The Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University (ColoradoSPH at CSU) recently highlighted the capstone projects of its Master of Public Health (MPH) students. Twenty-five students from the CSU campus presented their capstone to an audience comprised of peers, faculty, staff, and community members.

Capstone projects are the culmination of the MPH experience, combining coursework with practice-based learning. Students select a project that reflects their academic interests and/or career goals, and apply competencies gained through the course of the graduate program to implement public health initiatives.

Project selection typically reflects a student’s concentration, and can take place locally, nationally, or internationally. For example, Hannah Pensack-Rinehart, in the Global Health & Health Disparities concentration, was a Peace Corps International Student and she implemented a female empowerment program in rural Ethiopia.  John Commissaris, also in the Global Health and Health Disparities concentration, conducted a social network analysis to evaluate youth mental health in Northern Colorado.  Tara Westenhiser, in the Animals People and the Environment concentration, presented on innovative approaches to address food insecurity in Boulder County.

The spring 2016 showcase was one of the largest capstone forums hosted by the ColoradoSPH at CSU. We congratulate all of the presenters on achieving this milestone in their professional development.

A full listing of capstone projects may be found here.