma recently took first place in the 2024 National Case Study Competition in Health Education (NCSCHE). Twenty-two teams from across the nation competed in the event.
UCO team members included Araceli Saeed, a senior from Dallas; Kabran Sherfield, a senior from Oklahoma City; and, Jamie Sibert, a senior from Oklahoma City. The competition, completed during the team’s junior year, was part of the Society for Public Health Education Conference, hosted in in St. Louis, Missouri.
“The remarkable thing about this competition is that student teams are not allowed any outside help,” said Sunshine Cowan, Ph.D., professor and co-coordinator of UCO’s Public Health Program.
Every year, NCSCHE® brings together student teams from leading universities to compete in solving a real-life challenge. Students work independently to develop a resolution to the issue and a presentation for a panel of judges.
Teams are given free rein to address the issue as they see fit, but generally they will have to show competence in the NCHEC Core Competencies for a Health Education Specialist. Students present to a panel of judges, given approximately 15 minutes to present, and then 10 minutes for questions from the panel.
Every year, the National Case Study Competition in Health Education brings together student teams from leading universities to compete in solving a real-life challenge. Facebook photo
“These future professionals tackle complex public health issues by providing creative solutions based on best practices and research,” Cowan added. “This is the fifth national win by students in our program since 2018. We are proud of their work and hopeful about the future of public health in Oklahoma.”
To prepare for the event, students received a case study three weeks before the competition. They were given a real-world public health issue and then worked to create a solution for it.
This year’s case study focused on asthma rates in St. Louis. The students must assess and address the problem using research, a public health theory or model and best practices.
The public health program at Central prepares professionals to identify and assess factors contributing to a population’s health and to promote overall health in all communities. The program is undergoing self-study for accreditation with the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
For more information about Central’s Public Health program, contact Professor Cowan at 405-974-5238 or jcowan1@uco.edu or Kerry Morgan, Ph.D., co-coordinator at 405-974-5990 or kmorgan31@uco.edu.
For more information about Central’s Public Health program, click here.
Source: UCO public health students place first in national competition
