Key Points

• Iranian college students have struggled to hear from family back home amid a government-imposed communications blackout.
• The Iranian Student Association at 51���� created a memorial Jan. 27 to educate others about the government crackdown.
• Iranians are one of the largest international student population at 51����. Most are pursuing master’s degrees and PhDs.

For weeks, Narges couldn’t reach her family and friends back home in Iran. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate student worried about the worst-case scenario as she watched protests convulse her home country and the government brutally crack down on demonstrators.

“These are ordinary people – artists, athletes, journalists,” she said. “The news we are hearing is like a horror movie.”

At least 41,000 protesters have been arrested and 6,100 people have died, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The group confirms each death with a network of activists on the ground in Iran. The numbers may grow as they continue verifying, but it’s been difficult to do so because the Iranian government shut down the internet and disrupted phone service.

It was only on Jan. 27 that Narges, a Ph.D. student in public health, heard from her sister. Her family was OK but some friends were not. A colleague of her brother’s, for example, was arrested at his workplace because he had written critically of the Islamic regime on social media. No one has heard from him since the arrest, she said.

Narges and others in the Iranian Student Association set up a makeshift memorial in the middle of 51����’s student union for a few hours during the first week of classes. Votive candles and roses surrounded pictures of victims. Instrumental Iranian music played from nearby speakers, adding to the funereal scene.

“People in Iran don’t have a voice,” Narges said. “It’s the responsibility of Iranians living outside the country to be their voice.”

Iranians are one of the largest international student population at 51����. Most are pursuing master’s degrees and PhDs. The students interviewed for this story requested the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel publish only their first names, fearing retribution for their families back home.

Some students living two lives as protests rock Iran

The demonstrations began in late December over high inflation and economic grievances but have grown into a nationwide movement to end the Islamic Republic system of government.

The citizen uprising poses the most serious threats to the Islamic regime in years,  The Iranian government and its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have blamed “terrorist” teams tied to Israel and the U.S. for infiltrating the protests and stoking more violence.

Iranian students in Milwaukee are living two lives, caught between their coursework and a humanitarian crisis unfolding in their homeland.

The effort to connect with family amid a communications blackout has emotionally exhausted them. One student sent a list of names to a friend of friend, asking for them to check in on her loved ones’ well-being. Maryam, a Ph.D. student in civil engineering, said her family borrowed a friend’s Starlink device to tell her they were safe.

Activists  into the country as a way to bypass the government and communicate with the outside world. But the system is available to just a sliver of the Iranian population.

Maryam was relieved to hear her family members had survived. But others hadn’t fared as well. She said a friend of her father’s, a doctor, was arrested for treating injured protesters and was taken to a prison. Human rights groups have  inside state prisons.

Maryam felt an obligation to speak out. She turned her anger into education to the wider 51���� community.

The Iranian Student Association scoured social media and news reports to write short profiles of more than 150 protest victims, which they displayed on posters as part of the memorial. A handout sheet encouraged people to post about Iran on social media, discuss it in classes and bring it up among friends.

Some people were moved by the memorial. One student wiped away a stray tear. Others stuck Post-it notes onto a whiteboard, affirming their support of human rights and solidarity with Iranians.

“This is what we can do to support our people,” Maryam said. “We try to be their voice.”

A rally to support the Iranian people is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. It begins at Colectivo Coffee, 1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive.

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We are so proud of this incredible group for not only excelling in their studies and training, but also for representing our new program with professionalism, passion, and purpose. As trailblazers, they have paved the way for future students and helped set a strong foundation for the growth of our program.

With two graduates heading into clinical dietetics and two stepping into sports nutrition roles, we cannot wait to see the positive impact they will make in their careers and communities.

These are the cohort members and their post-graduation placements. Help us celebrate their success:

• David Jakubek – Olympic Sports Nutrition Assistant, University of Notre Dame
• Delaney Ortiz – Sports Nutrition Fellowship, UFC
• Erica Brincka – Clinical Dietitian, Aurora St. Lukes Medical Center
• Cianna Colon – Clinical Inpatient Dietitian, ProHealth Care

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Holliday’s course offering — “Healthcare Across the Pond: Understanding Access to and Maintenance of Healthcare for Transgender, Intersex, and Nonbinary Adults in Wales”—is scheduled for June 16, 23, and 30 at 12:30 p.m.

Their course will include an introduction to trans, intersex, and nonbinary health; a review of health theories focusing on self-management and health justice; and an overview of their dissertation study.

Their course will showcase the work they have done to build participatory research methods (a form of community engagement) into their dissertation including three years of service with a Welsh mutual aid group, Trans Aid Cymru. Despite the international focus, the class may be helpful for anyone interested in learning more about trans, intersex, and nonbinary people or about navigating barriers to health and healthcare.��

Aside from building bridges between academia and the public, the OLLI Scholars initiative offers tangible support for graduate researchers. Participants receive stipends funded through donations by Osher members during 51����’s “414 for 51���� Giving Days.”

By giving advanced students the opportunity to guide lifelong learners through cutting-edge research, the program fosters mentorship, communication skills, and an enriching exchange of ideas across generations. Holliday’s public health-focused presentation not only enriches community learning but also exemplifies the initiative’s goal of making academic inquiry meaningful and relevant beyond the university walls.

