Alexandra Hughes (‘24) is currently a first-year Master of Public Health (MPH) student at Purdue concentrating on family and community health. In December 2022, Hughes graduated from Purdue’s College of Science with a Bachelor of Science in genetics. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree, Hughes became a member of the Purdue Interdisciplinary Women’s Reproductive Health Collaborative under the guidance of Dr. Andrea DeMaria and continues as an active graduate student.

Hughes is passionate about matters relating to public health–specifically women’s health–and learned there are many opportunities for interdisciplinary research relating to her interests. Hughes, as part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers, explored the role salon professionals play in identifying sex trafficking victims in Indiana during her time as an undergraduate student.

“I was fascinated that I could combine the part of me that loves research methodologies and problem-solving with the part of me that loves human interaction and helping those around me.”

Alexandra Hughes

Hughes’s project on exploring the role of salon professionals in identifying sex trafficking victims was funded by the Holistic Safety and Security Research Impact Area Seed Grant provided by the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. Through this grant, Hughes and her team were able to compensate both the research participants and the translators who helped prepare the surveys that were distributed to salons across Indiana. She first began her research during the 2021-2022 academic year as an OUR Scholar and was able to extend her research into the Summer of 2022 to assemble preliminary data and prepare for upcoming research conferences. This summer scholarship was provided by the Division of Summer Session.

“I have been an OUR Scholarship recipient, and [I] was able to extend that funding [into the] Summer as well. This funding not only helped with tuition and living costs, but it allowed me the opportunity to focus on my research without any financial stress”

Alexandra Hughes

Hughes was also able to apply this scholarship to her research overseas in Europe. During Summer 2022, Hughes traveled to Florence, Italy to pursue a separate research project. This seven-week-long research experience mentored by Dr. DeMaria aimed to identify menstruation-related education experiences, explore the impact COVID-19 and recent policies have had on women, and understand the experiences people encounter while menstruating.

By participating in research projects that utilize her passion for women’s health studies, Hughes found a sense of belonging at Purdue. Her undergraduate research journey ultimately paved the road for her to pursue further education as a Boilermaker.

“My research within the Department of Public Health has allowed me to renew [my] passion for learning, [step] out of my comfort zone, and connect with many professionals within my desired graduate school program”

Alexandra Hughes