On Friday, November 7, SIG Co-Director Dr. Victoria Frye and the P3 team held an open house for studies conducted at the Nash building and naming contest for the Frye lab to better reflect the commitment to a shared vision and research focus. The event also provided an opportunity to highlight the work of the student workers and community collaborators whose contributions make P3 and other studies possible, as well as introducing them to all the different projects going on.
With attendees from Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW) and SIG, as well as others from around Columbia, CUNY, and community partners, the open house provided numerous opportunities for everyone to build their networks and connect outside their existing communities. Ziyu Wang, a second year MSW student at CSSW and intern at the P3 lab, said, “I came away with a deeper understanding of our community partners, and even registered for a ticket to the SOS event, which combines dinner, discussion and a drag queen performance. I was invited to this event by one of our guests and I am very excited to be there. I did not know about these events in NYC before, and now I feel more connected to the queer community in NYC.”
Ana Abraida-Lanza, Vice Dean of CSSW, attended the event and said, “The event allowed participants to learn about P3 and some of the other important work that is being carried out at SIG. I very much enjoyed connecting with colleagues, and seeing the high level of engagement among our students and the strong commitment to the community.”
While the open house included presentations about important and groundbreaking work in the lab, it was still a social occasion. “Although the schedule mentioned games, food, and drinks, I didn’t associate the event with a party at first. Yet when it finally began, what struck me most was how much kinder and warmer everyone was than I had expected, and how much better I managed to present myself while sharing information. Many of the visitors were long-term community partners who have been collaborating with our lab for years. Our conversations about HIV prevention felt genuinely meaningful,” said Ziyu Wang.
Dustin Duncan, Dean of Research at Mailman School of Public Health, also attended the event. “The P3 Lab Open House reflected the power of collaboration and innovation in advancing equitable research,” he said of the afternoon. “It was especially inspiring to see cross-university collaboration between the Mailman School and the School of Social Work—an example of how interdisciplinary partnerships can drive meaningful change through science and practice.”
Coming up next: Dr. Frye and her team are looking forward to announcing the lab's new name!