CPH

College of Public Health convenes panel on a growing public health crisis—social isolation

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:10:05 +0000

College of Public Health convenes panel on a growing public health crisis—social isolation Mary Cunningham Wed, 04/16/2025 - 16:10

When �鶹��Ƶ student Jawad H. first heard talk of reducing hours at the 24/7 campus dining hall, he saw more than a logistical issue—he saw a threat to a rare space where students could connect and stave off isolation. “I ran into a friend there at 11 p.m.,” he said during a recent College of Public Health panel. “By the time we finished talking, it was 3 a.m.”

As a member of the Student Government at the time, Jawad helped mobilize his peers to activate to preserve the dining hall’s hours—and defend its role as a social lifeline.

The theme and importance of intentional connection ran throughout “Stronger Together: The Impact of Social Ties on Public Health,” an April 9 panel at George �鶹��Ƶ's Fairfax Campus hosted by the College of Public Health. This year, the annual National Public Health Week “Conversations and Connections” event explored a growing recognition that loneliness isn’t just a personal issue but a public health threat.

Moderator Dean Melissa Perry and the panelists. Photo by Mary Cunningham/CPH

“Perhaps nothing has changed more profoundly in recent years than how we interact as human beings,” said Melissa Perry, dean of the College of Public Health, who moderated the panel. “We may check our phones hundreds of times a day, but go days without a real conversation. That disconnect has real health consequences.”

Two recent events helped elevate the issue: the collective isolation the world experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 2023 advisory from then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declaring loneliness “a national epidemic.” Murthy’s report links social isolation to a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of dementia for older adults. Loneliness, he warned, is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

“I’m glad that there’s a spotlight, because … loneliness has been sort of relegated to the purview of, this is an individual’s problem, as opposed to a systemic, structural problem,” said Rachel Wernicke, George �鶹��Ƶ’s chief mental health officer. “We’re seeing more acceptance that there’s a collective responsibility for addressing this.”

Moderator Dean Melissa Perry and the panelists. Photo by Mary Cunningham/CPH

Panelists focused on two groups especially vulnerable to isolation: older adults and young people.

George �鶹��Ƶ alumna Mary Louise Pomeroy, PhD Health Service Research '22, a postdoctoral researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, noted that 1 in 3 older adults report frequent loneliness, and around 25% are socially isolated. “What’s unique about older adults,” she said, “is the combination of high health needs with declining social support.”

For many in this population, technology—like smartphones, video chats, or even “social robots” in nursing homes—can be critical for easing isolation.

For young people, though, technology can sometimes have the opposite effect. “Their mood is just dropping,” said Wernicke, describing the impact of “passively scrolling” through social media. “But they’re not actually interacting—it’s the illusion of interaction.”

A 2022 national survey found that 60% of U.S. college students reported feeling “very lonely” in the past year.

Connections won’t emerge without deliberate intent, said LaToya Thomas, principal and founder of the urban planning consultancy Brick & Story, which focuses on community resilience. “We might need to do a little work, and that work is actually investing in our own inner curiosity about other humans,” she said. “And that curiosity might actually help pull someone out of a state of loneliness and isolation.”

Thomas pointed to tailgates before football games as one example of humans creating connections from inert spaces. “There is generally nothing exciting about these parking lots,” she said. But “people come and they bring chairs, they bring paraphernalia for their teams, they bring barbecue pits, they bring music. They literally create a space where there is no space. It’s really the intentionality of what we as social animals decide to do in terms of making spaces—as complex or simple as they can be—into something that is really dynamic.”

Watch the full panel here,

Past “Conversations and Connections” events have covered topics including climate change and public health (2024) and violence prevention (2023).

