Farnaz had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB), held in San Diego, California, in March 2025. This experience was valuable for both her academic growth and the advancement of her dissertation research on the built environment and health equity. At the conference, she presented her poster titled: “Examining the Relationship Between Social Vulnerability and Sidewalk Access and Walkability Across a Large Southeastern U.S. City.” Her study explored how sidewalk availability and walkability, as measured through the percentage of streets with sidewalks and the National Walkability Index, varied by social vulnerability across census block groups in Columbia, SC. This presentation generated meaningful conversations with fellow researchers about the role of infrastructure in shaping health disparities.
Additionally, she attended several incredibly useful sessions, including:
- Doctoral students preparing for academia/industry roundtable, which provided insights into career pathways and balancing research with teaching and service.
- Innovations in implementation science, exploring co-design and sustainability strategies relevant to community-based interventions.
- Professional development workshops, including topics such as women in leadership and navigating the early academic career.
- Sustainability and pragmatic strategies, which focused on how to integrate and scale health interventions effectively in real-world settings.
These sessions enhanced her understanding of implementation science and built environment interventions. She also had the opportunity to engage with leading public health scholars and doctoral students from across the country. These connections have the potential to lead to future collaborations and mentorship opportunities. Not much needs to be said about beautiful San Diego, but thanks to AAHB, she had the opportunity to visit and enjoy the beach while engaging in a rewarding academic experience.
