Taking COVID to the classroom

Taking COVIDto the Classroom

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, faculty and students were forced to adjust quickly to a new world and a new way of learning. Two faculty members in HCaP took the changes as an opportunity to provide students with hands-on experiences addressing real world problems and being part of the solution.

DEMOGRAPHY

Kara Joyner, department chair and professor in the Department of Demography, developed a course for undergraduate students that used the pandemic as a laboratory for research.

The course exposed students to evidence from the “natural experiments” that were created when states and counties began implementing social distance measures in March and April of 2020. These experiments have allowed researchers to infer the causal effects of these measures on Prior to joining UTSA, Joyner knew there COVID-19 cases. was great potential for a COVID-19 related “News stories have suggested that young adults were driving the surge course. In her previous position at Bowling in COVID-19 cases in states like Texas last summer,” Joyner said. Green State University, Joyner had conducted a “Now stories are intensely focused on the spread of COVID-19 cases at survey of students in her demography course different colleges and universities across the country.” about their interest in working on a COVID-19 project and they seized the opportunity. In the course, students had the opportunity to observe what is Kara Joyner “I was struck by how engaged students were happening around them using a scientific lens. in the project and how well they worked “What we learned in the class was not only how to dissect the data of together, despite their anxiety and physical isolation,” Joyner said. “This COVID-19 and present it in a factual matter, but as we looked through made me realize the COVID-19 pandemic offers a great laboratory for the data, the story of the pandemic was pretty clear,” said Scott Koonce, learning and applying demographic methods.” a junior psychology major. “We never know what to believe in the news When she joined the UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy faculty last summer, she found a home for the course as part of UTSA’s and having the data to interpret from the CDC and other government agencies allowed us, as students, to form factual based assessments.” Honors College curriculum. The course had more than a dozen students enrolled and covered Demographers have gravitated toward COVID-19 data because they have the tools to locate hot spots for the virus, identify groups that are research from multiple disciplines taking place across the world on the ever-changing virus. It covered topics that helped students navigate the more exposed and vulnerable to it and track its change over time. sea of data on COVID-19.

“It addressed why charts on change in the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases over time present estimates based on the natural logarithm of cases,” Joyner said. “It also covered some common pitfalls in interpreting COVID-19 data and statistics.” Other topics included how COVID-19 compares to the Spanish flu; how various types of COVID-19 rates, such as the case fatality rates, are calculated; how COVID-19 rates differ by age, gender and race/ ethnicity; the role of demographic composition (for example, age structure) in explaining variation in rates across counties, states and countries; the effect of social distancing policies on the rate at which COVID-19 cases are changing; and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on life expectancy, fertility, migration and unemployment. “Over the span of the class, we learned about various demographic concepts under the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as how to calculate and interpret excess deaths and case-fatality rates,” said Andreina Ahrens ’20, a biology major. “This class will benefit me going forward because in addition to being pre-med, I am interested in becoming involved with public health research and health policy implementation. Demographic techniques/tools will be important in my future career endeavors because through data, public health measures can be evaluated for their efficiency, and researchers can ascertain numerically where certain issues prevail most in society.”

Joyner has been teaching courses on demographic methods for almost two decades and has enjoyed seeing the surge in interest. “I myself was not sure exactly what demography was when I entered a doctoral program in sociology and out of curiosity ended up taking an Introduction to Population course in my first semester,” she said. “I have heard scholars from the Baby Boom generation say that concerns about population growth in the 1960s helped attract top young scholars to the field of population science.” The current pandemic, Joyner said, could spark a similar interest in demography for Generation Z.

While demography of COVID-19 is an important course in the current climate of the pandemic, Joyner knows that its effects will reach far beyond the end of the virus. “Students will be able to expand their methodological tool kit to include methods that are widely used in research and Erica Sosa industry,” she said. “They will also learn the steps involved in conducting a research project, which include identifying a research question that can be addressed with existing data, conducting a review of the literature on the topic, formulating a central research hypothesis, compiling and analyzing data, and drafting a research brief with findings and recommendations.” Research projects were collaborative, and as such, students continued to refine their skills working with others virtually. “Ultimately,” Joyner said, “students not only gained a better understand of the COVID-19 pandemic surrounding them but also cultivated some skills that can improve their career prospects.”

“I was struck by how engaged students were in the project and how well they worked together, despite their anxiety and physical isolation.”

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND CONTACT TRACING

As part of a new program developed by Erica Sosa, associate professor of Public Health, the course trained and engaged undergraduate Public Health students to provide contact tracing and public health outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Contact tracing is an integral part of stopping the spread of COVID-19 infection by quickly identifying and quarantining those who may have been exposed to COVID-19,” said UTSA’s Chief Medical Officer, Beth Wichman. “This allows the exposed individual to be aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 while being sequestered for a defined period of time to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. We are fortunate to have Dr. Sosa’s expertise and the dedication of her students to this endeavor.”

The program’s aim was for students to learn to become contact tracers and extend the work of the professionals in the local health department, Metro Health. Sosa consulted with Metro Health to develop the materials for the class. The contact tracers played a critical role in UTSA’s operations to address COVID-19 and minimize its impact on members of the Roadrunner family. The program started in fall 2020 before vaccinations were available.

