Dr. Gina Besenyi, Director of the PARCS Lab, is an assistant professor in the Department
of Clinical and Digital Health Sciences and serves as coordinator for the Environmental
Health concentration in the Master of Public Health program. Gina has a Bachelor of
Science in Kinesiology, a Master of Public Health concentrated in Physical Activity
and Nutrition from Kansas State University and a PhD in Health Promotion, Education,
and Behavior from the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.
Gina's research explores how built environments contribute to active living behaviors and population-level health outcomes across geographic and cultural contexts and how disparities within these relationships might be understood and rectified, including through citizen engagement in creating healthier communities. Within this broader field of environmental health promotion, she has a specific interest in the role of parks, green space and recreational facilities, and how availability, accessibility and quality of such community resources influence physical activity, especially among youth populations. She is a up-and-coming expert in how innovative technology such as geographic information systems (GIS) and mobile applications can be utilized within this public health research agenda to promote community participation and healthy environments. Gina has collaborated and consulted with researchers, organizations, and communities across the U.S. and internationally on numerous health projects. In her free time, Gina enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and loves to spend time with her family.
Check out the Jagwire Interview with Dr. Besenyi.
Heather Yates is a second year Master of Public Health student with a concentration
in Health Management and serves as the PARCS lab manager and graduate research assistant.
Heather received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science
at the University of Georgia Athens and has experience in speech pathology and behavioral
therapy. Heather's research interests focus on child development, physical activity,
mental health, and chronic diseases. She is currently working on a project collecting
environmental audit data and developing a user-friendly public web interface to bring
awareness to community park resources, environmental justice, physical activity opportunities,
and promoting healthy behaviors. She is also involved in a project to link spatiotemporally
interpolated air quality data to child asthma outcomes across the U.S. She enjoys
running, playing soccer, and reading at the Riverwalk.
Terrill Flakes is a second year Master of Public Health student with a concentration
in Health Management. Terrill received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from
Augusta State University and currently works as the Clinical Research Review Coordinator
in Clinical Investigative Services here at Augusta University. She is currently working
on a project to evaluate the effectiveness of Augusta Area Asthma Camp on child asthma
self-management, education, physical activity, and parental support.
Lelyand Stone is a second year Master of Public Health student with a concentration
in Environmental Health. Lelyand received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from
Augusta University and works at AU as a research assistant and lab technician running
uterine fibroid experiments and has experience in lab safety and quality control.
She hopes to practice both ecological and molecular techniques to one day help wild-life.
She is currently working on a project to exploring the relationship between county
demographics and food inspection violations in Georgia. Upon graduation Lelyand hopes
to attend veterinary school.
Matt Camanaro is a second year Master of Public Health student with a concentration
in Environmental Health. Matt has a BS in Biochemistry from Cornell University and
is currently an Environmental Manager at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation where he has
worked for the past 20 years. Matt is interested in how the creation and preservation
of public greenspace can impact public health outcomes. He has served on the Columbia
County Greenspace Advisory Board and is currently working on a project exploring
access to greenspace, exposure to particulate matter, and respiratory health outcomes
in Columbia and Richmond counties. Matt loves to run and compete in triathalons.
Samantha Denson is a recent graduate from Augusta University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She currently serves as a peer tutor and research volunteer at Augusta University’s Summerville and Health Sciences Campus. Samantha plans to obtain a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences starting Fall of 2017 at Augusta University. Her research interests include infectious disease, health disparities in minority populations, and epidemiology. She is currently working on several projects including one exploring HPV vaccine uptake in Georgia and another looking at physical activity in children with asthma. Samantha enjoys reading, yoga, and swimming.
Lab students having fun during public health week
(L-R: Saket Patel, Jessica Stewart, Heather Yates, Lelyand Stone, Terrill Flakes, Dr. Gina Besenyi)
