Peer Support Team
Introduction to the Peer Support Team
The Peer Support Team members are advanced Master or Doctoral students in the School of Public Health (SPH) or who are dedicated to helping their peers succeed academically in quantitative methods and writing related courses at SPH. Schedule an appointment with a member of the Peer Support Team today!
The Peer Support Team is composed of: a Writing Specialist, and a Quantitative Methods Specialist. The team offers:
- In-person or virtual individual, group sessions, and workshops to help students with writing and quantitative methods
- Assistance with class assignments in a relaxed and supportive environment
Services are free of charge and available to all undergraduate, masters, and doctoral-level Public Health students, regardless of skill level or comfort with the material. From understanding basic content to more advanced support, visiting the Peer Support Team is a great way to increase your comfort and success in your academic work. All Specialists work with one another and in consultation with course instructors, TAs, and UHP staff to ensure that students at SPH have the support they need to succeed in their coursework.
What can you see the Writing & Quantitative Methods Specialist for?
Written Assignments
- Brainstorming paper topics
- Thesis development
- Paper organization
- Proofreading and citations
- Policy briefs
- Literature reviews
- Papers
- Abstract writing
- Community engagement journals
- Using databases
Professional Documents
- Scholarship applications
- Resumes
- Cover letters
- Personal statements
- …And more!
Quantitative Methods PST Specialist
- Help with courses like:
- IPHS 454, EPID 406, and more!
- Review quantitative concepts and methods
- Review homework assignments
- Conduct exam review sessions
- Provide SAS assistance with concepts or errors
Peer Support Team Rules
About the rules
- Be on time
- Try logging into Zoom ahead of time to address technical issues
- If you schedule a meeting and find yourself running late, please contact the person you scheduled a meeting with to let them know that you are running late
- If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be automatically canceled and your time slot will be given to another student
- Students are limited to three scheduled Peer Support sessions per week. Feel free to reach out via email if you foresee needing further support
- Complete sign-in sheet for each session (find links below)
- Be prepared
- To makes best use of time, please come prepared with assignment prompts and drafted work before your session
- For Quantitative sessions, we recommend coming prepared with specific questions and sharing with the specialist what you have already tried
Please Note:
- The Peer Support Team strives to create an accessible and respectful environment; those who disrupt that environment will be asked to leave
- If you miss more than 3 scheduled sessions without advanced notice, your access to the Peer Support Team could be temporarily suspended. Please make sure to always contact the Peer Support Team when you foresee missing an appointment
Sign-in Links
- Please sign-in prior to your scheduled appointment.
- Please complete the post session survey after your session with a PST member.
- *Sign-in and post surveys must be completed for every visit.
Quantitative Methods Specialist
Hope Orsi, MPH ’24
Epidemiology
Hope Orsi (she/her/hers) currently serves as a Research Specialist at the UIC School of Public Health. She works on research pertaining to viral respiratory diseases in long-term care facilities and HIV medication adherence. Her main public health interests are in infectious disease epidemiology and public health surveillance. She also received both her BS and her MPH from the UIC School of Public Health. Hope is excited to continue to support students in her role as a Quantitative Methods Specialist.
Rose Hefferon, PhD Candidate
Epidemiology
Rose Hefferon (she/her) is a PhD student in Environmental Epidemiology at the UIC School of Public Health. Her research focuses on environmental health inequities, emphasizing disparities in exposure across ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and their impacts on adverse health outcomes. She previously served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Eswatini supporting HIV/AIDS mitigation efforts, and as an ORISE Fellow with the CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention. Rose earned her MPH in Global Environmental Health from Emory University and her BS in Public Health from the College of Charleston. She is excited to meet and support students in her role as a Quantitative Methods Specialist
Writing Specialist
Kayla T. Moore, MPH ‘19, PhD Candidate
Kayla T. Moore (she/her) is a PhD candidate in Community Health Sciences at the School of Public Health. Her research interests broadly include health outcomes and research participation in populations historically underrepresented in clinical research (particularly Black Americans), community engagement and recruitment strategies, and survey methodology. Kayla received an MPH in Community Health Sciences at the UIC School of Public Health and received a BA in Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago. She is excited to help SPH students with their academic and professional writing needs as the Writing Specialist.
Past Workshop Recordings
Past Recordings
Fall Quantitative Methods Workshop- Thursday, September 26th
Cameron Zielke and Hope Orsi, the Peer Support Team’s Quantitative Methods Specialists, led an engaging session on key epidemiological concepts, including probability, prevalence, incidence, mortality rates, and standardization. They also introduced essential Microsoft Excel skills, covering data examination, summarization, pivot tables, and histograms.
Writing Clearly Workshop-Wednesday, October 16th
Megan Sanico and Angela Glogowski, the Peer Support Team’s Writing Specialists, led an engaging workshop which covered the fundamentals of academic writing. They explored topics such as grammar and punctuation, offered tips to enhance writing strength, and provided strategies for outlining and organizing papers.
Resume and Cover Letter Workshop- Monday, February 17th
On Monday, February 17th from 6-7PM the ODI Peer Support Team hosted a Resume and Cover Letter Writing Workshop on Zoom. The workshop covered how to prepare for a job search, resume writing tips and resources, cover letter writing tips and resources, as well as additional topics based on what students requested on the registration form.