Roshan Sapkota '23 is concentrating in Public Health with a keen interest in Computer Science. He was born in Chitwan, Nepal but lived in Nebraska for most of his life. His interest in Public Health stems from his passion to combat health disparities. He also has interests and is involved in Computer Science as he believes that the intersection between technology and health is a key factor in making our healthcare system more equitable. 

Project: 

The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations – among which are incarcerated individuals. In particular, jails and prisons represent the 15 largest COVID clusters in the country. This sobering statistic exposes the immense need for mass vaccination within this population. However, the Texas prison system has begun administering the COVID-19 vaccine, none of which have been provided to inmates (at least to date). Little research regarding vaccine hesitancy has been conducted within Texas prisons, which we anticipate to be statistically significant following rollout. Roshan intends to examine sources of this vaccine hesitancy and develop a vaccine education series that aims to alleviate potential vaccine concerns among incarcerated populations in the El Paso County Detention Facility.

Advisor: Toni-Marie Achilli