Learn more about the College of Public Health

Topics

College of Public Health

Sentara leaders explore cutting-edge immersive technologies at George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:06:34 +0000

Sentara leaders explore cutting-edge immersive technologies at George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health Mary Cunningham Fri, 03/21/2025 - 14:06

�鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health (CPH) is setting the gold standard for immersive technologies in health care education. Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center President Jeff Joyner and Vice President of Operations—and two-time �鶹��Ƶ School of Nursing alumna—Heather Causseaux recently toured the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation, led by Dean Melissa Perry and Chief Innovation Officer Bethany Cieslowski. Their visit underscored Sentara’s interest in strengthening its simulation capabilities and exploring the groundbreaking virtual reality advancements at CPH.

Chief Innovation Officer Bethany Cieslowski, Dean Melissa Perry, Divisional Dean of Nursing Terri Rebmann, and Associate Professor Andrea Landis share the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation with Sentara Vice President of Operations Heather Causseaux, and Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center President Jeff Joyner. Photo by Rene Ayala/CPH

Perry shared her vision for leveraging these tools to enhance learning experiences, preparing students for the complexities of real-world health care scenarios. “As the first College of Public Health to be accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in 2024, George �鶹��Ƶ is a trailblazer in integrating immersive technologies into interdisciplinary health education,” said Perry.

Cieslowski, Joyner, and Perry discussed the critical role of cross-generational communication skills in modern health care—particularly as virtual nursing becomes more prevalent.

“It’s very common for a nurse on an overnight shift to be early in their career, while a virtual nurse may have 30 years of experience,” said Cieslowski. “Scenarios that help these nurses communicate more effectively during a simulated medical emergency have immense value.”

The lab’s virtual reality (VR) simulations bridge this gap by offering real-world situational awareness in a safe, controlled environment. Students can repeatedly engage in high-pressure scenarios, refining their skills without real-world consequences.

One such example is a pediatric emergency simulation, where students practice managing a rapidly evolving situation—simultaneously calming a distressed parent, addressing the patient’s needs, ordering critical tests like chest X-rays and labs, and coordinating with providers. By merging didactic learning with immersive experiences, students build confidence and competence in handling complex medical events.

Vice President of Operations Heather Causseaux experiences a virtual reality nursing simulation in George �鶹��Ƶ's Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation. Photo by Rene Ayala/CPH

“The experience that students will gain in �鶹��Ƶ’s Lab for Immersive Technologies will help them effectively respond in real-time to the complex situations they will face in the field, and ultimately, lead to improved patient outcomes,” said Causseaux. “Students will have greater confidence based on these innovative tools that are transforming health care.”

As Sentara explores opportunities to further integrate immersive technologies, the partnership with the College of Public Health presents an exciting opportunity to elevate health care education across the industry. With cutting-edge technology, visionary leadership, and a commitment to innovation, George �鶹��Ƶ is shaping the future of interprofessional health education—one immersive experience at a time.

In This Story

Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS

Bethany Cieslowski, DNP

Topics

Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

CPH

immersive technologies

Shannyn Snyder, MAIS

Kelly A Beckwith — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:54:35 +0000

Shannyn Snyder, MAIS Kelly A Beckwith Wed, 04/17/2024 - 10:54

Adjunct Faculty, Global and Community Health

Contact Information

Email: ssnyder7@gmu.edu

Personal Websites

Personal Webpage

Water Health Eductor

ORCID

Biography

Shannyn Snyder received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Anthropology and Global Health, and Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies, all through �鶹��Ƶ. Her previous research includes the study of access to clean water and healthcare in vulnerable populations and illness and mortality due to inadequate sanitation, and inequality and women’s health, including focuses in disability and abortion and stigma, culture and STDs.

Her current work focuses on sexual health, society and health literacy, as well as continued research on disproportionate environmental impact for women, particularly those with scaffolded social determinants of health.

Snyder developed Water Health Educator as an education forum to connect college students and public health professionals, as well as the general public, with news of community, regional, and global issues concerning water.

