Dr. Nicolette Powe to speak at AAUW meeting

Nicolette Warren Powe, associate professor of Public Health in the department of Graduate Studies in Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and 2024 Athena Award winner, will present “Bridging Health and Education: Advancing Equity for Women and Girls Through Community Engagement” at the Feb. 1 meeting of the American Association of University Women, Youngstown chapter.

The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at Park Vista North Building, 5th Ave., Youngstown. Parking is available behind the building.

The presentation will explore how the strategic alignment of public education and health initiatives can drive meaningful change in student well-being and academic success, especially for women and girls. At the core of the discussion are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child framework and the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health program.

These initiatives provide a transformative blueprint for uniting educational institutions and public health sectors to support the cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of every child.

The presentation will highlight how collaborative policies and evidence-based practices can transform public education and create inclusive, health-centered learning environments. Powe will emphasize the importance of active engagement from educators, health professionals, families and communities to build cohesive support systems for every child.

Powe earned a Doctor of Public Health degree in health education from Loma Linda University, a master’s degree in health promotion and human sciences from North Carolina Central University and a bachelor’s degree in community health education and healthcare ethics from Kent State University.

Powe is a public health scientist with an interest in behavioral risk factors for chronic disease prevention. Her research investigates racial, ethnic and sex differences in adherence to cardiometabolic self-management practices, specifically in young adults. She also studies applied health education theories for implementing health promotion programs and disseminating chronic disease program outcomes.

She also serves as a subject matter expert to various community-based organizations and is a member of several boards, including the Youngstown American Heart Association Board, the Health Community Partnership Executive Board and the Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Board. Powe is a member of The Links, Incorporated Youngstown Chapter, and serves on the editorial board for the “Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” journal.

For more information, contact Sharon Stringer at sastringer@ysu.edu.