Kennesaw State's Research With Relevance Features Wellstar College Dean's Research

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Sep 27, 2021

Kennesaw State’s Research with Relevance features Wellstar College dean’s research

Monica Swahn

KENNESAW, Ga.
(Sep 27, 2021) — Monica Swahn, dean of Kennesaw State University’s Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, will be the featured researcher in the next installment of the fall series of Research with Relevance – Deans’ Showcase. The Office of Research is hosting the hybrid event on Friday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. in Prillaman Hall Room 1000
on the Kennesaw Campus. Guests who prefer to attend virtually can participate in the
live video stream on KSUTV.

Swahn, who joined Wellstar College as dean in March 2021, is a psychiatric epidemiologist
and public health scholar. Her research pertains to youth health-risk behaviors and
how alcohol exacerbates risk for violence, injuries and HIV. She strives to use her
research to help those in need, particularly youths, as they struggle with various
issues that affect their communities.

Over the past 15 years, Swahn has worked with vulnerable groups globally, focusing
on regions in West and East Africa. She immersed herself in research studying health
disparities among youth in Kampala, Uganda when she was a Fulbright Scholar at Makerere
University in Kampala.

While there, Swahn observed a significant boom of urban migration and population growth
among youth. Youths 15 years old and younger make up 50 percent of the population
of the land-locked country, with limited government resources to assist them all.
She has since collaborated with local and national governmental entities and community-based
organizations to help establish and expand resources and support groups whenever possible.

For more information on the talk and for information on future dean guests, visit: https://research.kennesaw.edu/roc/researchwithrelevance/index.php.

— Jacob Segura

Photos by Jason Getz

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

This press release was produced by Kennesaw State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.