Akilah W. Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Wrote and edited over 20 social media campaigns, including writing informative articles, social media messages, writing blurbs, and curating images and content for CDC Arthritis Management and Wellbeing newsletter.Bolstered the engagement rate of the Arthritis newsletter by standardizing its bi-monthly release, which included regularly curating internal and partner updates; this led to a 144% increase in open rate (readers opening the newsletter) since May 2021 (the first newsletter I produced) as of May 2023. Established new CDC Media podcast series, Healthy Living with Arthritis, to promote CDC arthritis-appropriate, evidence-based interventions, including writing scripts, designing image tags, and coordinating to create its landing page. Established a regular communications campaign to recognize Juvenile Arthritis, which included writing social media messages, crafting and designing a newsletter, curating images for the CDC Arthritis Management and Wellbeing team, and promoting related health messaging for the public.Created social media posts for clinicians and the general public highlighting messages, studies, graphics/infographics, and programs for more than a dozen health campaigns and observances.Designed and executed over 20 communications campaigns, including the bi-monthly newsletter that recognizes and features stories on arthritis-related observances, timely partner updates, and scientific publications. Trained an ORISE fellow to start and manage communications projects, tasks, and responsibilities, including campaigns for health observances, newsletter curation and design, and social media messages.Provided technical assistance in writing and editing scripts, feature stories, and blurbs for internal and external partners.

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

I specialize in providing tailored and high-impact writing and editing solutions. If you're seeking captivating content that resonates with your audience, I've got you covered! Reach out to explore how my writing, editing, and project management skills can elevate your brand and foster success.Journalism and Reporting: High-quality report on public health, reproductive health, and youth issues, including health care, maternal and infant health, chronic disease, sexually transmitted infections, mental health, COVID-19, and HIV. Wrote and published nearly 40 articles in widely read news publications and magazines, including Vox, Capital B News, NPR Shots, The Boston Globe, Texas Hospitals, Youth Today, and Fast Company.Self-manage pitching, invoicing, Coordinated interviews and manage audio, visual recordings, including transcription and ensuring privacy.Content and Research Consulting: Reviewed and fact-checked scripts and procured select expert sources to be storytellers for Season 2 of NATAL, resulting in Webby Honor for Documentary Podcast.Wrote and crafted press releases and one-page documents to promote scientific publications for the Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast, resulting in increased mass media appearances of scholars as experts on reproductive health in the Southeast.Established a quarterly newsletter that promotes RISE scholarship and activities, resulting in increased media exposure to RISE experts and partners, including recognition from the Dean of Rollins School of Public Health and Chair of the Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences. Collaborated and consulted with subject matter experts to create content, including key messages and communications products.

Atlanta, Ga, United States

Greater Atlanta Area

Conceptualize research questions, develop hypotheses to test, and write and edit research proposals and manuscripts based on NIDA-funded multilevel study on place characteristics and racial/ethnic inequities in HIV vulnerability for peer-reviewed publicationsWork closely with investigators at Emory University and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to write and edit text and tables for manuscripts based on reproductive health studies for peer-reviewed publications

Greater Atlanta Area

Worked with investigators to conduct quantitative research to identify contextual predictors of HIV vulnerability among at-risk heterosexual women in order to write and edit manuscripts for peer review publication manuscriptsWorked with a team to conceptualize, write text, and produce images for national and city-specific infographics on HIV infection, risk, and prevention among at-risk groupsWorked with epidemiologists to review and edit manuscripts in order to ensure manuscripts were clear, grammatically correct, and ready for publicationLead Data Analyst for the first surveillance dataset on young (13 – 18 years old) MSM, resulting in a high-quality dataset for analysis by staff: merge data from multiple sources, review data for errors and write reports based on review, develop data dictionary and codebooks, merging surveillance data with census tract data Plan and conduct quantitative research studies that identify contextual predictors of HIV risk-related behaviors to solve public health disparities problem and inform policy regarding HIV/AIDS among heterosexual individuals

