Meet Michelle Lambert, a 2023-2024 Graduate Dean's Award recipient. Michelle is a masters student majoring in Sociology.
Please give a short overview of your research.
My research interest is how food insecurity and living in food deserts impacts health outcomes in low income populations. I have always been intrigued by the fact that low income communities tend to have very few healthy eating options, from lack of grocery stores that stock fresh produce to an abundance of fast food restaurants. Many neighborhoods are forced to buy groceries at convenience stores full of processed foods high in fat, calories, and sodium, or purchase fast food because it is more convenient, inexpensive, and accessible. As I advanced my education, I learned more and more about the fact that poverty and low-income status are associated with various adverse health outcomes, including shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality rates, and higher death rates for the 14 leading causes of death (www.aafp.org). So I want to research the connection between lack of access to/knowledge of healthy eating affects health outcomes in the lifecycle. There are many layers to this, including generational poverty, lack of access to school systems that provide nutrition classes, neighborhoods that lack a safe space for physical activity, etc. My ultimate goal is to tease this all out in a way that proves that low income areas have poor access to healthy foods and it is affecting their long term health. This is important because there is a stigma that healthy eating is a choice and that those who don't are "lazy"...when in fact, in low income populations, their diets are being chosen for them.
What made you choose to pursue your graduate degree here at Kent State?
I have lived in the area all my life, and having received my undergraduate degree here, it seemed like an easy, natural transition. I love the sociology department and faculty not just at the main campus, but at regional campuses as well where I have been honored to work with some amazing mentors.
What do you enjoy most about attending Kent State for graduate school? and/or What do you anticipate taking advantage of at KSU?
I am already learning that Kent State puts a large emphasis on bonding with your cohort and developing that support system. I am really pleased with that, because most of my time as an undergraduate I was somewhat of a loner when it came to studying, however the way Kent frames working with your cohort is offering me a whole new perspective.
What are your future goals?
I want to remain in academia and become a professor and researcher. I currently work at a local nonprofit adoption agency, and I believe my sociological knowledge will be valuable there in terms of considering the dynamics of children in foster care transitioning to their forever families. This transition often finds children not only adjusting to their new parents, but also an entirely different set of norms (micro and macro) than what they have grown up with.
What does this award mean to you and how will it aid you?
I am a first-generation, nontraditional student. It means so much to me that the Graduate College believes in my potential, which is something I have struggled to see in myself. Knowing I have been honored with this award will aid me whenever I may feel overwhelmed or start to lose confidence, because I will reflect on the fact that I wouldn't have received it if I didn't have what it takes to succeed!