Congratulations to Farhana Laskar
Winner of the 2026 James A. Benson Memorial Undergraduate Research Award
Project Title: "Improving Patient-Provider Communication Within Rural Indigenous Ecuadorian Communities"
Abstract:
The impact of Indigenous health practices on communication between patients and providers remains widely unknown despite some patients’ preference for alternative medicine. Several studies and databases report healthcare in indigenous populations across continents as inequitable, creating apprehension in the health field. This study examines whether a communication gap exists between patients and providers and perceived causes for this gap from both patient and provider perspectives. Unlike previous studies that rely on a third-person perspective, this research centers on the voices of community members. In collaboration with the Indigenous Ecuadorian Shuar people, researchers conducted one-on-one interviews in the Shuar community of Yunkuankas, located in the Limon Indanza province of Morona Santiago, Ecuador. Over a two-and-a-half-week period, researchers conducted 21 face-to-face interviews. Interview data were quantified using quantitative coding to assess perceptions of communication and contributing stressors. Findings confirmed that a communication gap exists between patients and providers: 55% of providers reported difficulty with patient-provider communication, and 75% of patients reported that patient-provider communication could be improved.
The most common provider response among 4 of 9 participants (44.4%) was educating patients about health as the primary solution to bridging the communication gap. Improving provider understanding of community ideals was the second most significant area of improvement, accounting for 25% of provider responses. 33% of patient participants identified educating healthcare providers about the Shuar culture and language as the biggest improvement to communication. Educating community members about traditional health and reducing stigma ranked second among the most significant improvements, accounting for 16% of patient responses. These findings highlight the importance of culturally responsive communication and the need for mindfulness regarding community practices in healthcare delivery models.
Award Eligibility: The James A. Benson Memorial Undergraduate Research Scholarship is awarded annually, and is open to any undergraduate student enrolled at St. John’s University during the Fall and/or Spring semester of an academic year. The research project (e.g.: paper, blog, video, social media campaign, infographic, etc) might cite and synthesize research, and/or might apply E&I principles, practices and strategies.
Note: The application requires valid SignOn credentials.
Application
Application Due: 5pm (Eastern) Friday April 17, 2026
Decisions/Notification: 5pm (Eastern) Friday Wednesday April 29, 2026
Prior Recipients of the James A. Benson Scholarship Award
Congratulations to Tanya Ansari
2024 Recipient of the James A. Benson Memorial Undergraduate Research Scholarship Award!
Tanya Ansari is a junior studying Biomedical Science major with minors in Healthcare Administration and Theology. Her award-winning study examines how cultural factors, such as stigma, collectivism, and acculturation, impact the willingness of self-identifying first-generation South Asian American young adults’ mental health treatment-seeking behaviors. It highlight the need for culturally-sensitive mental health interventions and the development of effective strategies to bridge the gap between cultural values and mental health needs through the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) Framework.
An active member of the St. John's University community, her many other accomplishments include:
- Lab Coordinator | Rabinowicz KT Lab
- Junior Senator | Student Government Inc.
- President | H.A.R.M.O.N.Y.
- Vice-President | Red Cross
- Co-Vice President | NARI
- Co-President | Omicron Delta Kappa
- Biomedical Science Class Representative | College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
2023 Awardee Olivia Gittens
The University Libraries is pleased to announce that Olivia Gittens is the inaugural winner of The James A. Benson Memorial Undergraduate Research Scholarship Award. The library established the Benson Memorial Award in 2023. A life-long learner and prolific reader, Dr. Benson was a nationally-known visionary in the field of academic librarianship, intentionally pushing the boundaries of what the twenty-first century library should be. The Benson Award is a $300 Research Award to recognize undergraduate students pursuing research projects that focus on issues relating to or strategies for promoting equity and inclusion for historically marginalized populations.
The scholarship committee chose Gitten's project entitled "African American College Age Girls Sexual Health Education" as an outstanding application of Equity and Inclusion principles to research methods in Health Education, to cultural competency in health care, and to addressing disparities in sexual health outcomes for women of color.