04/13/2026
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Suheily Ventura-Martinez, an AEC student whose undergraduate research is making a big impact both here and abroad. Suheily’s project, entitled “Evaluating Rural Health Disparities in Colombia: Identifying Barriers and Strategies to Advancing Refugee Health,” used field-based research in rural communities near Medellín, Colombia, to examine how agroecological practices and healthcare access influence farmer identity, motivation, and community well-being.
“I worked directly with farmers and local clinics to develop survey instruments to better understand how agroecological practices and healthcare access influence motivation, identity, and service delivery,” Suheily explains. “Additionally, I helped conduct semi-structured interviews in which farmers engaged in open dialogue about their experiences, values, and challenges, strengthening the project’s qualitative and intercultural research outcomes.”
Suheily stresses the importance of studying community-driven solutions in agriculture and healthcare, which leads to more inclusive and effective approaches to sustainability, outreach, and resource management.
“This research is important to me because it not only gives rural communities a voice but also shows how people with limited resources and opportunities make the best of their situation to maintain a sustainable lifestyle,” Suheily says. “These practices are not only environmentally sustainable; they also support cultural identity, resilience, and community well-being in ways that are often unseen outside the communities themselves.”
Suheily says that her AEC degree program helped develop her cross-cultural communication skills and attention to detail, which will aid her future career. �“Through my program, I learned to step back, recognize nuance, listen intentionally, and synthesize complex ideas in ways that respect community values and support the development of practical and effective tools,” Suheily reflected.
Congratulations, Suheily, on an incredible research project and a job well done! Scroll through this post to see some photos Suheily shared with us from her time completing this project.
