Receiving $2,500 from the center’s new PUCWB Research Award Program were students Nabiha Nuruzzaman and Kathryn Reilly as well as Tracy Van Oss, clinical professor of occupational therapy.

“We were very excited to see the number of applications this year,” said Kiku Jones, associate professor of computer information systems and co-director of the People’s United Center for Women & Business. “The center is happy to support the award recipients in their research efforts. The three selected projects have long-reaching community impact. We look forward to seeing their results shared with our PUCWB community.”

The awards are given for research that aligns with the PUCWB mission to provide opportunities for women to achieve their professional goals as well as to build a community focused on achieving those goals consistent with their personal values.

Van Oss’ research project will further develop and role model her own leadership skills with several cohorts of occupational therapy students to create sustained multifaceted experiential learning opportunities.

“The focus of the research project is to collaborate with established partners in the local community to link students with clients with an identified need for chronic disease health management and maintenance,” she said. “Primarily female students in the occupational therapy graduate and doctoral programs will learn via reflections with and from community partners and each other on leadership qualities such as accountability, communication, problem solving, confidence and integrity to become engaged and enlightened citizens.

“These traits along with the possibility to participate in the dissemination of the completed work at local or national venues will heighten the potential for life-long learning and future leaders in the profession of occupational therapy.”

Reilly is a sophomore biology major. Her research project involves neurocognitive hop testing as a predictor of injury among college athletes.

“We expect that athletes who show poor performance outcomes while completing an athletic task with increased sensory load will have higher rates of injury,” she said. "If we can establish this link, we can develop preventative testing to identify athletes at increased risk of injury."

Nuruzzaman is a medical student. Her research project is called, “Environmental Justice in Health: Community Health Implications of the Navajo Nation's Transition to Sustainable Energy.”

“We pursue this research from a personal belief that we’re witnessing a profound change in our global health and energy future as grassroots movements take action against climate change,” Nuruzzaman said. “Through scholarship that makes explicit connections between social determinants of health, health disparities and the environmental justice movement, we hope to ultimately contribute to local and national platforms advocating for the indigenous right to health equity.”

The application review committee included Mohammad Elahee, professor of international business, Patricia Kelly, instructor of management, and Erin Sabato, director of international service and learning.