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. Gillian Schauer is a first year student in the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine Extended MPH Degree Program (expected graduation, Summer 2010). She currently works as Program Manager for the Tobacco Cessation Resource Center (TCRC), a contract between Free & Clear, Inc. and the WA State DOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. During her time with TCRC, Gillian has created a mentoring program to meet provider and contractor requests for technical assistance, redesigned the Health Care Provider Brief Intervention curriculum to include online and face-to-face training, implemented a tobacco cessation systems change program in rural hospitals and clinics across the state, and conducted a statewide evaluation of WA-DOH Tobacco Contractor skills. Gillian advocates for an integrated approach to tobacco treatment and chronic diseases, and hopes to write an MPH thesis that explores health clinicians' role in advising patients on weight loss and tobacco cessation.


Molly Ryan is a second year student in the Community Oriented Public Health Practice track of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine Department of Health Services MPH program (expected graduation, June 2009). She is currently completing her capstone project at the Public Health Seattle & King County Tobacco Prevention Program, where she organized the Tobacco-Free Pharmacies coalition. The TFP coalition currently includes faculty members from the University of Washington and Washington State University Schools of Pharmacy, and staff from the Washington State Pharmacists' Association. The main goals of the coalition are to 1) decrease the number of businesses with pharmacies who sell tobacco products and 2) increase the number of pharmacists who offer brief tobacco cessation interventions to their patients. Molly is interested in social norms surrounding tobacco use, and how to influence social norms in a way that prevents tobacco initiation and increases cessation.


Sravanthi Parasa holds a medical degree from India and is a second year student at the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine, pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology (expected graduation, June 2009). She is also a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Research Fellow at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC) for the second consecutive year. Sravanthi is proposing a thesis on the association of tobacco use with incidence and complications of diverticulosis (a common gastrointestinal disease among the elderly), and will be completing a practicum at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) Smoke Free Life Program.

Since its inception, the UW TSP has awarded a total of $77,500 in 15 fellowships and 12 career development stipends to 22 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 graduates (PDF)