Dr. Uri Colón-Ramos, an Associate Professor of Nutrition & Global Health in the Department of Global Health and Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, was recently interviewed by Community Engaged Scholarship (CES).
“Pursuing systemic level changes in policy.”
Dr. Colón-Ramos has “always worked within the community; community service was a large part of her formal education.” When reflecting on her experiences growing up, Dr. Colón-Ramos noted that “junk food was coveted, but largely inaccessible.” “Globalization happened quickly, the shift in junk food was paradoxical really; access to food and global health was more in the realm of international nutrition. International health comprises many different facets: social perspectives, paternalistic approaches, imposition of culture abroad, and international health and cultures.”
“Policy influences our food choices, it determines health inequalities and disparities.”
Dr. Colón-Ramos focuses her research on “obesity and the supply chain of food.” When conducting research in the US, being fluent in Spanish and French has allowed Dr. Colón-Ramos to “bridge” numerous gaps. After Dr. Colón-Ramos finished her Master’s in Public Administration, she travelled abroad and her research focused on international public health and nutrition. Dr. Colón-Ramos then “pursued her PhD to become more effective in data collection and translating epidemiology into action.”
“WaterUP! came from the community. The community had an advisory board and created a task force.”
WaterUP!, Dr. Colón-Ramos explained, “began to address the stigma around nutrition, access to food, and access to water.” Dr. Colón-Ramos noted, “in Langley Park, VA, there were too many opportunities to eat unhealthy food.” In her research, Dr. Colón-Ramos “made the project as participatory as possible, compensating stakeholders for their time and allocating part of the grant to help develop management.” Overall, WaterUP!, “focuses on ways to promote drinking water instead of drinking sugary drinks.”
“It’s critical to understand the community and the context of where the intervention is implemented.”
Dr. Colón-Ramos’ research uses “mixed methods, qualitative and quantitative methods.” WaterUP’s “intervention was implemented at CentroNía,” an early childhood education center in Washington, DC. Soon, Dr. Colón-Ramos noted, “there will be another WaterUP! pilot program in Guatemala.” COVID-19 has interrupted Dr. Colón-Ramos’ research; but, “if it weren’t for the pandemic,” she “would be conducting focus groups with the students in school in partnership with the university there.”
The “population being researched in the US, at CentroNía, is from Central America.” Dr. Colón-Ramos has “made great connections with researchers in Guatemala who have complementary areas of expertise.” In collaboration with Tufts University, Dr. Colón-Ramos and researchers are “using group model building to understand systemic barriers in food systems in Guatemala that encourage the drinking of sugary drinks and not the drinking of water.” After using a “participatory method,” Dr. Colón-Ramos and collaborators “draw the system and map points of intervention.”
“There’s a lot of weight on CentroNía and families; we’re working to support impact beyond homes.”
Right now, Dr. Colón-Ramos is working on the Robert Wood Johnson grant to continue the funding for WaterUP! in Washington, DC. From the “collaboration with colleagues at Johns Hopkins University,” WaterUp! was able to fund the “implementation of water filters at students’ homes.”
“Inequalities that come from systemic inaccessibility.”
Dr. Colón-Ramos is also working with The Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness and the Policy Lab, located in the Milken Institute School of Public Health, to “get a policy recommendation that is derived from participatory goals of the Center rooted in policies in DC.” Group model building, Dr. Colón-Ramos noted, “will be used going forward as this model centers and facilitates different perspectives.”
“There is not a more crucial time than now to be civically engaged.”
As faculty, Dr. Colón-Ramos asserts, “we have a moral responsibility to understand the community we’re in and the University needs to know what the gaps are.” “We must be committed to understanding our neighbors.” To a student unsure about taking a service-learning course, Dr. Colón-Ramos exclaims, “why would you be unsure?!” “There’s nothing to lose from taking a service-learning course.” Taking a service-learning course as an undergraduate student “is what got” Dr. Colón-Ramos “into the participatory aspects of her work more formally.” By taking a service-learning class, there’s “an incredible door that opens.”
“Outlining an intervention is like building a machine on paper. It’s amazing to see how participants use and interact with our presented machine.”
When reflecting about the favorite parts of her work. Dr. Colón-Ramos “really enjoys seeing the participants after the WaterUP! Intervention.” “Sometimes the research process can be disheartening because you’re disconnected from the participants; but, it’s incredibly rewarding to listen to participants’ experiences and to see how the intervention worked and areas where it needs to be fixed.”
“Seeing your work in action is amazing.”
Community based research “helps to cultivate a bond with the university and/or with the researcher, a representative of the university.” With this, “community members are able to serve their community and achieve their goals by cultivating a bond with GW. It’s joyful.”
We are honored to have Dr. Colón-Ramos serve as a Nashman Affiliate faculty. To learn more about Nashman Affiliate Faculty and Faculty Learning Communities, click here. If you’re interested in designating your course as a Community Engaged Scholarship course, click here.
