College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University

Resume builder

In just four years, Pamela Schipull has put together an outstanding list of credentials.
Graphically, Pamela Schipull's resume is neat and clean.

But look within the two-page document and you’ll be astonished with what the 2002 Iowa State graduate has accomplished.

Schipull's resume includes many of the typical things you would expect. Among her many honors and awards you will see that the dual major in psychology and community health education is a member of Cardinal Key, Mortar Board, Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key Honor Society. She made the Dean’s List each of her eight semesters at Iowa State.

A member of the University's Honor's Program, Schipull was also named a Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award winner by the ISU Alumni Association. She served as a research assistant to three different faculty members including Meg Gerrard, professor of psychology, with whom Schipull collaborated with a student colleague in Taiwan to examine the perceptions of smoking among Taiwanese adolescents.

She's also been involved in numerous campus organizations from her residence hall to student government to intramurals and religious groups. She served on the Memorial Union Board of Directors.

Continue to look closer to her resume however and you’ll find something that’s not on too many other graduates - continual international travel.

"I think I have been on five continents in six months. I like the adventure and going to see different cultures," Schipull says.

Those trips include six weeks in China as part of the Iowa State-Cargill China Study Abroad Program and an extended spring break service-learning/mission trip to Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Schipull also spent a summer in the New York office of the American Cancer Society's South Asian Outreach Project and a semester at Mississippi State University as a National Student Exchange delegate.

"I've always knew I wanted to study abroad," she said. "The last two years have been a whirlwind of travel and experiences."

Beginning this August, Schipull can add another item to her resume - one that will dwarf all the others on her list.

Schipull has received a Fulbright"award for the 2002-2003 academic year, only the second graduating senior in Iowa State history to receive the honor. This prestigious program annually provides 800 opportunities for students to study and research in the country of their choice for one academic year.

Schipull plans to work in the Philippines with researchers at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) where she will examine how iron and zinc biofortified rice affects iron and zinc deficiencies among Filipino women and children.

“Exploring different aspects of cultures sparked my interest in international health and continues to shape my professional aspirations," Schipull said. "All of my research experiences have focused on evaluating the implementation and success of various health promotion projects as well as monitoring the health status of target populations."

The IRRI is a leader in rice biofortification and will begin testing iron and zinc fortified rice among human populations in the next three years.

Schipull's project will involve conducting surveys of women within local communities to determine food consumption patterns, demographic factors and nutritional knowledge. Once the data is collected, it will be compared against the Philippine Food Composition Tables and the USDA Tables on Nutrient Composition in order to determine current iron and zinc consumption.

"Biotechnology is a wonderful tool which is already instrumental in improving the health and welfare of people around the world," Schipull says. "This project will allow me to more closely explore the interplay between the scientific and sociological factors of technology in relation to health, and may even serve useful in determining the effectiveness of various iron and zinc supplementation options.

"As a person dedicated to making a difference and interested in both public health and biotechnology, I see the Fulbright as a wonderful opportunity to enhance my skills in cross-cultural research, explore the richness of the Philippine culture, and impact society through practical research which may someday save lives."