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Social Inequality, Health & Policy Connecting Experiences

All Social Inequality, Health and Policy students are required to participate in at least two Connecting Experiences as part of their BDP work. Take a look at what some Social Inequality, Health and Policy students have done recently for their BDP Connecting Experiences, then read on for additional information and resources.

Spotlight
Past Connecting Experiences

Connecting Experience Spotlight

Suparna Bandyopadhyay

Major: Biology
Type of Experience: Internship, AIDS Services of Austin
Mentor: Shannon Cavanagh



How did you find out about this internship?
When it came time to find a Connecting Experience I knew that I wanted to work with HIV/AIDS. I had already done some volunteering with AIDS Services of Austin through a student organization. I emailed the Volunteer Coordinator at ASA as well as other public health clinics in Austin that I researched online. The email included a short introduction about myself and the Bridging Disciplines Program and also included my resume.

Tell us about the internship application process.
The volunteer coordinator informed me that they needed an intern for the Women Rising Project. I went in for a formal meeting, met with the volunteer coordinator, and had a conference call the program director for Women Rising. The interview was more of a basic overview of ASA, Women Rising, and the type of work they would need me to do. I filled out a few volunteer forms and a background check. They were very flexible with my summer schedule, and very excited to have me on board.

Describe the work you completed with AIDS Services of Austin.
I worked with the Women Rising team to create, administer, and analyze a needs-based assessment of HIV+ women living in the Austin community. We decided to administer a survey to collect data and conduct small focus groups to better understand the challenges these women face on a daily basis. I collected the data from the surveys, transcribed notes during the focus groups, and compiled all the information into a spreadsheet. Then, I drafted a preliminary report with basic conclusions for the Women Rising team, who then did some more in-depth analysis.

I also attended educational meetings with HIV+ women, who were more than willing to share their experiences with me.

How did this experience connect to your BDP?
I am participating in the Social Inequality, Health, and Policy BDP, following the Public Health strand. I was able to apply many concepts I had learned from my BDP classes during my internship.

I took a Sociology of AIDS course, which taught me that HIV/AIDS could be framed in different ways. In my connecting experience I met low-income women with HIV. Some of these women had to decide between feeding their families or paying for anti-retroviral medications. This internship showed me the large economic disparity that exists in our country especially when it comes to health care.

In what ways has this CE shaped your plans for the future?
Before this internship, I focused my interests on health needs abroad. After seeing the need that we have in our own country, I have changed my mind. I have always wanted to become a doctor, but have been unsure about which specialty to choose. After speaking with these women, hearing their stories, and listening to their needs, I have decided that I want to be an HIV/AIDS specialist. When I told the women I worked with that I wanted to be a doctor, they told me to hurry up and come back to Austin so I could treat them.

Read about past Connecting Experiences for Social Inequality, Health & Policy.

Past Social Inequality, Health, & Policy Connecting Experiences

There is no “list” of possible Connecting Experiences to choose from—because Connecting Experiences are designed to fit your own personal interests and goals, the “list” is as long as your imagination and creativity allow. With that in mind, here are some of the internship and research experiences Social Inequality, Health, and Policy students have had in the past. They might help you get started brainstorming what you might want to do for your Connecting Experiences.

Past Internship Placements

Past Research Projects

In the past, students have conducted research on

  • Adolescent drug prevention programs
  • AIDS prevention in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia
  • Alcoholism in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union
  • An anti-poverty initiative
  • Children’s transition into elementary school
  • Criticisms of Gandhi
  • Diabetes coaching among African Americans with Type II diabetes
  • Disease and the dietary patterns found in Spain
  • Education and social change in Africa
  • Effects of divorce on children and families
  • Effects of early marriage on mental health
  • The effects of neoliberal reform on Egyptian agriculture
  • Health care delivery in a local community clinic
  • Health care institutions and their patients’ quality of life
  • Impact of Christian mission on non-western societies
  • Indian and Chinese immigrant population
  • Individual, team, and organizational factors determining performance in aviation, space, and medicine
  • Marriage and cohabitation
  • Nursing students’ views on reproductive health
  • Obesity, targeted marketing, and residential segregation
  • Parental involvement by race/ethnicity
  • Population and reproductive health issues in Eurasia
  • Substance abuse prevention programs for adolescents
  • Urban planning
  • Vitamin and supplement use in the US population
  • Welfare policies and the effect on families