Dr. Jennifer Toller Erausquin, associate professor in the Department of Public Health Education, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Award in the tenured faculty category.
An epidemiologist whose work centers on HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and health disparities among marginalized populations, Erausquin is known for the rigor of her research and the depth of her mentoring relationships.
As part of an NIH-funded R15 study examining HIV care outcomes among women in the South, Erausquin has built a unique six-week summer training program that gives undergraduates hands-on experience across the full arc of behavioral and social science research — from literature reviews and IRB protocols to participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, and ethical, culturally sensitive approaches to sensitive health topics.
In addition to working with students herself, taking time to help them identify research questions that align with their interests and passions, Erausquin implements a tiered approach where undergraduate researchers are mentored by graduate students and postdoctoral students in her lab. The structure simultaneously gives undergraduates multiple layers of support and equips advanced trainees with meaningful mentoring experiences — fostering a thriving, intergenerational learning environment.
Erausquin’s mentees have taken part in 10 conference presentations and produced 13 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Frontiers in Reproductive Health, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and BMJ Public Health. Her former students have pursued graduate education in public health, medicine, and related fields, with many citing her influence as the catalyst for their career decisions.
By Sangeetha Shivaji
Photo by Sean Norona