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SAMCHE, which operates under the��, collected items such as panty liners, tampons, and disposable pads. The donations were delivered in person to Sojourner, where the student leadership team met with Executive Director Carmen Pitre to present the items and express appreciation for the Center’s work in supporting families affected by domestic violence. This initiative reflects SAMCHE’s ongoing commitment to advancing equity in maternal and child health across Wisconsin.��

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Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) students presented projects addressing critical public health challenges, from mental health and child maltreatment to food insecurity and opioid use disorder. Their poster presentations included:��

• A Public Health Approach to Preventing Child Maltreatment.��
  Joyli Kamau��(student) |��Faculty Mentor:��Dr. Paul Florsheim��
• No Student Left Hungry.��
  Mahrukh Delawarzad��&��Rasha Ali��(students) |��Faculty Mentor:��Dr. Rose Hennessy Garza��
• Breaking the Silence: Creating a Program to Reduce Stigmatization & Normalize Conversations about Mental Health among First-Generation College Students.��
  Yaritza Garcia��&��Manizha Nazari��(students) |��Faculty Mentor:��Dr. Rose Hennessy Garza��
• Natural Language Processing and Opioid Use Disorder: A Holistic Social Determinants of Health Approach.��
  Kylie Degner��&��Maxwell Sharkey��(students) |��Faculty Mentors:��Dr. Phonix Do & Dr. Lu He

Congratulations to��Kylie Degner��and��Maxwell Sharkey��for receiving an award for Outstanding Poster Presentation! We commend all our BSPH students and faculty mentors for their dedication to advancing public health knowledge and their commitment to community impact.��

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Following the presentations, students in the BSPH and the BS in Nutritional Sciences program enjoyed a keynote address by Valerie MacMillan, Executive Director of . MacMillan discussed key issues surrounding food insecurity and encouraged students to get involved in meaningful ways.��

The event concluded with a graduation celebration, where students were recognized with honors and graduation cords. Students receiving commencement honors included Sydney Bohaman, Laura Czapiewski, Kylie Degner, Michael Figueroa Osorio, Henry Jacob, Maxwell Sharkey, and Ashlyn Rose. 

We’re also excited to have two students continuing into a Zilber College master’s program: Michael Figueroa Osorio will be continuing in the MPH Community and Behavioral Health Promotion Track, and Nick Wielgosz will be continuing in the MS in Biostatistics. 

Also, two students were offered jobs before graduation!��Taofiqat Jimoh��was offered a full-time position at her Field Expeirence site,��.��Syndey Boham��was offered a position as an Environmental Health Specialist with the City of Watertown Public Health Department.��

We are so proud of our BSPH students and all they have accomplished! 

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What research did you present?
As a student who received Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) award, I presented “Congruent Validity of GAITRite Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters and the Short Physical Performance Battery in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease.”

The GAITRite electronic walkway is a portable gait analysis tool measuring spatiotemporal gait parameters. This research aims to determine the congruent validity between GAITRite walkway for quantification of spatial and temporal footstep patterns and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) in predisposed populations for mobility and functional limitations. In this small sample of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), early results show the GAITRite to be a valid tool compared with the clinical SPPB total score for measuring mobility and functional limitations in individuals with PD.

Why did you choose to study Kinesiology at UW-Milwaukee?

I find movement of the human body to be fascinating. I am both very passionate about science and exercise–and Kinesiology is a combination of those. Also wanting to help others, I plan to become a sports medicine physician assistant. I chose 51���� because the undergraduate research really stood out to me. I knew that I wanted to do research during my undergrad but not a lot of places offer it during undergrad. 51����, being an R1 university, caught my attention and will allow me to stand out when applying for Physician Assistant school. I was able to start research here before I even started my freshman year through the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Summer Research Program.

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We’re so proud of all our MPH graduates!��

• Erica Brincka, Nutrition & Dietetics��
• Cianna Colon, Nutrition & Dietetics��
• Emma Durkin-Wagner, Epidemiology��
• Kate Enriquez, Environmental Health Sciences��
• Carlos Galvan, Epidemiology��
• Rachel Goochey, Environmental Health Sciences��
• Madelyn Hill, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• David Jakubek, Nutrition & Dietetics��
• Delaney Ortiz,��Nutrition & Dietetics��
• Ifadha Jayah, Public Health Policy��
• Marcel Kline, Epidemiology��
• Kayla Lane, Environmental Health Sciences��
• Riley Leckwee, Epidemiology��
• Afrah Yafai, Epidemiology��
• Hailey Jaschob, Epidemiology��
• Evelyn Kurtz, Epidemiology��
• Maria Mundt,��Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• Hannah Neuman, Public Health Policy��
• Xiarah Ortiz, Public Health Policy��
• Vanessa Ramirez, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• Brooke Ramusack, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• Alyssa Ruediger, Biostatistics��
• Stephanie Siwak, Epidemiology��
• Danijela Skilijevic, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• Lauren Smith, Epidemiology��
• Hannah Sorensen, Public Health Policy��
• Kyriaki Topetzes, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• Benjamin Wells, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion��
• Alexis Young, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion

The post Newest MPH graduates celebrate the completion of their Capstone Projects�� appeared first on Zilber College of Public Health.

This Spring semester, students participated in a skills lab focused on feeding tubes, pumps, and other medical nutrition equipment. These practical experiences provide invaluable training, ensuring students are well-prepared for their future careers in nutrition and dietetics.

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