Students Named ASPPH ‘This is Public Health’ Ambassadors.
Master of Public Health students Juliana Barounis and Walae Hayek have been named 2020-2021 ‘This is Public Health’ Ambassadors (TIPH) by the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Barounis and Hayek will serve in their roles through June 2021.
Launched in 2017, the TIPH Ambassador Program enables students from ASPPH-member schools to raise awareness about the field of public health by leading virtual events, taking over the TIPH social media accounts, and contributing to projects and presentations that garner interest in public health education and careers.
Hayek and Barounis join a cohort of 44 other graduate students who represent 31 ASPPH-member schools. Most schools are represented by one ambassador, but the two second-year students will represent SPH together.
“It’s exciting for BUSPH to have two ambassadors,” says Hayek, who is completing certificates in community assessment, program design, implementation and evaluation (CAPDIE), as well as mental health and substance use. “The school has a growing student body, and it’s nice that we have more than one person sharing this role.”
Barounis and Hayek will meet at the beginning of the semester to brainstorm and plan virtual awareness activities about a variety of issues within the field. They already have plans to take over TIPH’s social media accounts later this fall. Hayek will take over the Instagram account from October 12 to October 16, during National Health Literacy Month, “to highlight the importance of cultural competency and cultural humility in health communication,” she says. Barounis will take over the TIPH Facebook account on Monday, November 16 during Health Professions Week.
“Students will be able to ask any of the TIPH ambassadors questions about what we do and why we’re passionate about our work,” says Barounis, who is studying health policy and law at SPH. “It will be an opportunity for us to advocate for the field of public health and speak to our own personal experiences.” Barounis has already posted on the TIPH Facebook page; in July, she posted a #WhyIMask selfie, donning a mask to encourage the public to wear face coverings to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Hayek and Barounis also share an interest in mental wellness and plan to pursue careers in dental and medical care, respectively, after they complete the MPH program. They say they are looking forward to developing awareness activities in those subject areas, among others.
“Considering the circumstances, now is a great time to shed light on mental health and wellness, and relate those issues to social equity and all of the movements that are growing right now,” says Hayek.
Both students also plan to engage the SPH community to gain insight into other public health issues and activities that students would like them to elevate in their ambassador roles. To suggest ideas, you can reach out to Hayek at whayek@bu.edu and Barounis at jbarouni@bu.edu.