Honors

Home Praxis Lab Out of Isolation: Applying the Healing Spirit to the Social Determinants of Mental Health
Health & Society, Policy & Social Justice 2022-2023

Out of Isolation: Applying the Healing Spirit to the Social Determinants of Mental Health

This Health Praxis Lab explored the systemic barriers to mental well-being—such as social isolation, stigma, and mistrust—and examined their impact on communities. Through experiential and community-engaged learning, students investigated the socioecological factors influencing mental health, worked to reduce stigma, and co-created interventions aimed at fostering a more inclusive and just society.

Guided by an interdisciplinary team of University of Utah faculty and community leaders, participants developed self-reflection and relational skills essential for building stronger communities and driving systems-level change. Their work contributed to rethinking mental health systems and promoting equity, connection, and justice.

Instructors:

Shawna M. Sisler

Michelle Vo

More Praxis Labs

Infectious Disease on the Run
Health & Society

Infectious Disease on the Run

Margaret P. Battin, PhD
Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, MD

This Praxis Lab examined the history, science, and ethical implications of pandemics, from the Black Plague to COVID-19. Students analyzed how diseases spread, the social and political responses to outbreaks, and the ethical considerations of public health interventions.

More Info2021-2022
How We Die
Health & Society

How We Die

Margaret P. Battin, PhD

This Praxis Lab explored the evolving landscape of death and dying in the modern world, examining the shift from infectious disease mortality to prolonged battles with degenerative illnesses like cancer, heart failure, and dementia.

More Info2016-2017
Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment
Policy & Social Justice

Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment

Erin Castro
Roberto Garcia

This Praxis Lab examined the deep connections between education, incarceration, and justice in the United States, a country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Students explored the historical and systemic forces that have expanded the carceral state, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color.

More Info2016-2017