肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 24, 2025

A team of students in 肉肉传媒鈥檚 Wellstar College of Health and Human Services recently won national recognition at the Society for Public Health Education鈥檚 (SOPHE) National Case Study Competition in Health Education.

Recent public health graduate Liz Burchfield teamed with public health students Angel Fortmann and Allisa George to earn a gold designation, one of six universities nationwide to receive this accolade. Associate professor of public health and director of the public health program LaNita Wright advised the trio.

鈥淭he competition aspect is secondary, because I just wanted them to gain practical experience and apply what they鈥檇 learned in the classroom to a real-life situation,鈥� she said. 鈥淜SU has never competed in this event, so we wanted our first team to gain experience and provide advice to future teams so they could prepare for future competitions. To win is a sweet bonus and testament to the students鈥� dedication.鈥�

Each participant was tasked with designing a public health education program to increase screening rates for sexually transmitted infections based on a case study in Long Beach, California. Teams received instructions two weeks before they were expected to present their programs, and in those two weeks assembled and interpreted data on STIs, wrote scripts and reports, and then merged it all into a presentation.

Wright selected the three students based on their achievements in public health classes and attentiveness to detail in their classwork. George said she found the competition an enriching enterprise that helped bring to bear the lessons learned in class.

鈥淭he SOPHE National Case Study Competition was more than just an academic challenge; it was a real test of our ability to think like public health professionals. It was intense, meaningful, and incredibly rewarding,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat made it especially powerful was knowing our ideas had the potential to address real health disparities.鈥�

Teams could present virtually or in-person at the SOPHE conference in Long Beach, and KSU鈥檚 team presented virtually. Burchfield said the 15-minute presentations had to be text-only slides with no graphics. Slides addressed the public, priority population, needs assessments, budget, and hypothetical plans to back up the solution to the problem.

鈥淚t was kind of like a TV pitch for a health solution and community programs,鈥� Burchfield said. 鈥淚 appreciate Dr. Wright selecting me for this opportunity, and it鈥檚 an experience I鈥檓 very thankful for.鈥�

Each member had a role. Burchfield had experience in research, so she guided data collection and factfinding. George took the lead on analyzing social determinants of health, researching best practices, and drafting measurable objectives. She also co-developed the logic model and helped shape the final presentation. Fortmann created the presentation鈥檚 design.

Fortmann said she and Burchfield were waiting for the results online when they received the news.

鈥淲e were just over the moon,鈥� Fortmann said. 鈥淓ven in preparing for it we knew we had a strong presentation. Though we had never done anything like this, our talents definitely showed, and we loved representing KSU.鈥�

Wright was at the SOPHE conference and said KSU鈥檚 public health program will gain renown for this honor.

鈥淲hen one of the judges saw KSU on my badge, the judge said the students鈥� presentation was outstanding,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淐oming from a professional in the field, that was amazing to hear. Our students did their best, and our program at KSU is gaining national recognition.鈥�

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Matt Yung and provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.