Name: Jasmine Sharell Mangrum
Hometown:  Chicago, IL
Type of Fulbright Award: Fulbright Study/Research Award
Degree and Field of Study: Doctor of Pharmacy/Masters of Public Health candidate

Research/Teaching: I will study smoking cessation education of student pharmacists at Cluj-Napoca’s Medical University Pharmacy Faculty. I will survey students’ preparation and perceptions of smoking cessation. As a pharmacy and public health student, I plan to integrate pharmacists into the global health workforce and equip them for interventions involving patient care.

What drew you to this field of study? I work with Dr. Jeanine Abrons in the UI College of Pharmacy on health screenings and pharmacy practice; I also have family members that smoke. After being in Romania for a few months in 2016, I wanted to find a way to help them address the smoking rates and see what ways, like the United States, pharmacists could help Romanians quit smoking.

How do you envision this will change your life? I am really excited about the project and working with the pharmacy schools in Romania, but I am also looking forward to the community engagement portion. I will be teaching classes at the public health school in Cluj and working with the Thesaurus Training-Translation Association to teach children English. These are skills that I can bring back to the U.S. and carry over to my future career as an academic. But they will also be important to know how to find creative ways to teach and engage with others of different cultures. 

What advice do you have for future students interested in pursuing a Fulbright award? It may seem impossible, long, and a lot of work, but the whole process is rewarding. You find out who you are and develop skills that will make you successful in the world.