Faculty & Staff Profiles

I’ve always been interested in the systems at play when dealing with obesity, especially in African American women. There’s a lot of historical/current racism and injustice that affects one’s health outcomes on multiple levels (e.g., interpersonal, community, policy) that needs to be acknowledged in the literature and implemented in health promotion practices. I learned about Community-based participatory research from Dr. Sparkle Springfield, which I think is critical in implementing interventions. Communities hold extensive knowledge and expertise on what will work for them.  

When I first applied to Loyola as a student, I was attracted to working with Professors like Dr. Dugas and Dr. Luke because of their extensive knowledge of obesity and global health disparities. I also enjoyed how Loyola focused on integrating faith into different academic sectors. I was attracted to Loyola as an employer because of the work culture that Parkinson strives to attain, the co-worker relationships, and working with undergraduate students. When I was at Iowa State, it felt like home where I built safe and long-lasting connections/friendships. A college is a place of academic achievement and higher learning, but it’s also a place for finding who you are or want to be, and for some, this is the first opportunity to be in a safe space to explore their identity.