Category: Epidemiology
The peace exchange
February 16, 2023 Written by Amy Cherry | Photo submitted by Asli McCullers
Epidemiology master鈥檚 student stresses need to improve health of marginalized veterans
91原创 graduate student Asli McCullers鈥 parents are both disabled military veterans. Gregory McCullers and Shelia Russell McCullers met as specialists in the Army.
鈥淢y mom was named Soldier of the Year, and my dad always talked about how he saw her picture on the wall and said, 鈥業鈥檓 going to marry her!鈥 They鈥檙e both very proud of their service,鈥 Asli McCullers said.
Both of McCullers鈥 parents now serve on the Command Council for the , which was established to address injustices all veterans face through service.
鈥淭hey also push to ensure that stories of Black veterans who have been forgotten are amplified in the present,鈥 McCullers said.
Their experiences advocating for marginalized veterans have helped inform and shape the graduate student鈥檚 research in epidemiology. While this marks the first time she's delved into veterans鈥 health, McCullers has always been interested in health equity and social justice.
鈥淗aving that lens and seeing their journey made me realize this is a pocket of instability in the United States,鈥 she said.
McCullers, a second-year student in the masters of public health in epidemiology program, recently had an editorial published in the .