Tobacco Scholars

Students who are selected into the Tobacco Scholars program receive advanced opportunities for education and training in tobacco prevention, research, treatment and policy.

More information about the Tobacco Scholars Program, including application and program requirements, can be found here. Kristen Bylund is a second year MPH student in health services (expected graduation, March 2012). Kristen received her BSN from Brigham Young University in 2008. Since then, she has worked as a registered nurse at Swedish Medical Center on the Nephrology/Organ Transplant Unit. Her practicum work focused on compliance with a 100% tobacco free campus policy change at University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC). She is currently working on a thesis that will evaluate the systematic identification and treatment of tobacco use among patients admitted to UWMC and Harborview Medical Center.

Kate Cole is a second year student in the UW School of Public Health's Community-Oriented Public Health Practice Program. Kate graduated from Tufts University with BAs in Women's Studies and Peace and Justice Studies. Prior to coming to UW, Kate worked as a counselor at a residential shelter for adolescent mothers and their children, and as a volunteer and event coordinator for a neighborhood revitalization nonprofit. Currently, she works as a research assistant on a project working to increase local health departments' ability to translate health promotion materials. Kate is interested in tobacco use disparities, the intersection of tobacco and the social determinants of health, and how the tobacco control community's successful tactics could be applied to other areas of public health.

Jessa Kerston Jessa Kerston is a first year UW MSW student with a focus in health (expected graduation, June 2013). Jessa graduated from the UW with BA degrees in Biochemistry and Sociology and minors in Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, and Diversity. She has previously worked as a chemical dependency counselor serving severely mentally ill and homeless adults. As a counselor, Jessa facilitated smoking cessation support groups and provided one-on-one chemical dependency counseling. Jessa is testing for her Chemical Dependency Professional license this year and is beginning a practicum placement at Virginia Mason hospital. She is interested in expanding chemical dependency treatment and smoking cessation within healthcare fields, especially expanding access to vulnerable populations.

Allison Kristman-Valente is a fourth year doctoral student in Social Welfare. She is interested in intervention and prevention research with substance abusing women with complex trauma histories, specifically: How the role of social, familial, and type of violence factors impact drug behaviors in women with co-occurring substance use and PTSD; Etiology of gender differences in substance use trajectories in maltreated youth, and; How we can include core constructs such as historical family trauma and patriarchal oppression into explanatory variables as part of the study matrix. She is currently working with the Lehigh Longitudinal Study looking at early childhood experiences as predictors of subsequent cigarette smoking behaviors during adolescence and adulthood. The research is unique in that it separates the mechanisms that predict the decision to engage in smoking from the decision on how much to smoke. Allison is an NIMH Prevention Training Program Trainee.



Since its inception, the UW TSP has awarded a total of $93,600 in 22 fellowships and 22 career development stipends to 34 student scholars.

Graduates of the program continue to work as researchers, service providers and program administrators at various state agencies, non-profit organizations and health facilities across the US. Tobacco Studies Program alumnae are currently employed at places such as:

• American Legacy Foundation
• Association of Schools of Public Health
• Free & Clear, inc.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Tobacco Control Legal Consortium
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• King County Metro
• UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs
• UW Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI)
• UW Social Development Research Group (SDRG)
• various state departments of health, including CA, TX and WA

In their own words, here's what former scholars say about the UW Tobacco Studies Program and their fellowship work:

"TSP changed the way I view the influence of tobacco on people, communities, and populations. Being a scholar helped me continue to develop skills as a critical thinker, inquisitive reviewer of scientific information, and compassionate researcher that remains with me in my professional and personal pursuits."

"I gained a broad knowledge on the subject of smoking cessation from different aspects presented by speakers in the program. This knowledge helped me become a better care provider."

"I would like to pursue a career in tobacco control because of all that I was exposed to in the program - from journal clubs to talks, to coursework and the mentors I was connected with given the program's resources and networking. I had a general interest in smoking cessation prior to coming to UW to pursue an MPH degree, but the TSP program turned that interest into a passion. The numerous activities exposed me to the issues in tobacco control and made me want to tackle tobacco-related health disparities (especially among low SES populations, where we need to focus our future efforts)."

"My experience in the Tobacco Studies Program gave me a first-look into the field of behavioral risk factors and health outcomes. My current work in chronic disease prevention and outcomes assessment began with principles I learned in the program."

"While the Program did not change my goals - to work within a key program of a health department - it helped me move rapidly towards them. At this point, I would find it hard to not work in tobacco since I am so familiar with the impact it has and am very excited about the strategies to minimize that impact."

"Before the Tobacco Studies Program, my area of professional interest was related to alcohol abuse. The program was a 'wake up call' for the importance of tobacco use as a determinant of health and made me shift my area of interest."

"While I was interested in tobacco issues before the program, the class, journal club meetings and research project opened my eyes to the range of issues regarding tobacco. The program sparked my interest in young adult and international issues, both of which I had not thought of before. It also made me realize that while some programs appear to be utilizing 'best practices' that we always need to be aware of industry motives with regard to tobacco control."

• Download a complete list of TSP Scholars Program graduates (PDF)