July 30, 2024

Kaylee Wilson, is a rising 5th year undergraduate student at Drexel University, double majoring in sociology and global health with a minor in Spanish. Despite being from rural areas (originally Wyoming and then central Pennsylvania during high school), the idea of pursuing her BA in a big city intrigued her. Another deciding factor for choosing Drexel was the university’s emphasis on experiential learning i.e. the co-op program.

“When I began my college search journey, I really wanted to live in a city, and I really wanted to go to school somewhere that would help me get a job after graduation,” said Wilson.

In her first year at Drexel, Wilson became acquainted with public health via the Urban Sexuality Lab which was hosted by the department of Sociology at Drexel’s College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS). There she met many researchers from the Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH) engaged in research projects at the intersection of sociology and public health which aligned with her career goals. Specifically, she became interested in the differences between rural and urban LGBTQ+ communities and what they mean for population health and wellbeing.

“I didn’t really know what public health was when I started, but the community of students and scholars that I have found at the college have affirmed that this is a great space for me to learn and grow during my undergrad years,” said Wilson.

When Wilson heard of DSPH’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Antiracism (IDEA) fellowship application opening, she saw an opportunity to make an impact while also gaining many invaluable skills. IDEA Fellows lead and support efforts at DSPH to promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism. She applied in spring 2023 and was selected for the 2023-2024 academic year cohort which is the fourth and largest cohort yet.

As an IDEA fellow, Wilson worked with Ayden Scheim, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at DSPH, and Kelly Courts, MPH, senior project manager at DSPH, on their ongoing research project which aims to advance intersectional discrimination measures in health disparities research for people living with HIV and/or who speak Spanish. First, she helped recruit target populations to partake in a national survey by creating marketing materials and distributing these assets with relevant community-based organizations. She then helped compile and analyze interview data by coding qualitative interviews, summarizing results, and working on a publication draft.

This critical research has long standing implications. “This work is going to help inform how we measure and predict discrimination for these populations in the future,” said Wilson. “Measures like this are essential for understanding where work is to be done to decrease rates of discrimination and, as a result, improve health outcomes for these communities.”

In addition to impacting health disparities research, Wilson grew more confident about her chosen field of interdisciplinary study as a CoAS and DSPH student. She has leveraged sociology and public health teachings in the fellowship. “I better understand how these two professional pursuits can be more connected and cohesive in my professional future, and how health research can be used to improve the overall equity of people from diverse backgrounds not just their health.”

While her IDEA fellowship has come to a close, Wilson remains committed to health equity research. With the guidance of Stephanie Hernandez, PhD, MS, assistant professor of epidemiology at DSPH, she is currently conducting research that explores health differences within the LGBTQ+ community, depending on urbanicity.

Further complimenting her experience, Wilson has landed three co-ops which have been or are related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) work. The first was at Drexel (2022) then at the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center (2023) in their executive office, and currently at Comcast NBCUniversal. She is also Brass Section Leader in the Drexel Jazz Orchestra; Student Director of the Drexel Pep Band; President of Dragons First, Drexel’s first-generation student organization; Student Ambassador; a member of the CoAS Student Advisory Council, and a Peer Leader at the Center for Inclusive Education and Scholarship.

Ahead of completing her BA program in spring 2025, Wilson plans to apply to the Sociology and Demography doctoral programs. She foresees a career committed to improving wellbeing and health for others. “I hope to continue to make positive change for LGBTQ+ folks living in or from rural areas like myself, and continue to work to make academic institutions like Drexel more welcoming for all.”

Learn more about the IDEA Fellowship