REACH Center Overview

The Research and Engagement for Action on Climate and Health (REACH) Center is a multi-institutional, NIH-funded exploratory center led in partnership by George Washington University, George Mason University, Howard University, and the Environmental Defense Fund. The REACH Center aims to bridge big data to solutions that advance health resilience. Specifically, the Center leverages the power of novel geospatial datasets and research co-generation with governmental and nongovernmental partners to co-develop research that explores health resilience solutions from local to global scales. 
 

Fellowship Program Overview

The REACH Center Student Research Fellowship Program will cultivate a collaborative cohort of three student fellows across REACH institutions, empowering them to engage effectively with community partners in identifying and implementing solutions to environmental and health challenges. Through this initiative, fellows and community partners will enhance their capacity for engagement and research, fostering connections that strengthen institutional collaboration and lay the groundwork for future research proposals.

This cohort of students, composed of one student from each partner institution (i.e., GWU, GMU, HU), will work collectively on an assigned project that is responsive to a selected community partner’s needs. Supported projects will be aligned with REACH Center goals to leverage the power of big data for health resilience solutions. Fellows may be asked to assist with data collection, interpret large datasets for applications to local concerns, write reports, conduct literature reviews, prepare policy briefs, and assist with outreach and education such as community events, stakeholder meetings, town halls and community listening sessions.

What Kinds of Projects Will the Cohort Engage in?

Assigned projects will be aligned with REACH Center goals to leverage the power of big data for health resilience solutions. Fellows may be asked to assist with data collection, interpret large datasets for applications to local concerns, write reports, conduct literature reviews, prepare policy briefs, and assist with outreach and education such as community events, stakeholder meetings, town halls and community listening sessions.

Sample Project on Air Quality Monitoring

Fellows could work with community partners who are conducting air quality monitoring with low-cost sensors that measure particulate matter (PM) pollution. These sensors have been used in many citizen science applications around the country to understand how PM varies.

Fellows may be asked to assist community partners with the installation of monitors, conduct data analysis and interpretation, and estimate impacts on human health. They could also translate these findings into educational materials, publications, and/or policy documents together with community partners.

Sample Project on Health

There is evidence linking health conditions such as asthma to environmental factors. Fellows could assist community partners to better understand these health risks as a prerequisite for developing strategies to advance health resilience.

The cohort of fellows may be asked to work with community partners to identify stakeholders, translate data into accessible language for community members, and incorporate environmental science into health promotion activities.

Sample Project providing Technical Support to Organizations in the Community

The cohort of fellows may be asked to identify and interpret data that explores the relationship between health and urban heat, local flooding, or access to green and blue space, and could work to explore solution measures to improve the resilience of communities along the Anacostia River.

Role of Community Partners

The REACH Center will identify a community partner who will work with the fellowship cohort to design a project that is responsive to and reflects community concerns, with the expectation that the collaboration occurs in all steps of the project, from design and implementation to follow-up and dissemination of key findings. Community partners are also encouraged to participate in REACH activities, e.g. seminars and workshops, and to work with REACH principal investigators on sponsored research projects that are relevant to their concerns.

Who Should Apply?

Applicants must be currently enrolled as a graduate student at the master’s or doctoral level at one of the REACH Center academic partner institutions (i.e., George Washington, Howard, and George Mason universities). This fellowship is open to graduate students in any discipline. One student from each of the REACH Center partner institutions (i.e., GW, HU, GMU) will be selected for the fellowship program.

This fellowship is designed to support outstanding students who demonstrate academic excellence, have a strong interest in community-engaged work, and have a strong interest in employing geospatial environmental datasets to advance health resilience. The program provides an enriching experience that includes mentorship, professional development, and financial support to help students achieve their goals.
 

Fellowship Benefits & Expectations

Fellows are expected to:

• Spend approximately 120 hours engaged with the fellowship program
• Participate in REACH Center activities (e.g. seminars, trainings, and workshops)
• Prepare and present a summary of their fellowship work at the end of the term

Selected fellows will receive:

• A stipend of $2,000 to be paid out in monthly installments throughout the course of the fellowship
• Access to mentorship opportunities with community organizations and faculty members
• Networking opportunities with peers and professionals in the field
   

2026 Fellowship Application details will be shared late Fall 2025!

View 2025 Fellowship Call for Applications

Application Content/Instructions

Scoring Criteria and Review Process

Applications will be reviewed by a panel representing REACH institutions and scored based on the following criteria:

• Community Engagement Experience
• Research Experience (e.g. projects and work history)
• Academic Record (e.g. academic performance and achievements)
• Commitment to Center Focus Areas
• Cross Disciplinary Goals and Problem Solving/Consensus Building Ability
   

2025 Fellowship Project

2025 Fellows

This exceptional group of fellows was carefully selected to bring a balanced mix of skills and experiences in public health and data analysis, positioning them to effectively and collaboratively engage during their placement with DC Health:

Hoda Hallaji, PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering, George Mason University

Hoda Hallaji is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering at George Mason University, where her research focuses on high-resolution air quality modeling to support science-based environmental policies. As part of an NIH-funded initiative through the REACH Center, she investigates the health impacts of transportation-related road pricing strategies in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Her work integrates cutting-edge modeling tools—including the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, and the SMOKE emissions processing system—to simulate pollution at the neighborhood level with 1 km² resolution. By linking emissions, meteorology, and health data, she helps quantify the exposure to pollutants such as NO₂ and PM₂.₅.

Hoda earned her Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tehran. Her current research applies advanced atmospheric models and geospatial data analysis to explore how transportation policies can reduce air pollution and improve public health outcomes. 

Jie Min, Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate, George Washington University

Jie Min holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University Bloomington. His interdisciplinary career journey bridges environmental science, public health policy, and infectious disease clinical research. Currently, Jie supports the research and educational mission of the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program at the Uniformed Services University, where he facilitates programmatic and scientific advancements that aim to improve the health and readiness of U.S. service members and beneficiaries. Jie is also a Doctor of Public Health student at the GWU. Jie's dissertation research applies spatiotemporal modeling, epidemiological data, and environmental surveillance to inform public health strategies.

Driven by a strong commitment to evidence-based decision-making and with aspirations to become a leader in managing scientists and guiding future research portfolios, Jie is poised to become a catalyst for innovation in public health, leveraging his technical expertise and leadership to drive strategic planning and advance health outcomes.

Alycia Triplett, PhD candidate in Atmospheric Sciences, Howard University

Alycia Triplett is a Ph.D. student in the Atmospheric Sciences program at Howard University, where she explores the intersections of severe weather communication, risk perception, and decision-making. She has had a diverse range of research experiences ranging from storm surge modeling and severe thunderstorm analysis to qualitative data collection and enhancing decision support for a variety of end-users. Alycia is also deeply committed to service, currently holding leadership roles in the Howard University Graduate Student Assembly and having previously served in student government at Jackson State University, where she earned her B.S. in Meteorology summa cum laude. 

Through the REACH Center Fellowship, Alycia aims to apply her interdisciplinary background to the effect of heat on human health and to make atmospheric science more accessible.