Lindsay Bergmann, from West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, is a senior nursing student in the Honors in Major program at the University of New Hampshire. She performed this research, which forms the basis of her honors thesis, in summer 2009 with financial support from the International Research Opportunities Program (IROP). Lindsay has long held a desire to help those struggling with severely insufficient healthcare treatment, especially those suffering from the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. While experiencing vast cultural differences and a craving for the familiar, Lindsay’s time in Uganda was among the most meaningful experiences of her life. She discovered that the program at the focus of her research, an AIDS treatment and counseling service, possesses the potential to be very effective. She also learned that performing research is a complex process and she harbors a newfound appreciation for all research endeavors. After Lindsay graduates in May 2010 with a B.S. in nursing, she plans a return to Uganda to do volunteer work and hopes to become a certified nurse midwife for those who lack proper obstetrical/gynecological healthcare.
Gene Harkless, DNSC, ARNP, is an associate professor in the Department of Nursing. A family nurse practitioner who has taught at the University of New Hampshire since 1985, Dr. Harkless is a frequent mentor who enjoys working with students as they take on international endeavors. “For past IROPers, it has been life-changing. They create a whole new lens through which to see the world,” she says. As UNH faculty mentor to Lindsay Bergmann, Dr. Harkless recognizes that Lindsay’s work with TASO, an indigenous HIV/AIDS service organization, ran the gamut of emotions from dispiriting heartbreak to jubilant triumph. And though they perennially struggle with inadequate healthcare, Dr. Harkless appreciates that the Ugandan people’s generosity sees no bounds, as they welcomed Lindsay with robust warmth.
You may read more about Dr. Gene Harkless in Mentor Highlights >>
Lindsay’s foreign mentor was Denis Medeyi, Project Coordinator of Salem, Uganda.
Read Lindsay Bergmann’s research article Living Positively: An Inside Look at HIV Counseling and Testing in Uganda >>
