From the president
Ms. Yunge Xiao, a third year Statistics student, has an impressive track record of civic engagement during her time at the University of Pittsburgh, and this builds on a very active role in civic engagement during her years in high school. Her dual interests and experience in data science and using data to promote social causes makes her a very valuable social advocate who can use data to really increase the understanding of community groups about inequities and disparities, plan interventions to ameliorate inequities, and further use data to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Yunge has the passion and perseverance to carry out such “start to finish” work to provide effective long-term civic engagement. Yunge is already a community leader and she would be able to make the most of the learning and networking opportunities afforded by the Newman Civic Fellowship. I have no doubt that her nomination by the Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh would open up new opportunities for the community groups that she currently works with, as well as new groups I’m sure she will become engaged with as she enters the graduate training phase of her education. Yunge would be an outstanding Newman Civic Fellow.
Personal Statement
Throughout my experiences, I have found that public service fosters the sensitivity necessary for developing effective people-centered community interventions. My passion for service materialized after interning with a local human rights coalition, where I was able to connect with residents, activists, and organizations to develop solutions for social justice issues. I partnered with a transit equity organization, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT), to help them design and promote a pilot program to alleviate transit fare burden for SNAP-eligible populations. This past September, the Allegheny Department of Human Services approved the discounted-fares pilot program. It was so meaningful to see our collective efforts translated into tangible action. Researching for PPT developed my interest in further exploring the intersection of food insecurity and community health. Acknowledging that my own college campus was located in a food desert, I started volunteering for the food pantry on my college campus. Currently, I analyze and interpret shopper data to help inform university efforts towards alleviating food insecurity and hunger on campus. As I pursue a graduate degree in public health epidemiology, I am excited to become a skilled and considerate leader in researching and creating resources that empower community well-being.