Select Publications

Snyder, S. (2020). The Pro-Life Paradox of Pregnancy Termination and Disability Exclusion. Gynecology and Women’s Health Care, Vol 2: Issue 3. Available at doi.org/10.47485/2766-5879.1012.
Snyder, S., Sharif, M., and Snyder, G. (2020). Need-Based Holistic Treatments for Endometriosis in Women. International Journal of Women’s Health Care, Vol 5: Issue 1. Available online.
Snyder, S. (2019). On the Concept of Gender: A Critique of Processual and Postprocessual Mortuary Archaeological Theory. Sociology Insights 003:001.
Snyder, S. (2019). Native American Women, Marginalization, and Water: The Social Injustice of Environmental Racism. Women’s Health and Complications 1: 001-009.
Snyder, S. (2018). Health equity and intersectionality: Women as a special population. Journal of Public Health and General Medicine, 1(1).
Snyder, S. (2010). Access to Water, Sanitation, and Public Health Services among Urban Poor in Maceio, Brazil. Morrisville, NC: Lulu.com.

Honors and Awards

Recipient, �鶹��Ƶ Outstanding Achievement Award, Adjunct Faculty, 2024
Recipient, Seeds of Change Engaged Faculty Member Award, Social Action and Integrative Learning (SAIL), �鶹��Ƶ, 2019
Recipient, �鶹��Ƶ Core Teaching Recognition for GCH 465: Community Health Capstone, �鶹��Ƶ Core Committee, �鶹��Ƶ, 2019
Recipient, Green Community Individual Award, Green Guiding Committee for the Prince William County Government, 2019
Recipient, �鶹��Ƶ Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award, 2018
Recognition, Prince William County and Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District, Volunteer, 2018
Recipient, Master Teacher Adjunct Faculty Award, College of Public Health, �鶹��Ƶ, 2016
Recipient, President’s Volunteer Service Award, Gold Medal, 2011

Affiliations

Interim Adjunct Faculty Coordinator, Department of Global and Community Health, College of Public Health, Spring 2024
Faculty Mentor, �鶹��Ƶ Impact Research Grant for Undergraduate Education, The Impact of Food Insecurity on College Students’ Academic Success and Mental Health in College Students in the Greater DC Area, Spring 2024
Member, Adjunct Mentorship Committee, College of Public Health, Fall 2023 to Present
Co-Chair and Member, Adjunct Faculty Committee, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, �鶹��Ƶ, Fall 2019 to Summer 2023 (Committee Co-Chair, Fall 2021 to Summer 2023)
Judge, Learning Lab Case Challenge, Learning Laboratory for Community Health, College of Public Health, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Member, Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee (ATEA), Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023
Member, �鶹��Ƶ Environmental Alumni Network (MEAN), College of Science, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2022
Portfolio Consultant, Online Teaching Excellence Award (OTEA), Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2022, Spring 2023
Portfolio Consultant, Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award (ATEA), Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
Panelist, Adjunct Faculty Committee Panel, “Lunch Panel Discussion: Insights from the Adjunct Faculty Committee,” New Faculty Success Workshop, Office of the Provost, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023
Member, Institutional Membership for the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), February 2020
Committee Member, Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference Proposal Review Committee, Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, �鶹��Ƶ, Spring 2020, Spring 2021
Committee Member, Selection Committee for the for the Community Engagement Medallion and Seeds of Change, �鶹��Ƶ, Social Action and Integrative Learning, �鶹��Ƶ's Center for Community Engagement, School of Integrative Studies, Spring 2019, Spring 2020

Degrees

Graduate Certificate, Women and Gender Studies,  �鶹��Ƶ
MA, Interdisciplinary Studies (Concentrations: Anthropology and Global Health),  �鶹��Ƶ
BA, Political Science,  �鶹��Ƶ

CPH

College of Public Health convenes panel on a growing public health crisis—social isolation

Learn more about the College of Public Health

Related News

Topics

Sentara leaders explore cutting-edge immersive technologies at George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health

In This Story

Related Stories

Topics

Shannyn Snyder, MAIS

Contact Information

Personal Websites

Biography

Select Publications

Honors and Awards

Affiliations

Degrees