This fall, SIG welcomes 12 new students and pre-doctoral fellows pursuing Masters of Social Work, social work PhDs, and dual MSW and Masters of Public Health degrees.
Meet them below:
Daria Hurley, T32 fellow and doctoral student at Columbia School of Social Work, focuses on gentrification, social determinants of health, and the impacts of racism and discrimination on mental health, self-determination, and self-worth.
Shichang Yang, a doctoral student at Columbia School of Social Work, is interested in researching health disparities among LGBTQ+ and gender nonconforming individuals. “It's very exciting to join this team. I feel so lucky to have found colleagues who share my values and have such kind and supportive personalities here. I’m really looking forward to learning from everyone and striving to make a difference together!” they said.
Ranggi Aprilianzah is a Masters of Social Work student at Columbia, specializing in international social welfare and services to immigrants and refugees. “I’m excited to begin my specialized practicum with SIG, because this opportunity aligns with my commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable populations both locally and globally, particularly for forcibly displaced communities such as asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants,” he said.
Ushna Azeem is pursuing a Masters of Social Work after time as a Graduate Fellow at the Council of Women World Leaders in Malta and as Managing Director of Azeem Welfare Trust in Islamabad, Pakistan. "I'm eager to start my specialized practicum with SIG at the Uzbekistan-Columbia Centre for Advancing Community Strengths and Social Wellbeing. This opportunity reflects my commitment to enhancing the lives of vulnerable populations globally and working towards tailoring interventions to different regions, particularly for women and children," she said.
Mara Flynn is studying for her Masters of Social Work. “In my first-day orientation, a SIG leader said that if we work with people to improve their environments, often their physical and mental health issues melt away. I knew then that I was in the right place. I’m very excited to work on my specific study but am even more excited to be working with an incredible community of social workers,” she said about joining SIG.
Sam Gardner is pursuing Masters of Social Work and Masters of Public Health degrees, and returning to SIG after previously working as a research coordinator on the HEALing Communities Study. “I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge surrounding methodological rigor and hypotheses development and testing as part of the JaSpark Study,” Sam said of rejoining SIG.
Lillian Habing is pursuing a dual master’s degree, specializing in policy practice at the School of Social Work and population and family health at the Mailman School of Public Health. “I hope to create ethical and sustainable change through research initiatives to inform policy decisions,” she said of her goals at SIG.
Shelly Karan is a second-year MSW student at Columbia University, specializing in policy practice with a focus on social welfare for immigrants and refugees. “I am excited to work with post Soviet populations and to better understand the diasporic nature of the former Soviet nations,” she said.
Imam Al Rezki is pursuing his Masters of Social Work on the Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship track. “I’m excited to begin my specialized practicum at SIG and work on the TechMPower grant. I’ll contribute to developing an evidence-based practice implementation design to improve the health and well-being of incarcerated individuals,” he said.
Meghna Singh is a dual-degree masters candidate at the Columbia University School of Social Work and Mailman School of Public Health. “I’m excited to join the TechMPower study to support the implementation of evidence-based practices in jails to increase screening and health education amongst participants and decrease stigma associated with HIV and SUD within jail settings and the broader community,” she said.
Xiaotong Yang is a master’s student at the Columbia School of Social Work with a concentration in Integrated Practice and Programming. Her research interests include HIV/STI prevention and intervention, sexual and reproductive health, and community engagement. “I am excited to work with Dr. Elwin Wu and deepen my understanding of research methods in SIG,” she said of her goals at SIG.
Yongyan Zhang is a master's student, working with Dr. Nishita Dsouza on the MOCJ Evaluation, assessing the effectiveness of Section 8 housing vouchers using the Social Determinants Toolkit and the Livability Measure. “I'm thrilled to be joining the team at SIG and excited for this new chapter. I'm looking forward to making meaningful contributions that will help shape a more equitable future,” he said.