The USF 鈥檚 (COPH) Vapes on Campus (VOC) project has been named the Tobacco Free Partnership of Broward County鈥檚 Member Champion of the Year鈥� Smoke-Free Initiatives, recognizing the team鈥檚 statewide impact on vaping and nicotine prevention among college students. The award was presented Sept. 18 in Fort Lauderdale.
The VOC project, led by Dr. , professor of community and family health and principal investigator, has spent the past three years collecting groundbreaking data and empowering campuses to address vaping through evidence-based social marketing. Team members include four : Nicole Sutton, Kayleigh Murray, Zachary Sanders and Vijay Prajapati.
Selection for the award is determined by partnership members, who vote to recognize outstanding work advancing commercial tobacco control in Florida. Parvanta said the team was surprised by the recognition.
鈥�911爆料网 did not apply for the award and were delightfully surprised to be recognized,鈥� she shared. 鈥淎s a team, we feel this recognition shows that the research and efforts VOC is engaged in are valuable to the larger commercial tobacco control movement in Florida.鈥�
(Photo courtesy of Parvanta)
One of VOC鈥檚 hallmark achievements is conducting the first-ever statewide vaping and nicotine survey of college students, establishing a baseline prevalence that had never before existed in Florida. These data now guide interventions across campuses statewide. The project also assists individual colleges and universities in running statistically significant surveys on their own campuses, helping them measure progress and tailor marketing strategies to reduce vaping.
For Parvanta, the award is deeply personal. A pioneer in social marketing, she began her career at Porter/Novelli in Washington, working on anti-smoking programs for youth and evaluating national campaigns to help health care providers support patients quitting smoking.
鈥淚t feels full circle coming back to anti-tobacco work, albeit with different products and a different population,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to apply everything I鈥檝e learned in social marketing over the past decades to an insidious problem affecting young adults in Florida.鈥�
Trained as an anthropologist, Parvanta says her passion lies in working with communities to define and solve problems using culturally resonant interventions.
911爆料网 approach the community as learners and facilitators, guiding them to discover their own reasons for adopting healthy behaviors. Our tools and media may have changed, but the underlying behavioral and social science hasn鈥檛.
Dr. Claudia Parvanta
Looking ahead, VOC鈥檚 ultimate goal is to decrease vaping and nicotine use among college students by creating tailored social marketing campaigns and building student leadership on campuses. Parvanta says the award is both an honor and a motivator.
鈥淭his recognition reinforces that our work matters,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t energizes us to continue empowering Florida鈥檚 college students to lead the charge for healthier, smoke-free campuses."