Healthy Generations eNewsletter
March 2026
Student Spotlight: How did a Blog Shape Mary Kenny’s Understanding of the MCH Field?
#UMNMCH student Mary Kenny reflects on her last two years as editor of the national maternal and child health (MCH) blog, MCH Leads. She shares the value of uplifting MCH voices through blog posts, how this work expanded her MCH network across the country, and what is next for this publication. Read her full Spotlight here.
MCH Leads Blog: How Community-Driven Research Has Shaped My Work in Reproductive and Maternal Health
Erin Taber, a PhD student at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health, is March’s featured author of MCH Leads. In her blog entry, Erin applies MCH Competency 4 (Critical Thinking) and Competency 8 (Community Expertise and Perspectives) to her time as a research assistant. “I aim to center the community expertise of those who have lived experience in everything I do. I also think critically about how my own assumptions and beliefs influence the research and conclusions I come to.” Learn more about Erin’s contributions here.
Using Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) to Understand the Impacts of a Public Health Partnership with Dr. Scott Chazdon, Dr. Rebecca Shlafer, and Ingie Osman
Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm CT
In this Bright Spots Mini-Lab session, Dr. Scott Chazdon will guide participants through the methodology and goals of Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) and how it can be used as an evaluation tool for community-engaged programs. To highlight the applications of REM in public health practice, Dr. Rebecca Shlafer and Ingie Osman will describe how this method informed their work with the Model Jail Practices Learning Community to support families impacted by incarceration.
–Register here