“There are a lot of preventive measures we can take to make sure that we don’t allow the disease to spread further,” said Sosa. “We’re following up with the people who are potentially exposed and letting them know so they can go get tested themselves,” Sosa said. The students provided information to contacts regarding testing, quarantining and support services. The contact tracers also served as public health ambassadors continuing to check in on people who were quarantining to provide additional resources and support. As vaccinations have become more widely available, the contact tracers are providing

information on what implications vaccinations have on quarantining and testing protocols. “As we were building the College for Health, Community and Policy throughout the COVID pandemic, it became clear that there would not be a better experiential learning opportunity than to partner with Metro Health and to train our students to become contact tracers for the Roadrunner Family,” said HCaP’s Founding Dean, Lynne Cossman. “Thankfully, cases throughout the academic year have been relatively low for students, staff and faculty associated with UTSA; however, students were still trained as contact tracers and now understand that process more thoroughly than they ever could have by simply reading about it in textbooks and hearing about it from their professor.” Last fall, 20 seniors participated as contact tracers, and 15 more students enrolled for the spring semester. Most of the students were public health majors and were familiar with epidemiology and diseases. “This was really their experiential learning opportunity to kind of put it all into play,” Sosa said. Although the program was a success, it wasn’t without its challenges. “One thing that makes contact tracing difficult is a lot of people don’t understand what it is, and when somebody does contact them to talk about the potential exposure, they may be a little bit leery of it,” Sosa said. “So we’re doing a lot of education outreach to the UTSA community to really let them know about this.”

As the fall approaches and UTSA plans to have extensive, in-person classes, the program may remain in place. “Dr. Sosa’s contact tracing class is an integral part of UTSA’s Pandemic Management Plan,” said Assistant Vice President for Administration and Operations Mary Hernandez. “The class has allowed us to significantly augment our contact tracing resources and provide timely response to mitigate the spread of COVID. In addition, Dr. Sosa has been a delight to work with and has provided significant contributions to shape the contact tracing resources on our campus.”

UTSA’s Todić joins prestigious cohort of Social Work Health Futures fellows

UTSA Assistant Professor of Social Work Jelena Todic ' has been accepted into a cohort of social work experts from the U.S. and Canada.

The Social Work Health Futures Lab is a Even before learning of the project, Todić had developed a course national program of the Robert Wood for UTSA master’s students called Social Determinants of Health. Johnson Foundation and hosted by the The overarching theme for the course came from an essay written by Portland State University School of Social Arundhati Roy, asking readers to imagine the pandemic as a portal to Work. The 26-member cohort will spend the a better world. This forward-thinking viewpoint fits in harmoniously next 18 months learning about how to apply with the theme of the Health Futures Lab. a “futures” lens to some of the most challenging problems of society. “In the course, we were looking at health inequities in San Antonio Jelena Todic ' The fellows will work together on pertinent research, studying topics such as the relationship of technology and human well-being, geopolitical issues shifting the nature of place and identity, and the relationship between climate justice and health. and the U.S. We examined research evidence that can inform our thinking about how to eliminate health inequities,” Todić explained. “We also studied transformative frameworks like prison industrial complex abolition and solidarity economy to help us see what’s happening to us right now as an opportunity to arrive somewhere “I am grateful to have been selected as a Lab member,” Todić said. else: a post-pandemic world that is healthier for all of us. So when the “The Lab will be a generative space that will nurture my imagination call came out, I was ready. We were already and courage to think big. I look forward to experimenting with the future.” bringing that energy to my work at UTSA.” This cohort’s project builds upon ongoing “We examined research Todić sees the fellowship as a chance to bring back exciting new ideas and practices into work that Laura Nissen, principal evidence that can inform the classroom, but also as a way to frame her investigator, the lab director and a research fellow at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California, has been engaged in exploring and inviting social workers our thinking about how to eliminate health inequities.” research and advance the goals of the UTSA Department of Social Work. “I think this will be really exciting for my nationally to consider foresight methods in research because it is interdisciplinary and does their practice. not neatly fit into traditional research topics,” The project will also shine a light on the ways the future might Todić said. “Sometimes it’s really hard to find a home for it.” impact social workers who work with social determinants of health. Todić’s work in the Health Futures Lab will also advance the missions The fellows will explore the ways that social work roles, tools and of the UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy and the methods may expand and become even more interdisciplinary and Department of Social Work. While the fellowship seems tailor-made more technological in the coming years. These explorations may lead to a host of new ideas about how to best teach and prepare the next generation for effective leadership and practice in a changing world. for Todić and her research, she gives equal credit to the students in her Social Determinants of Health course. “The transdisciplinary and solutions-focused Lab orientation mirrors the college’s vision for the role we want to play in San Antonio and beyond,” Todić said. “I am also looking forward to bringing the innovative work we are doing to the national conversation.” “It was such a generative, vibrant environment, even in the midst of the pandemic,” she said. “Every time I think about the students, I tear up. It’s been truly an incredible experience with them for the past 15 weeks.”

