IOWA CITY, IOWA (October 7, 2021) — A University of Iowa student team that includes Sydney Prochaska of Bettendorf, Iowa, recently placed among the top entries in an international competition called the Fulbright Canada Post-COVID Challenge.

The three-member Iowa team, all Master of Public Health candidates in the UI College of Public Health, included Claire Carlson, Sydney Prochaska, and Kasra Zarei, who is also a 2021 graduate of the college's EMHA program.

The competition invited young people from across Canada and the United States to provide creative ideas that address critical social, economic, technological, and public-health challenges in the post-COVID world. After screening some 500 entries, the judges selected only 27 teams, including the Iowa team, to move to the second round.

The Iowa team's proposal, which they presented this summer, was focused on the category "enhancing public health and well-being."

"As future public-health practitioners, we wanted to apply what we were learning in the classroom to a real-life scenario," says Prochaska.

The team's proposal had two main objectives: 1) to improve the process in which local public-health entities engage and communicate with their community during crises to address current and future public-health challenges, and 2) to better understand policies and factors that influence infectious disease-spread, and identify-disparities in the community.

As part of the proposal development process, the team conducted focus groups with diverse local organizations in Johnson County, Iowa.

"We learned how the biggest frustration in navigating the pandemic was the lack of uniformity between the levels of government in response to COVID-19," Prochaska says. "Many focus groups stated how it would have been nice and avoided distrust if there was one uniform guideline for COVID-19."

The team also recommended several action items for local health departments based on the preliminary results of their focus groups: develop aligned public-health communication at all levels of jurisdictions (county/city, state, national); revisit health policies and protocols for public-health leadership and chain of command disputes; reassess groups, organizations, and stakeholders involved in community planning; understand local health-disparities and inequities; expand community partnerships to perform a broader range of public-health activities and respond to crises; and pilot evidence-based public-health interventions, delegating responsibilities when needed.

Although the Iowa team wasn't selected for the third round of nine finalists, the students found the experience was worthwhile and helped expand their skills.

"Through working as a local contact tracer for COVID-19, I found myself eager to engage with the community to learn about their perspective on the pandemic," says Carlson. "This experience helped me reconcile diverse viewpoints and propose solutions for future public health crises."

About the University of Iowa

As a top global university, Iowa is the ideal destination for learning, discovery, and innovation. We bring art and science together to create a truly unique interdisciplinary education. With over 200 areas of study to choose from, students are encouraged to mix and match majors, minors, and certificates to earn a degree that reflects their unique interests.

From inside our world-class medical center to the most prestigious creative-writing program in the US, students have access to quality academic support and are equipped with the tools they need to stand out in a competitive workforce. Our 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows students to work directly with experts in their field while earning valuable, practical skills.

Our campus seamlessly blends into the heart of downtown Iowa City, making it easy to access academic resources and belong to a larger, welcoming community. With over 500 student organizations, clubs, and communities on campus, and countless in-town events scheduled throughout the year, Iowa makes it easy to build a network of friendships and connections that last a lifetime.

To learn more about the University of Iowa, click HERE.

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