Public Health Featured Grad Student
Faculty from the master of public health (MPH) program wish to recognize Lexi Sayer for her service and dedication within her program and community. According to public health professor Josh West, “Lexi is a self-starter.” Rather than wait for others to take the first step, she’s proactive in taking on leadership roles.
Sayer earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and nursing with plans to become a nurse. After working as an RN and serving a full-time mission as a nurse, Sayer realized that she wanted to contribute to the community in a different way. She decided to pursue an MPH with the goal to help people before they would need hospital care through preventative methods like education and nutrition.
Throughout her master’s program, Sayer has worked closely with professors Josh West, Cougar Hall, and Ben Crookston. She says the professors have maximized the student experience for her, and she’s had great research and teaching experiences as she works toward her graduation.
The highlight of Sayer’s studies has been working with the Bountiful Children’s Foundation. She and a classmate worked with international coordinators to create and refine a curriculum that would help mothers better nurture their children. Sayer was able to travel to Peru, where she presented her team’s materials at a conference and instructed local mothers about cognitive stimulation and its effect on child wellness. View a video highlighting Sayer's work with the Bountiful Children's Foundation.
In the future, Sayer would like to work with IMA World Health. She’s particularly interested in global improvements related to child and maternal nutrition. From her research, she’s come to understand the role that cognition plays in physical wellness and how its importance is equal to the physical changes needed to help families establish long-term health for both body and mind.