Michigan State University is excited to congratulate Katlin Harwood-Schelb as the inaugural recipient of the Flint Spartan Master of Public Health Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to an incoming Master of Public Health student who lives or works in the Greater Flint community and has demonstrated a commitment to implementing the knowledge obtained by completing the Master of Public Health program.
"Over the past year, we have witnessed how the global coronavirus pandemic has a local impact," shares Wayne R. McCullough, Director of the MPH program. "Our Public Health colleagues have played a critical role collaborating in the Flint community to get credible and reliable information to the public. This is the reason why we felt now was the time to invest in the community at this magnitude - and prepare the next generation of local master's degree prepared public health citizens."
Katlin Harwood-Schelb of Holt, Michigan, is a shining example of her passion for creating healthy environments for individuals in underserved communities. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Michigan State University and has been working toward making better learning surroundings for children during her experiences working in Genesee County elementary schools and as a research assistant at the College of Human Medicine’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative.
She is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree to gain the skills and knowledge needed to better serve young children, especially those experiencing toxic stresses due to systemic obstacles. Her research aspirations specifically include the effects of Adverse Childhood Events on children’s mental health, the effectiveness of music therapy, and determining changes in discriminatory policies in resource allocation.
Harwood-Schelb has worked with children in the Flint community for eight years and is inspired to continue that work. “Through the MPH program at MSU, I plan to gain experience and knowledge to help many communities facing adversities. In the wake of the Flint Water Crisis and the many other issues that intersect and have exacerbated the crisis, specifically, I want to continue to help Flint,” says Harwood-Schelb.
Flint Spartan Master of Public Health Scholarship
The Flint Spartan Master of Public Health Scholarship was created to offer financial support to deserving students from the Greater Flint community to pursue a graduate-level degree in public health.
Thanks to the generous support from the Michigan State University Division of Public Health, the scholarship covers tuition and fees for our online, 43-credit MPH program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MSU’s public health experts have played a critical role in working with the Flint community to relay credible information to the public. The Division of Public Health’s aim is to invest in the community and future generations of local master’s degree-prepared public health professionals.
August 4, 2021
