Susana Zavala
San Antonio,Texas
Summary
Motivated student currently working towards MPH degree in Epidemiology. Adept at academic research, outreach, and training with extensive field data collection experience. To understand the reach of our projects, to date, solely in South Texas, we have leveraged $3,269,203.43 in grant monies to help advocate for agricultural worker health, safety, and well-being from 2020 -2024. These education and outreach efforts have allowed us to close several gaps between agricultural producers and their local health departments and build trust with agricultural workers and their families, all while strengthening resources and support in rural hard-to-reach communities.
Overview
1
1
year of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute Graduate Research Assistant
UTHealth Houston School Of Public Health
01.2023 - Current
Developed and disseminated 30,000 resource guides utilizing boots-on-the-ground a team of community coordinators for rural counties highly impacted by COVID-19, including the Rio Grande Valley, Texas Panhandle, and El Paso.
Outreach Program Graduate Research Assistant
Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH), School of Public Health
01.2023 - Current
Occupational health and safety team at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, affiliated with the SWCOEH, proposed to create, deliver, and evaluate (Levels 1-3 evaluations) a 1-hour culturally, linguistically (English, Spanish, Nahuatl), and literacy-appropriate training on personal mobile learning devices focused on transmission prevention of influenza, tetanus, tuberculosis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and COVID-19 to 1000 agricultural workers in South Texas.
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health
01.2023 - Current
The USDA Farm and Food Worker Relief Program gives the opportunity of a one-time $600 COVID-19 relief payment for wages and time lost during the pandemic for agricultural workers from March 30, 2023 – September 30, 2024. To date, >4,300 agricultural workers and their families have received a total of $2.58 million in relief payments in South Texas.
Community Health Worker
Grassroots Health, School of Public Health
01.2023 - 12.2023
- Department: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Education
M.P.H. - Epidemiology
University of Texas Health Science Center At Houston
Houston, TX12.2024
Bachelor of Science - Vision Science
University of Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX05.2021
Skills
- Questionnaire Development
- Self-Directed and Motivated
- Publication Preparation
- Strong Work Ethic
- Faculty Collaboration
- Analytical Thinking
- Data Acquisition
- Study Coordination
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Strong Academic Record
- Research and Analysis
- Presentation Skills
- Problem-Solving
- Academic Research
- Fieldwork Experience
Certification
CITI Certification, Group 1 Biomedical Research and Key Personnel
Professional Interests
- Agricultural working populations (hard-to-reach, limited English proficiency)
- Immigrant workers, immigrant health, migrant populations
- Occupational safety, health, and well-being training, education, program evaluation
- Occupation as a social determinant of health
- Occupational Epidemiology, Injury Epidemiology
- Indigenous populations (hard-to-reach, limited English proficiency)
- Infectious diseases (Dengue, malaria, rabies, COVID-19, influenza, brucellosis, tropical parasites)
- Vaccine access, utilization, hesitancy, and barriers
- Health disparities; access barriers in rural regions (health deserts; medically underserved regions)
Active Grants And Projects
- 2023-01-01, 2024-12-31, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program, Anabel Rodriguez, PhD, Bethany Boggess Alcauter, PhD (National Center for Farmworker Health), USDA, $231,000, Demonstration/Outreach, GRA
- 2020-01-01, 2025-12-31, Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Education and Research Center (NIOSH-ERC), T42OH008421, David Gimeno, PhD, CDC/ NIOSH, $7,000,000, GRA
- 2023-01-01, 2025-12-31, S&B Heat Stress Pilot Project, NIOSH-ERC, William B. Perkison, PhD, NIOSH, Study Coordinator
- 2021-01-01, 2025-12-31, Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI), Contract, TEPHI, Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Dr. Eric Boerwinkle, UTHealth SPH) in Rural Healthcare Working Group, GRA
Completed Grants And Projects
- 2022-01-01, 2023-12-31, Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, Including COVID-19, SH-38960-22-60-F-48, Anabel Rodriguez, PhD, DOL/OSHA/Susan Harwood Training Program Grant, Training Program Grant, $160,000, GRA
- 2021-01-01, 2023-12-31, Texas COVID-19 vaccine outreach and education, HHS001043100001, Anabel Rodriguez, PhD, DHHS/CDC/Texas A&M Health, $372,674, Outreach, GRA
Manuscripts In Development
Using mobile technology to increase vaccine-preventable infectious diseases among farmworkers in the Rio Grande Valley, Journal of Agromedicine, Manuscript in development, Rodriguez A, Pineda Reyes A, Alegria M, Zavala S, Cabrera Cruz A, Berumen-Flucker B, Keeney AJ, Ciro D, Ukaegbu B, Douphrate D, Gimeno Ruiz de Porras D
Non Peer Reviewed Trade Publications
Removing vaccine access barriers by hosting on-farm vaccine clinics for dairy workers and their families, National Center for Farmworker Health, Austin, TX, http://www.ncfh.org/uploads/3/8/6/8/38685499/cbpp_-_utsph_and_dshs_cbpp_profile.pdf
Scientific Abstracts And Presentations
- Outreach Program Goals and Accomplishments, Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH) Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, July 7, 2023, Rodriguez A, Zavala S
- Mitos y realidades de vacunas (Spanish), Vaccine Clinic, Community Health Development, Uvalde, TX, July 5, 2023, Rodriguez A, Pineda Reyes AL, Zavala S
Internal And External Professional Service
- 2023-01-01, present, UTHealth School of Public Health Student Association Volunteer Coordinator, San Antonio
- 2024-01-01, present, UTHealth School of Public Health Student Association Vice-President, San Antonio
Media And Related Articles
Hispanic Heritage Month Student Highlight: Susana Zavala loves honoring her Mexican heritage, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Jennifer Norris, October 4, 2023, https://sph.uth.edu/news/story/hispanic-heritage-month-student-highlight-susana-zavala-loves-her-mexican-heritage
Personal Email
szavalaf2@gmail.com
Honors And Awards
- 2023, APHA 2023 Annual Meeting Film Festival, TEPHI Empowering Rural Texas Communities for Future Pandemics, https://youtu.be/5KGPuUe68Ag
- 2023, 2023 ASPPH Harrison C. Spencer Award, Outstanding Community Service, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-A079NoMyU&t=1s
Publications
Not yet .. but we will start populating this.
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute Graduate Research Assistant
UTHealth Houston School Of Public Health
01.2023 - Current
Outreach Program Graduate Research Assistant
Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH), School of Public Health
01.2023 - Current
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health
01.2023 - Current
Community Health Worker
Grassroots Health, School of Public Health
01.2023 - 12.2023
M.P.H. - Epidemiology
University of Texas Health Science Center At Houston
Bachelor of Science - Vision Science
University of Incarnate Word
CITI Certification, Group 1 Biomedical Research and Key Personnel
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