University of Kentucky College of Education doctoral student Monica Mundy has been selected for the new Disparities Researchers Equalizing Access for Minorities (DREAM) Scholars program. Mundy is pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Sciences, with a focus in Health Promotion, in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion.
The two-year program provides career development support and a solid foundation in human subjects research, with an emphasis on health equity research methods such as community-based participatory research, dissemination and implementation science.
The DREAM Scholars Program was founded to mentor and foster the scholarly productivity of predoctoral candidates and others interested in health equity research. The program’s founder, the UK College of Nursing, is partnering with the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the UK Center for Health Equity Transformation to expand the program.
As a DREAM Scholars Associate, Mundy will receive pilot funding up to $2,500 and up to $1,500 of travel funding for year one. Mundy’s research interests are in tobacco policy and youth advocacy in rural communities. Specifically, she is interested in how youth engagement and empowerment can lead to health policy change in rural communities.
Dr. Melinda Ickes, an associate professor in Kinesiology and Health Promotion, will be Mundy’s mentor for the DREAM Scholars program.