Monika N
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Expertise
Public Health, Public Policy, Political Science, Survey Methods, Sexual & Reproductive Health
Bio
Hello! My name Monika Nayak, I use she/her pronouns, and I'm a current Ph.D. student at UCLA in the School of Public Health. My research interests lie at the intersection of sexual and reproductive health and adolescent health and wellness outcomes. In school, I aim to develop survey methods, data analysis, and policy research aiming to improve health, wellness, education, and healthcare access for young people. Lastly, I'm interested in how public policy shapes our environment and behavior, and I love learning about innovative strategies that advocacy organizations utilize. I spend much of my time outside of schoolwork and my day job reading or volunteering. I'm an active advocate for reproductive justice and increasing health care access for historically excluded communities. And, during the pandemic, I started learning how to watercolor, so when I have the time, I love searching through YouTube or TikTok for simple painting tutorials!Project ideas
Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.
Is Tele-Health Actually Expanding and Accessible?
As the pandemic progressed, communities were encouraged to switch their regular wellness visits to telehealth appointments. Disabilities rights and community health advocates have been advocating for telehealth appointments as a consistent and accessible option for individuals and families to seek healthcare services. What are the cases where telehealth services are the most advantageous? A student could perhaps find one particular dataset or research this relationship in existing studies and make a case for accessibility, or the lack thereof, stemming from increased attention to telehealth services.
Coding skills
R, StataTeaching experience
I taught civics education through an organization called Generation Citizen. We were assigned to classrooms and used an in-class action civics curriculum developed by the org to guide a middle or high school class through learning about how they could be changemakers in their community. It was a really rewarding experience, and I was always so impressed by how creative and resourceful the students were.Credentials
Work experience
YouGov (2018 - Current)
Data AnalystEducation
Boston University
BA Bachelor of Arts candidate
Political ScienceUniversity of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Health Policy & Management