The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) has announced the selection of its sixth cohort of Tulsa Schweitzer Fellows. Fourteen graduate and professional degree students from The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma will spend the next 12 months learning to effectively impact community health outcomes and develop lifelong leadership skills. In doing so, they follow the example set by famed physician-humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, for whom the fellowship is named.
“The Fellowship addresses our community’s health disparities in two ways – by innovating solutions through Fellow-led, community-based sustainability projects and by training a pipeline of interdisciplinary health leaders with the skills, tools and drive to lead efforts towards health equity for the long haul, ” said Rachel Gold, director of the Tulsa chapter of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. “The new Schweitzer Fellows come from a wide range of backgrounds, from medicine to urban design. The Fellowship believes that health is an outcome of the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age. This interdisciplinary cohort will embrace that value and enact it to improve health outcomes for Tulsa now and into the future.”
Schweitzer Fellows develop and implement community-based projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, alongside fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a local organization.
The Tulsa fellows will join the international Schweitzer Fellows for Life network, which includes more than 3,889 ASF alumni who are skilled in and committed to addressing the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers.
The Tulsa Schweitzer program is based at TU and is supported by OSU and OU. The Tulsa chapter is one of 13 U.S.-based sites.
Tulsa Schweitzer Fellows 2021-22
University of Tulsa
Joanna George, MBA/Healthcare Delivery Science
Street School
Joanna will work with underserved high school students to integrate health literacy concepts within their health classes and financial literacy requirements, especially as unforeseen medical expenses are one of the primary causes of financial instability but are not usually discussed in this course.
Oklahoma State University
Abbey Renner, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Xavier Medical Clinic
Abbey will implement a diabetes education program that facilitates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for diabetes self-care.
Arlowe Clementine, History PhD
Hope Testing
Arlowe’s project centers the histories, experiences and struggles LGBTQ+ people have faced in regard to access to sexual health education, treatment and resources.
Jennifer Weston, Human Development and Family Studies PhD
Osher Lifetime Learning Institute and LIFE Senior Services
Jennifer’s project addresses the need for later life planning by providing community education covering advance directives, health care proxies and the importance of establishing a will and planning for decline/long-term care, as well as the end of life.
Kelsey Snider and Sydney Blevins, College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Healthy Start Program and Community Service Council of Tulsa
Kelsey and Sydney’s project provides prenatal and postnatal women with education on alcohol and smoking cessation; basic parenting skills; prenatal nutrition; and postpartum awareness.
Mackenzie Moody, College of Osteopathic Medicine
OSU Women’s Health Clinic
Mackenzie’s project supports women who have faced disparities and bias related to their health care experiences in order to improve their pregnancy outcomes.
Stephanie Myers, Biomedical studies PhD
Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and AfterOPP
Stephanie’s project addresses the need for mentorship and exposure to science, technology, engineering and math education in with seventh- and eighth-grade students in North Tulsa.
University of Oklahoma
Anna Shadid and Austin Milton, School of Community Medicine
Lindsey House
Anna and Austin will implement a curriculum for women and children based on the four self-care pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, stress and sleep.
Auston Stiefer, School of Community Medicine
Bedlam Clinic
Auston aims to increase health literacy about vaccinations among Spanish-speaking immigrant populations.
Autumn Tiller, School of Urban Design
Central High School
Autumn’s project provides students from marginalized communities with a multidisciplinary curriculum that sparks their interest in pursuing professional fields involving the built environment.
Elizabeth Soo and Hannah Bynum, School of Community Medicine
McLain High School
Elizabeth and Hannah will support students in North Tulsa with hands-on education related to healthy eating and healthy food access.
For more information, please visit asftulsa.org