College of Public Health Students to Participate in National Ambassador Program
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health will have a pair of representatives in the 2026-2027 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s (ASPPH) This is Public Health Ambassador Program.
Leylah Esmail and Zharia Harris both earned the right to participate in the esteemed initiative.
The ASPPH has existed since the early 1940s and represents more than 150 accredited schools and programs of public health. It’s a nationwide voice of academic public health that champions education, practice, and research. Part of its mission is training the next generation of public health professionals.
The ambassador program gives its participants:
- Professional development opportunities
- Discount on the Certification in Public Health exam
- Featured on Profiles in Public Health
- Instagram takeover opportunity to showcase research, practicum, or capstone projects
- Opportunities to share information about their program and institution
- Access to exclusive events and presentations
- Access to the TIPH Alumni Ambassador LinkedIn group
Harris is in the College of Public Health’s Health Policy and Management program. A health policy advocate, Harris wants to learn cutting-edge public health information and research methods that will help her assist underserved populations.
Leylah Esmail, a student in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Public Health’s Climate Global and Rural Health program, is among the students selected for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s (ASPPH) This is Public Health Ambassador Program.
“Health policy has a big impact on the livelihood of entire communities,” Harris said. “I want to help the community be aware of, and understand, policies that will impact their well-being. I’m eager to learn and network through the ambassador program.”
Esmail, who’s in the college’s Climate Global and Rural Health program, aspires to make positive changes on a global scale. She plans to use the program to strengthen her skills in collaboration and community engagement.
“I told one of the college’s advisors that I wanted to go beyond the classroom and find as many opportunities as I could to use public health to serve and support my community,” Esmail said. “He nominated me for the ambassador program.
“I love that public health focuses on prevention and making major changes on a population-wide basis. I also value its focus on addressing the root cause of a problem. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life. I want to be part of that cause.”
The lengthy process to get into the ambassador program also motivates both students to take full advantage of the opportunity.
“It’s important to be a lifelong learner,” Harris said. “Even though I work in the health field, I must continue to learn and gain skills that will benefit people from all communities. That’s one of the reasons why this ambassador project is so important to me.
“I want to properly advocate for all people. Policy is a major determinant of how people can access vital healthcare resources.”
Esmail plans to use the program to gain additional knowledge on how to work with, and lead, a group of people.
“I want to build greater awareness of the impact that public health has on everyday life,” she said. “Meaningful change happens when we bring people together, create collaborations, and have conversations between various groups of people. I want to bridge the gap between public health knowledge and the communities that need that information the most.”