The New York City Preparedness & Recovery Institute (PRI) is proud to announce the winner and runners-up of Student Summer Projects Exploring Creative Approaches to Public Health Preparedness and Response Messaging, a summer program designed to support students exploring creative approaches to public health preparedness and response messaging.
The Summer 2025 program, led by PRI’s Racial Equity and Social Determinants of Health (RESDH) Team, invited students from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy to develop innovative, arts-based public health communication projects. Selected students received a stipend and mentorship over the summer to develop original projects using creative formats such as visual art, storytelling, games, and digital media .
In total, ten students completed and submitted final projects at the conclusion of the summer program. Projects were reviewed by a panel of judges using criteria that emphasized clarity of motivation, audience relevance, scientific rigor, and potential public health impact.
The judging panel, which consisted of P. Christopher Palmedo (CUNY SPH), Gina Wingood (Columbia Mailman), and Rachel Shelton (Columbia Mailman), selected Kelly Ruesta Cayetano as the winner of the initiative for her project, an immigrant health children’s book titled Waiting…/Esperando… which uses storytelling to address immigrant health needs during public health emergencies. The project was recognized for its creativity, rigor, and thoughtful engagement with health equity and preparedness themes.
“The summer project initiative inspired me to combine my experience growing up in a mixed-status family and my love of the arts and research into the creation of a children’s book,” said Kelly Ruesta Cayetano. “Through this book, I hope to encourage children to be curious, informed, and aware of the support around them, while acknowledging that we are still far from where we need to be.”
Two additional students were named runners-up. Devki Patel was recognized for a public health misinformation campaign using bus advertisements, and Riva Chaudri was selected for an educational game focused on vaping prevention. Both projects were noted for their strong audience focus and innovative approaches to communicating complex public health issues.
Beyond the winner and runners-up, the remaining student projects explored a wide range of topics, including misinformation, environmental justice, carceral health, structural racism, and vaccine hesitancy. A full list of participating students and project summaries can be found below.
| Student | School Affiliation | Project Description |
|---|---|---|
| Olivia Anastasio | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A short-form video examining poor healthcare access for women in carceral settings. |
| Ganesh Asaithambi | CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy | An infographic describing the warning sign of stroke for diverse audiences |
| Alexia Cha | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A tattoo flashbook of NYC landmarks that tell its history of gentrification |
| Riva Chaudri | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A card game on vaping. |
| Laila Gad | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A short-form video examining the impact of heat on health |
| Dalilah Mora | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A short-form video examining healthcare provider bias and alternative approaches to clinical care |
| Alisa Orlowsky | CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy | An infographic addressing vaccine hesitancy for parents of small children |
| Devki Patel | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A public-facing NTA advertisement campaign to combat misinformation |
| Kelly Ruesta Cayetano | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | A children’s book focused on immigrant health |
| Jhanvi Solanki | CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy | An app for caregivers of older adults |
As part of the program’s outcomes, the students had the opportunity to share their project at ICAP’s Next Generation Internship Poster Session, and the winning project, along with work by other participants, is expected to be featured at an upcoming public-facing exhibition scheduled for February 20–22 at the American Red Cross (520 W 49TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10019)
“This initiative encouraged students to imagine what is possible when given the space, resources, and mentorship to be creative with public health,” said Paris “AJ” Adkins-Jackson. “Student projects demonstrate how arts-based dissemination science can make public health information more impactful, accessible, and human.”
Student Summer Projects Exploring Creative Approaches to Public Health Preparedness and Response Messaging reflects PRI’s ongoing commitment to advancing public health preparedness through equity-centered, community-informed approaches. By supporting creative student-led work, PRI aims to expand how public health messages are designed, shared, and received by the communities most impacted by emergencies.