Department of Communications PhD candidate Beth Bollinger recently presented her findings from a study on children as informal health advocates in Latino families at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication. Ms. Bollinger was one of two students awarded the Latino Center for Health Student Travel Award for Spring 2018 to attend conferences and present findings on topics relevant to Latinx health.
Here’s what Ms. Bollinger had to say about the experience:
“Attending the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication was a wonderful experience for me both professionally and intellectually. At this conference, I was able to discuss in depth health research innovations and challenges with current trailblazers in the field. The conference itself was structured to be intimate, welcoming, and interpersonal. I was able to benefit greatly from this format, making connections with fellow researchers in the field and also network with others for future collaborations in academia. Professionally, I was able to build relationships with scholars whom I cite daily in the field of health communication, bridging the gap between student to peer. Intellectually, I was stimulated and inspired by the various research that were presented around me throughout the duration of the conference, and I left the conference with new ideas and future directions for research studies. In particular, this conference gave me invaluable experience in presenting my research findings to a wide and varied health audience.”
“I was seated on a panel under the topic of “information uncertainty management.” The other papers on my panel dealt with issues such as cancer diagnoses, multiple sclerosis disclosure, and health seeking behaviors on online platforms. I am thankful to have had the experience of sharing my research on such a diverse panel, both seeing how our topics overlap, and also highlighting the unique topic, population, and need of my study. The conference audience had a warm reception for my presentation and overarching research topic. It was very encouraging to see so many people in the audience really “get it” and become drawn to the need to research health disparities in Latino populations. All of these educational experiences and academic connections were made possible through this Latino Center for Health student travel award. I am incredibly thankful for the funds spent to support me at this conference, giving me invaluable experience and exposure in my own professional and intellectual community.”
Thank you to Ms. Bollinger for contributing to knowledge and efforts to promote the health of the Latino community!
Are you a student seeking funds for conference travel? The next application deadline for our Student Travel Award Program is October 10th, though applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Please email latcntr@uw.edu for more information.