College of Public Health Alumna Inspired by an Important Principle
| Rebecca Raciborski, Ph.D., is a research health scientist for the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).
An alumna of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, Raciborski serves as the lead of the Methods Core at VA’s Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research. Among her tasks for the VA are consulting with principal investigators and helping them develop innovative plans for grant proposals. She also mentors early-career investigators, work that received a national VA service award.
Raciborski is a native of Collierville, Tennessee, a small city of about 50,000 in suburban Memphis.
“When I was growing up, it was actually still a small, southern, farming town,” she said with a chuckle. “There was still a lot of cotton grown in my hometown when I was young.”
Raciborski had several positive influences while coming up in her traditional southern, agriculture-heavy town. Foremost among that group is her mother.
“My mom was a major part in shaping how I see the world,” she said.
Introduced to the importance of compassion as a youth, it became the foundation to her career and life, as she is dedicated to helping others prosper. After high school, she attended Agnes Scott — a women’s college in Atlanta. During that time, she learned even more about service.
“Attending Agnes Scott cultivated my desire to be a positive force in society and to make a difference in the lives of others,” she said. “Looking back, that was a major factor in molding how I view life.”
After two years at Agnes Scott, Raciborski transferred back home, where she attended the University of Memphis. She ultimately earned both a bachelor’s and master’s in economics from Memphis. It was also during this era when she learned about public health. While pursuing her master’s, she held a graduate assistant position. The duty led to her entering the realm of health care economics.
Her employment for a company that was a contractor for Tennessee Medicaid became an eye-opening experience.
“That time really underscored for me how health care, and a lack of access to it, influences people’s lives,” she said. “I knew I wanted to continue working in that field. So, I decided to pursue a doctorate in health services research. I chose to attend the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.”
She appreciated the culture of UAMS, and how it valued the needs and aspirations of the students in its colleges. Raciborski said the College of Public Health was an ideal fit and provided exactly what she was looking for.
“The college was great,” she said. “The college was practicing what it preached. There was an emphasis on maintaining your personal health along with the training you’d receive to become a public health professional.”
Raciborski, who completed the school’s Health Systems and Services Research doctoral program in 2017, added that the mentors she had were outstanding.
“Not only were the professors great mentors but the other students I was in class with were awesome as well,” she said. “I learned a lot from the great discussions with the people who were in the program with me.”
Now in 2024, Raciborski — who works remotely for the Arkansas VA while residing in Atlanta — advocates for the well-being of others, professionally and personally. Raciborski is a staunch environmentalist. She’s a South Fork Conservancy board member, Friends of Piedmont Trail volunteer coordinator and a Springfield Park Elementary Science Program advisory board member.
“I’ve always cared a lot about environmental issues,” she said. “I enjoy being able to give back and contribute to the community. I also get to meet a lot of my neighbors through being active in the community.”
As for her service via being an employee of the VA, Raciborski mentioned that she enjoys how it gives her the opportunity to impact lives in an immediate, direct manner. The job complements her desire to serve people in need of help.
“My position with the VA fits with the ethos that I grew up with — to whom much is given much is expected,” Raciborski said. “It was always in my heart to do something public service oriented.”