Katherine Cushing, Michael Oye A Spectrum of Outreach Michael Oye, lecturer in the Chemical and Materials Engineering department and executive director of CommUniverCity and Katherine Kao Cushing, professor of Environmental Studies, faculty director of Programs on Global Studies. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, Katherine Cushing, professor of Environmental Studies, faculty director of Programs on Global Studies, and Michael Oye, lecturer in the Chemical and Materials Engineering department and executive director of CommUniverCity, used their research project to help boost vaccination rates among San José residents — particularly those from the most vulnerable and high-risk populations. Oye explains the importance of their research in this way: “The purpose of this research was to better understand the vaccination status and concerns of Central San José residents with a focus on underserved, low-income community residents after the initial vaccine rollout phase. Additionally, the study sought to understand what additional services residents living in focal neighborhoods were interested in receiving.” In order to gain this understanding, Cushing and Oye utilized the Spectrum of Prevention guidelines: Strengthening Individual Knowledge and Skills, Promoting Community Education, Educating Providers, Fostering Coalitions and Networks, Changing Organizational Practices, and Influencing Policy and Legislation. Typically used in prevention initiatives for traffic safety, violence prevention, injury prevention, nutrition, and fitness, this approach is effective, because it combines a variety of strategies to address community needs. “ The Spectrum identifies multiple levels of intervention and helps people move beyond the perception that prevention is merely education, but an organized grassroots effort to which they have an active role in improving the health of communities,” says Oye. To that end, the researchers deployed a group of undergraduate and graduate students to underserved communities where they went door to door to speak to residents, collected data at large public events, and passed out fliers. Oye says he would like to see this study help to inform policy that will improve vaccination outcomes. “It is with hope that this study can influence policy and legislation with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department in reaching the highest vaccination rate for Central San José neighborhoods,” Oye says. “The ultimate goal for the study is that its findings contribute to more effective policy regarding vaccine rollouts.” ANNUAL REPORT 2022 11
