College of Public Health Alumna Inspired by Value Principle – UAMS News
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Rebecca Raciborski, Ph.D., is an employee of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. An alumnus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, he credits the school for providing him with a valuable learning experience.
| Rebecca Raciborski, Ph.D., is a research health scientist at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
An alumnus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, Raciborski serves as the Methods Core leader at the VA Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research. Among his duties for the VA is to consult with principal investigators and help them develop new projects for grant proposals. He also advises early career investigators, a career that has received a VA national award.
Raciborski is a native of Collierville, Tennessee, a small town of about 50,000 in the city of Memphis.
“When I was growing up, it was still a small, southern farming town,” he said with a laugh. There was still a lot of cotton growing in my village when I was young.
Raciborski had a few positive influences on his way to his southern, agricultural-heavy hometown. Foremost in that group is his mother.
He said: “My mother was a big part of shaping the way I look at the world.
He was introduced to the importance of compassion at a young age, it became the basis of his work and his life, as he was determined to help others succeed. After high school, she attended Agnes Scott – a women’s college in Atlanta. During that time, he learned more about the service.
He said: “Going to Agnes Scott increased my desire to have a positive impact on society and bring change in the lives of others. Looking back, that was the main thing that changed the way I look at life.
After two years at Agnes Scott, Raciborski moved home, where he attended the University of Memphis. He eventually earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from Memphis. It was also during this time that he learned about public health. While pursuing his master’s, he held the position of graduate assistant. The job led him into the field of health care economics.
Her work at a former Tennessee Medicaid contractor was an eye-opening experience.
He said: “That time made it clear to me how health care and the lack of it affects people’s lives. “I knew I wanted to continue working in that field. So, I decided to pursue a doctorate in health services research. I chose to go to the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.”
He appreciated the culture of UAMS, and how it valued the needs and aspirations of students in its colleges. Raciborski says the College of Public Health was a perfect fit and provided what she was looking for.
“The college was very good,” he said. of public health.”
Raciborski, who completed the School of Health Systems and Services Research’s doctoral program in 2017, added that the mentors he had were excellent.
“Not only were the professors great mentors but the other students I was in the class with were amazing,” he said. “I learned a lot from the great conversations I had with people who were on the show with me.”
Now in 2024, Raciborski — who works for the Arkansas VA remotely while living in Atlanta — advocates for the well-being of others, both professionally and personally. Raciborski is a strong environmentalist. He is a board member of the South Fork Conservancy, a volunteer coordinator for the Friends of the Piedmont Trail and an advisory board member of the Springfield Park Elementary Science Program.
He said: “I have always been very concerned about environmental issues. “I’m happy to be able to give and contribute to the community. I am also able to meet many of my neighbors by being active in the community.”
About his service as a VA employee, Raciborski said he enjoys the way it gives him the opportunity to touch people’s lives immediately, directly. This work fulfills his desire to serve the needy.
“My position with the VA is consistent with the way I grew up – where a lot is expected of them,” Raciborski said. “It was always in my heart to do something related to public service.”
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