From Classroom to Community: Kent State Graduates Drive Change Through LGBTQ+ Research
Two Kent State University graduates who recently earned their Master of Public Health degrees spent the past two years as researchers on the first-of-its-kind Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment.
Tyler Stimpert and Jehlani White played an integral role in conducting the study, led by the College of Public Health in collaboration with more than 120 local organizations and nonprofits. The pair served as graduate assistants under the study’s leader, Andrew M. Snyder, research fellow at the Center for Community Solutions and adjunct faculty in public health.
In addition, both Stimpert and White are among the first to earn the college’s graduate certificate in LGBTQ+ public health, a new, fully online certificate aimed at creating more informed, effective practitioners who can make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ community members. The certificate enables professionals to identify and address health disparities for sexual and gender minorities by examining them through social, economic and structural lenses.
“We are excited to congratulate Ty and Jehlani for earning the LGBTQ+ public health graduate certificate while completing their Master of Public Health degrees,” said Eric Jefferis, Ph.D., professor of public health, who coordinates the certificate program. “We are pleased they are two of our earliest graduates of this critically important certificate program.
“By providing the option to integrate the social and behavioral sciences concentration of the Master of Public Health degree with the certificate, students who complete the certificate benefit from knowledge about issues affecting sexual and gender minorities,” Jefferis told Kent State Today.
White and Stimpert took courses to complete the certificate as part of their master’s program, enabling them to earn their degrees and certificates simultaneously. Snyder said both were extraordinary graduate students whose commitment to academic excellence and community impact has set them apart.
“Their dedication to LGBTQ+ public health was evident in the depth and thoughtfulness of their work over the past two years,” Snyder said. “They brought unique perspectives and a collaborative spirit to the study, enriching the findings and ensuring they were inclusive and reflective of the diverse LGBTQ+ community.”
White, a native of Chicago, came to Ohio to attend Oberlin College for his undergraduate studies. After graduating in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, he departed for Taigu, China, where he taught English until the pandemic in 2020, when he returned to the Cleveland area. He currently works as interim program director for the Colors Plus Youth Center for LGBTQ+ youth in Fairview Park.
White decided to enroll in Kent State’s graduate program because he felt his career was at a crossroads and he needed to decide whether to focus on public health or social work.
“At the end of the day, for either path, I really just wanted to work with the LGBTQ+ community,” White said. “I was deciding which way I wanted to go, but the goal was to help my community, and I saw the opportunity. It was great timing and a blessing in disguise.”
White said his work on the assessment was gratifying.
“It’s been great to be part of an initiative like this that puts queer data into the world. We definitely don’t have enough of it,” White said.
When organizations apply for grants or other funding or resources, applications typically request evidence and data, he said. “Being able to contribute to what will eventually be large data sets is amazing.”
With his master’s degree, White hopes to be able to continue his work and activism with the LGBTQ+ community in some kind of advocacy role.
“I see myself doing community work. I’m passionate about helping the youth. With all these anti-trans bills and legislation going on right now, they really need us now more than ever,” he said. “I’m very excited to do this work and grow as a queer professional.”
Stimpert, a Northeast Ohio native, attended John Carroll University earning a bachelor's degree in international business with a focus on Spanish language and culture. He currently works at the Cleveland Clinic as a community outreach program manager for the Taussig Cancer Center.
As part of his work, Stimpert examines cancer disparities and cancer screening access to reach out to underserved communities.
“I’m part of a team where we focus on these niche, nuanced intersections of marginalized populations,” Stimpert said. “Our main goal is to reduce cancer disparities and improve cancer outcomes throughout Northeast Ohio. At the Cleveland Clinic, I started one of the first LGBTQ+-tailored cancer outreach programs in the country. Outcomes are different for LGBTQ+ patients and when it comes to cancer, disparities are trickling down into the worst kind of health outcomes.”
Working on the assessment was a great research experience, he said, acknowledging the importance of creating a large pool of data for Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community.
“As a healthcare professional, one of the things that makes my job much more difficult is the lack of LGBTQ+ specific data,” Stimpert said.
Stimpert wanted to pursue his master’s degree at Kent State for the career advancement it would bring and to work on the assessment. When he learned about the LGBTQ+ graduate certificate, he opted to take the courses for that, too.
“It’s very obvious that there is a continued need for education when it comes to LGBTQ+ specific health information and education,” Stimpert said, “And while I’ve been doing a little bit of that at Cleveland Clinic, I think this certificate is a way to really harness what I was trying to do and put more context, more methodology around it.”
The certificate, he said, bolstered his ability to perform his job at the Cleveland Clinic. “It provided me with tools and resources that, to be honest, I didn’t even know I needed,” Stimpert said.
He said the certificate, which is available fully online, is something that many healthcare and community professionals should consider. “This certificate is not only for LGBTQ+ people. This is something our allies should be considering,” Stimpert said.
White agreed that the certificate was a great opportunity for those not part of the LGBTQ+ community to learn more about it.
Snyder first led the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment and began the Cleveland expansion of the study about two years ago. The study's findings were released in October. A similar study for the Youngstown area is expected to launch in early 2025, so the studies will collectively provide data on the LGBTQ+ community for most of Northeast Ohio.
The Cleveland study was conducted in collaboration with more than 120 local organizations and nonprofits. This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant stride toward understanding and addressing the unmet needs of LGBTQ+ individuals across Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties.
Stimpert and White were among a small group of graduate student researchers who played an integral role in the research.
“Their experience in the College of Public Health at Kent State University may have surpassed the typical scope of graduate assistant responsibilities, but I am confident that this challenge has helped shape them into exceptionally passionate and skilled LGBTQ+ public health professionals,” Snyder said. “They are well-prepared to make a meaningful impact and embark on successful, influential careers.”
For White, one of the best parts of the experience was when others willingly shared their stories with researchers.
“To connect with all these different people and communities was a great experience, because of their trust and their ability to open up to us to really talk about their experiences, their stories, what they’ve been through, what they’re scared of and what they hope for through this process, and trusting us to be their storyteller,” White said.
Snyder said the college is proud to be at the forefront of advancing health equity and social justice through innovative education, research and community engagement.
“One of our most groundbreaking achievements is the creation of Ohio’s first and only LGBTQ+ public health graduate certificate,” Snyder said. “This program embodies our commitment to addressing the unique health challenges and disparities faced by LGBTQ+ communities while equipping future public health leaders with the tools to create lasting, meaningful change.”
For interested students, Snyder said the graduate certificate opens doors to careers in research, advocacy, policymaking and health systems design, all focusing on advancing health equity for LGBTQ+ populations.
“Beyond career advancement, this program offers students the chance to be part of a movement – to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities who have long been underserved,” he said.