UTSA alumna earns scholarship to practice medicine in underserved communities

Jordan Minugh ’20 has always loved medicine and knew she would pursue it as a career. What she didn’t know upon enrolling at UTSA is that she would find an unorthodox path to medicine – and earn a major scholarship along the way.

Minugh didn’t discover the field of public “To me, as a Public Health major, that’s my dream,” Minugh said. health until her second year at UTSA, but once “It was a win-win, because I want to do that anyway.” she did, it put everything together for her. Minugh will pick her service area next year before she enters her “Public health is not just the straight science clinicals. She’s looking forward to serving those in need, especially if part of medical studies,” she said. “It includes her service area is local to the city she was born and raised in. Jordan Minugh things like sociology, and you learn about all the disparities happening in the world right now. Having a public health background made me a better provider overall.” “Medicine is great in a lot of ways, there’s a lot of potential for making a high salary,” she said. “But you shouldn’t be in medicine if you don’t want to help people. I want to provide access to care to people who need it most.” That’s not to say there was no practice for medical studies. In her third year, Minugh conducted an independent study, guided by professor Erica Wallace, on vaccine-preventable diseases. Her physician assistant studies are demanding, but she credits her time at UTSA for giving her a solid foundation. “If anyone is wanting to be a PA, I would highly recommend majoring in Public Health,” “Jordan was truly one of the brightest and most empathetic students Minugh said. “It’s going to make you a better provider in the long run. I’ve worked with at UTSA,” Wallace said. “She was earnest in her desire You’ll have a more well-rounded education and will understand the to prepare herself to be a great physician assistant, and I am very proud communities that are really needing this healthcare. You’re going to of her and everything she will accomplish.” be able to understand all the disparities. You’re going to have a deeper Minugh is now pursuing Physician Assistant studies at the understanding of the people you’ll be treating.” University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Because of her And to Minugh, that’s what really counts – and that’s what medicine is dedication to serving communities in need and her academic all about. “If I can actually help people and make a difference in these achievements, her education is being funded entirely by the communities, there’s no price on that. That’s what has always kept me National Health Service Corps (NHSC). motivated even when it’s hard – knowing that I’m going to be able to The NHSC Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students help people that truly need it one day.” pursuing eligible primary care health professions training. In return, scholars commit to provide primary health care services in Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Public administration alumnus pursues law career

Anyone traveling through UTSA’s campuses is sure to notice the blue street signs, with Rowdy helpfully pointing the way. Those signs were created as part of an initiative started by then-Councilman Nirenberg and UTSA’s Student Government Association.

Conor Harvey

Conor Harvey ’15 was at the helm of that initiative – one of the highlights of three and a half years as an undergraduate. During his time at UTSA, he not only spearheaded several projects with SGA, but was also awarded the Jane Findling Award for students committed to the excellence of UTSA, earned an Archer Fellowship, and completed several internships even after he had hit his credit maximum.

Throughout all of this, Harvey never really thought of practicing law for a living. He knew he loved government work, and enjoyed learning about policy and practices in his undergraduate courses with public administration, but it was only when he decided on a legal studies minor that the thought blossomed into a potential career. That decision ultimately brought him to the University of Chicago Law School, and to the opportunity to clerk for Justice Jimmy Blacklock of the Supreme Court of Texas. As part of his job, Harvey assists Justice Blacklock with legal research, making legal determinations, and opinion drafting. “My courses in administration at UTSA helped me prepare for this,” Harvey said. Although “the heavy law school stuff” applies directly to his job, Harvey thinks understanding the intricacies of government administration is just as important. The Supreme Court of Texas hears a variety of state-related litigation, including suits concerning various public agencies and officials. “You need to understand Texas government and how things work,” Harvey said. “What’s the regulatory scheme here, what is the most efficient outcome. There’s so much state litigation, and the public administration program helped me understand that side.” Harvey also credits the faculty and the opportunities UTSA offers for his success. “Professor Jaramillo was always very supportive of internships and was kind of my informal advisor,” he said. His professors also encouraged him to apply for the Archer Fellowship, which enabled him to spend three months in Washington, D.C., learning about policymaking and government. “Conor was an extremely hard-working and impressive student, able to speak and write about complex legal concepts in a sophisticated way even as an undergraduate,” said Francine Romero, Chair of Public Administration. “I am not at all surprised with his success in a very competitive law school program. I look forward to seeing how he makes his mark in the legal arena in years to come.” Harvey encourages anyone interested in law to consider public administration – especially if one is not interested in the criminal justice aspect of law. “So much of law is not criminal in nature,” he said. “For example, Texas has two highest courts. Only one hears criminal proceedings.” “I remember debating between political science and public administration when I was a freshman,” Harvey recalled. “I think public administration was a little more practical. I got a lot of more of the classes about management, and strategic planning, and all these other skills that you would employ in your day-to-day job.” But in the end, Harvey says your interests matter more than the major you choose. “I think people thinking about law should study whatever interests them the most – whatever they’re going to do well in and succeed.”