Student Spotlight - Shania Robinson

Shania Robinson

Student, PhD

1. The “Spark”

What initially sparked your interest in this research area, and what problem are you most passionate about solving?

My interest in this work began with a simple question: What would public health look like if it felt like home? So often, health initiatives are well-intentioned but can feel distant or clinical: places where people are told what they should do rather than invited into something that reflects who they are. Through the University of Memphis School of Public Health Changemakers Initiative, I began exploring what it might look like to design a health experience that felt rooted in culture, community, and joy.

That exploration became the Memphis Health Jamboree: an intergenerational, culturally rooted, and community-centered wellness festival that brings together joy, access, movement, art, culinary heritage, and music into one shared space. At its heart, the Jamboree is about meeting people where they are and reminding them that there is a seat at the table for them too. The problem I am most passionate about addressing is how we rebuild trust and connection in health spaces, particularly in communities where traditional approaches have not always felt welcoming or accessible.

2. The “Journey”

Can you share a key moment or challenge in your research—an “aha!” discovery or a hurdle you overcame—and how you navigated it?

One of the most meaningful moments in this journey came when I realized that the Memphis Health Jamboree could become more than a single event. What began as an idea for making public health more accessible grew into something much larger as I began talking with community members and local organizations across Memphis.

The challenge became learning how to translate a creative, community-rooted vision into something that could also live within the structure of public health practice. That meant developing logic models, building partnerships, and thinking carefully about sustainability and evaluation. Through that process, the project expanded into a broader ecosystem that includes the OKRA (Ongoing, Knowledge, Resources, and Activation) Health Network and the CORNBREAD Passport (Community Outreach & Resilience Navigation for Better Resources, Education, Activation & Disease-Prevention): two engagement tools designed to support year-round participation and help people move from awareness to action in ways that feel, supportive rather than judgmental. Each step has reminded me that innovation in public health often begins with listening deeply to community voices.

3. The “Big Picture”

How do you see your research impacting the real world or contributing to your field in the next few years?

In the coming years, I hope this work helps reimagine how public health can be experienced in cities like Memphis. The Memphis Health Jamboree is designed as a sensory-rich gathering where wellness can be seen, tasted, heard, and felt, where people might learn from a chef, dance with their family, talk with a mental health counselor, or discover resources that support their well-being. In spaces where there has historically been mistrust toward traditional health institutions, the Jamboree creates a different kind of invitation, one rooted in celebration, belonging, and shared experience.

I believe initiatives like the Memphis Health Jamboree can give communities something to look forward to. When people are able to gather in spaces where they feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated, it reminds them that a healthier future is possible. Hope can be a powerful catalyst for change, and when public health embraces community identity and shared experience, it has the potential to inspire both individuals and neighborhoods to imagine what wellness can look like for them. My hope is that initiatives like this can help demonstrate that public health does not have to exist only in clinics, classrooms, or policy documents. It can live in parks, kitchens, neighborhoods, and cultural spaces: places where people already feel connected. When health is woven into those environments, it becomes something communities can carry with them long after the event itself.

4. The “Inspiration”

Who has influenced your research path (a teacher, scientist, mentor, or even a fictional character), and what is one thing you learned from them?

Two people who have influenced my journey in meaningful ways are Dr. Debra Bartelli and Dr. Sharon Griffin. Their encouragement and support helped me continue moving forward with this project, even during moments when I was unsure where the idea might lead. Their guidance helped me see that public health innovation doesn’t always begin with having all the answers: it often begins with curiosity, persistence, and the willingness to keep going even when the path forward isn’t fully clear. Their belief in students and emerging ideas has been a reminder that meaningful work grows through mentorship, patience, and perseverance.

I have also been inspired by the work of our School of Public Health Dean, Dr. Ashish Joshi. Watching the ways he engages with communities and advocates for healthier futures reminded me that public health is not only about solving problems, it is also about creating hope. When people are given something to believe in, it inspires young people to imagine what they can become and encourages communities to believe in the possibility of a brighter future. That idea continues to shape how I think about the role of public health in building a better tomorrow.

5. The “Personal Touch”

What is one unique skill or non-academic hobby that supports your research or keeps you motivated?

Outside of academics, I have always been drawn to art and creativity. While I would not necessarily describe it as a hobby, I see myself as someone who has always experienced the world through an artistic lens. From film and poetry to storytelling, music, and visual art, creativity has long been a source of inspiration and reflection for me. In many ways, the Memphis Health Jamboree has allowed me to bring one of my earliest loves into my public health work. I believe that art, music, movement, and storytelling are not separate from health; they are deeply connected to how we heal, connect, and care for ourselves and one another.

Music can be healing, movement can be therapeutic, and creative expression can help people feel seen and understood. Through the Jamboree, I hope to highlight these connections and remind people that health is not only encountered in clinics or hospitals: it exists in our everyday lives, in the ways we gather, express ourselves, and care for our communities. In that sense, the Jamboree is an invitation to reimagine how health can be experienced.