AU undergraduate research team selected to participate in national program

Deborah Jehu, PhD, an assistant professor in Augusta University’s School of Public Health, and students Antinett Ampiah from the College of Education and Human Development, Charlotte Downs from the College of Nursing and Elizabeth Nelson-Twakor, an Honors Program student in the College of Science and Mathematics, have been selected to participate in the Council on Undergraduate Research’s 2024-25 Scholars Transforming Through Research Program.

Participating in this national program will allow the team to disseminate their research, focused on fall prevention in older adults, to elected officials, the media, funding agencies and community members in Washington, D.C.

“Strength and balance training is a cost-saving intervention strategy, and we would like to encourage policymakers to invest in this evidence-based fall prevention strategy,” said Jehu. “This advocacy professional development opportunity will garner our skills to effectively inform key stakeholders of cutting-edge research findings in fall prevention for aging populations.”

The STR Program is a competitive application-based professional development opportunity for teams consisting of a campus representative and one to three undergraduate students. Teams participate in a five-month program to develop their communication and advocacy skills, which will empower them to convey the power of the high-impact practices of undergraduate research, scholarship and creative inquiry experience to diverse stakeholder groups.

AU’s team is one of two selected from the state of Georgia. This year, the program comprises 65 campus representatives and 146 undergraduate researchers. The program will begin in November and conclude in March 2025 with in-person visits with stakeholders and elected governmental leadership in Washington, D.C.

Jehu said the team is also interested in hearing from stakeholders about important issues they may be facing, as well, which could lead to future research collaborations for years to come.

“Learning to communicate and advocate for your research effectively is such an important tool as a researcher and can lead to valuable change,” said Quentin Davis, PhD, director of Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. “I can’t wait to see how this team’s participation in Scholars Transforming Through Research will enhance their understanding of how scholarships can be communicated to a broader audience. This is a wonderful progression of their work together in our Summer Scholars Program,”

This is Augusta University’s second selection to this national program, bridging discovery with public policy. Daria Ilatovskya, PhD, an associate professor in AU’s Medical College of Georgia, and alumnus Adam Jones participated in the 2022-23 STR cohort.

“I am excited for this research team to represent Augusta University at the national level,” said Zach Kelehear, EdD, vice provost of Augusta University. “Research and discovery matter at AU, and I look forward to seeing the great things they’ll learn in order to grow as effective advocates for their research.”