College of Health, Education, and Human Development
Faculty Spotlight for February 2006
Name: Sarah F. Griffin
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: The Department of Public Health Sciences
What colleges did you attend as a student?
- College of Charleston
- Winthrop University
- University of South Carolina
At which schools/colleges have you taught?
- University of South Carolina
- Clemson University
What is the best thing about your job? Working with students and collaborating with community members to address their health concerns.
Describe some of your current research projects. I am working on a project in Anderson South Carolina to address health disparities through community-based participatory research. We are currently using documentary photography as a way to identify the things in their lives affecting their health and to advocate for social and environmental change. I am also working on a project in Orangeburg, South Carolina to address HIV/AIDS and HPV/Cervical Cancer. This is also a community-based participatory research project. It is a collaborative between community leaders in Orangeburg USC, Claflin University, The Minority AIDS council, and Clemson. Lastly, I am an evaluator for the School Health Improvement Partnership in Anderson, SC. This project focuses on improving health of students, faculty and staff in public schools through a coordinated school health approach implemented by local school health teams.
Tell us about your family. I am married to Greg Linke, who works with Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute, and we have a four year old son, Andrew.
Please list your favorite(s).
- Hobby: hiking, gardening
- Book: Prince of Tides; Secret life of Bees, and The Kite Runner
- Person with whom you would like to have a conversation: Jimmy Carter. His post presidency humanitarian efforts are phenomenal.
- Movie: Narnia
- Music or musical genera: Almost anything played on WNCW (88.7)
- Influential person: My father
- Electronic gadget: My palm,
- Previously owned vehicle: Wagons, I am a station wagon person.
- Thing that makes you smile: My son and nature
- Advice received: Success isn’t defined by your type of job. Find something you want to do with your life and do that. No mater what it is, if you really enjoy doing it you will do your best and then you'll be successful. This was advice given to me by my father when I was in college and trying to figure out what I could do and be successful in life.
- Advice to give: The same advice that was given to me.