The event was sponsored by the Office of Research and Graduate Policy at Drexel University as an opportunity to highlights research, scholarly, creative and entrepreneurial activities occurring at all of the schools and colleges at Drexel University.

Formally celebrated as Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Creativity (RISC) Day 2007, all faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows, residents and technologists at Drexel University were invited to make submissions.

From the School of Public Health, the following MPH students presented research posters:

Clinical and Translational Research Category

Elizabeth Schroeder '07, “Promoting Tobacco-Free Behavior: Patient-Provider”

Schroeder and her colleagues analyzed themes for eradicating tobacco use among patients in an HIV clinic to design user-friendly tobacco cessation programs. The research found that behavioral interventions, nicotine replacement therapy and self empowerment programs were essential to cessation programs, and that incorporating an individual’s specific needs within a trusting clinical environment over time is essential for healthy behavior and good public health practices.

Brian Hurdle '07, “Comparison of Physical Activity in Children who are Overweight”

According to current recommendations, children should get 60 minutes of physical activity, seven days a week for health related fitness. Hurdle and others at the SPH examined the levels of physical activity of children in the Child Health Project, which is a health promotion project targeting parents and their children who are overweight. The result found that children’s self-reported physical activity does not meet recommended levels, and physical activity measured by accelerometry is expected to be similarly below recommended levels for health and fitness.

Innovation in Education and Outreach Category

Sonia Maalaoui '08, “Increasing Awareness and the Importance of Mandating Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine

According to the research, millions of Americans aged are infected with HPV, and thousands of women will die from cervical cancers related to HPV. The research by Maalaoui and colleagues examined the barriers states like Pennsylvania have faced in mandating the HPV vaccine, while other states, such as Texas, have passed mandates. In addition, the research explored ways to ensure that education on the vaccine effectively reaches high risk populations.

Afi Mansa Semenya '07, “Improving the Knowledge of Minority Populations Through the Use of Beauty Salon Based Health Education Programs”

The research examined the effectiveness of health education programs designed to reach urban African American and Latina women by using beauty salons as the venue for the programs. Delmoor and colleagues initially surveyed beauty salon patrons about asthma and diabetes prior the leading a two week education program on these topics at the same salons. The research found that beauty salon based health education programs offer a unique way of reaching underserved women of color with life saving information in an environment that is familiar and trusted.

In total, more than 1,500 Drexel students presented their research in the following categories:

Research in Physical Science and Engineering
Biological and Biomedical Research
Clinical and Translational Research
Computation, Modeling, and Simulation (Biological)
Computation, Modeling, and Simulation (Non-Biological)
Business Research Initiatives
Humanities
Innovations in Education and Outreach
Creative Arts and Design

Posters, live and video presentations, and design, artistic and creative displays were featured during the afternoon poster session of Research Day, and an awards ceremony was held after that evening.