Institute For Social Research

Managed multi-funded research project on race and health to oversee data collection among sample of Black-American women aged 18-30 years: technical review and execution of study protocols, monitor IRB compliance, develop procedures for scheduling and conducting lab experiments Guided data collection process that involved determining eligible participants, collecting psychometric and biological data, scheduling lab experiments to ensure valid biological specimens, and extensive communication to ensure retention of participants, resulting in successful psychological and biological data collection of 90 participants in 4 monthsProvided oversight of research staff in conducting lab experiments, recruiting participants, and scheduling Recruited study participants from hard-to-reach populations in the greater Ann Arbor/Detroit area, resulting in the recruitment of over 200 female respondentsMonitored and managed large-scale communication and scheduling system for participants to complete the multi-stage data collection process: monitored e-mailings, managed respondent follow up protocol, and scheduled lab experiments, resulting in successful psychological and biological data collection of 90 participants in 4 monthsTrained and mentored research assistant in conducting lab experiments and managing recruitment and monitoring communication and scheduling system

Ann Arbor, Mi

Developed and executed quantitative analysis plans to examine social determinants of pre-term birth, low birth weight, unintended pregnancy, and self-assessed health, using National Vital Statistics, National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents, National Survey of Family and Growth, resulting in multiple papers, reports, and presentationsDesigned and implemented study protocols for an independent IRB-approved qualitative research project that garnered $15k (out of funding pool of $100k) in funding from the Population Studies Center Small Grants Fund to examine early home- and school-life determinants on pregnancy intention among adult women yielding findings for dissertationRecruited and conducted semi-structured interviews in Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, and Atlanta with diverse group women (racial/ethnic minorities, low-income) on: childhood experiences, pregnancy planning, motherhood, contraception use, intimate partnerships, family formation, maternal health, and abortionTranscribed and analyzed over 25 hours of audio interview content using qualitative data analysis methods, e.g. grounded theory, to identify, synthesize, and distill key themes Prepared and drafted multiple manuscripts, reports, and conference presentations to disseminate findings to laypersons, graduate students, and faculty

Ann Arbor

Designed curriculum to increase undergraduate and graduate students’ understanding of material covered in undergraduate-level Statistics, History, Spanish, Sociology, and Writing and graduate-level Biostatistics coursesTrained 20+ graduate students in Biostatistics statistical software skills resulting in increased comprehension and grades Monitored and reported the progress of over 20+ graduate students to respective administrative stakeholders

Ann Arbor, Mi

Strategized and executed campus-wide program to collect and donate clothing and medical supplies in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake Consulted with experts and key stakeholders to develop and implement criteria for collected items Organized teams to store, supervise, collect, and transport donated clothing and items Coordinated with the United States Postal Service to ship donated items from Michigan to Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Greater Los Angeles Area

Conducted 100+ telephone interviews in English and Spanish with postpartum moms about birth experiences and perinatal infant death for the Los Angeles Mommy and Baby survey (LAMBS)Entered and organized raw data from 500+ questionnaires on neighborhood perception and birth outcomes into Microsoft Access for the Los Angeles County Mommy and Baby Survey a population-based maternal health tool, resulting in population-base surveillance tool used to improve maternal health and adverse birth outcomes in Los Angeles CountyIndependently designed and executed quantitative research on neighborhood perception among pregnant and post-partum women and likelihood low birth weight and preterm birth, resulting in a successful completion of independent Masters thesis

Greater Los Angeles Area

Research associate for water intervention project to improve water intake among middle-school children, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars programCollected, organized, and entered raw questionnaire data from 60+ students into Microsoft ExcelLead and managed a class of 30+ middle-school students to create an audio-visual water education tool

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Health Behavior And Health Education

Activities and Societies: The Network for Doctoral Student Diversity, Health Behavior and Health Education Doctoral Student Group.

Master Of Science - Ms, Public Health

Master'S Of Science In Public Health, Community Health Sciences

Activities and Societies: Research Associate for Robert Wood John Clinical ScholarThesis titled 'Perception of Neighborhood, Psychosocial.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Anthropological Sciences

Minored in Spanish. Stanford Overseas Program, Santiago, Chile 2005. Research Assistant for doctoral student in Claude Steele's Psychology.