Month: June 2026

PHS Donates Over $600 in Food Gift Cards to Help Those in Need

Posted on by Jini I Davis

Jim Barrett and Dr. Stacey Brown at Hands on Hartford

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we collected over $600 in fast food gift cards to help people in need this summer. Small contributions like these can go a long way, especially for individuals facing limited access to food or support.

Last week, Community Service Officer Jim Barrett met with our program director at Hands On Hartford to collect the donations. Officer Barrett gives these gift cards directly to people who are not connected to local programs, helping them get a meal when they need it.

We are proud of our team for showing up for the community and encourage continued support. Every contribution makes a difference.

Learn about Officer Barrett’s role in the community in the video below.

Many community members are facing reduced assistance, unexpected hardships, and limited access to food or clothing. If you would like to contribute, we are still collecting items.

Learn how you can help: https://shorturl.at/A2MwJ

Dr. Stacey Brown Keynote Speaker-2026 Women’s Advance Conference

Posted on by Julia A Szczech

headshot of Dr. Stacey Brown

Dr. Stacey Brown was invited to deliver the keynote address at the UConn Women’s Advance Conference. Her presentation, Leading While Human: Authenticity, Courage, and the Small Acts That Change Us, encouraged attendees to think differently about leadership, emphasizing connection, courage, visibility, and the everyday interactions that shape people’s lives. Through stories drawn from public health, education, and personal experience, Dr. Brown explored how meaningful leadership often emerges through the willingness to take risks before feeling fully ready. The keynote also challenged perfectionism, particularly among women leaders, and highlighted the importance of creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to grow. Attendees participated in reflection activities centered on bravery, belonging, and leading with humanity.

Empowering Students to Improve Classroom Air Quality

Posted on by Julia A Szczech

headshot of Dr. Misti Levy-Zamora

Dr. Misty Levy-Zamora and her research team have made great strides in environmental health. This initiative focuses on empowering students and teachers to improve their own classroom environments using low-cost, do-it yourself air filtration systems known as Corsi-Rosenthal boxes.

These devices are constructed from a box fan and MERV-13 filters, and our research has shown them to be highly effective at reducing the concentration of viruses, wildfire smoke, and other harmful particulate matter. The newly published NSTA lesson plan, “How can we clean our classroom’s air?”, provides a comprehensive framework for middle school students to engage in hands-on STEM learning.

Students define air quality as an engineering challenge, build their own purifiers, and analyze the resulting data. This project not only teaches critical scientific principles but also results in a tangible improvement to the health of the school community.

The full lesson plan can be accessed here

Dr. Megan O’Grady Awarded NIH Grant for OUD Research

Posted on by Julia A Szczech

headshot of Megan O'Grady

Dr. Megan O’Grady, Associate Professor in Public Health Sciences, was awarded a new NIH/NIDA R34 grant titled “Measurement-Based Care as an Implementation Strategy for Long-Acting Injectable Medications for Opioid Use Disorders in CCBHCs”. This 3-year project is a collaboration between UConn Health, UConn Storrs (School of Pharmacy), and Community Health Resources Inc (a community-based behavioral health services provider) to improve use of long-acting injectable medications for opioid use disorders in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.