Policy Analyst

Karianna Shackelford

Karianna is a third-year undergraduate attending Northern Illinois University pursuing a bachelor's degree in public health. At NIU, Karianna works as a supplemental instructor for the Department of Public Health to aid those in need of extra assistance in succeeding in the field of public health.

She enjoys reading and writing young adult romance novels, mystery, and thriller novels in her spare time. She loves to travel and eat foods of different cultures. After undergrad, Karianna plans to attend law school while achieving her masters in public health to become a health equity lawyer.

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All articles by the author

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Policy Briefs by the author

Paid Parental Leave: Policy, Practice, and Public Opinion

Public Health Policy

October 6, 2024

Paid Parental Leave programs allow expecting and new parents to take time from work while maintaining a paycheck, with the guarantee/expectation that they can/will return to work after leave expires. Amid the ongoing push for expanded PPL, this brief aims to analyze the past and future outlook for such initiatives.

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The Polarizing Reality of Comprehensive Sexual Education

Public Health Policy

May 22, 2024

For far too long, sexual education has been a topic of debate in America, with party lines determining the education American children so desperately require. With sexual education and policy pertaining to curricula framing political agendas and covering national broadcasts, this brief will explore the pressing political polarization behind comprehensive sexual education.

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Public Perception of California's Proposition 1

Public Health Policy

April 21, 2024

Mental health-related issues and the consequences of them have been a key discussion in healthcare policy in the United States. The growing prominence of the prevalence of mental health conversations in both political debates and daily life comes as a result of a continued mental health shortcoming experienced across America. As a result, this brief conducts an in-depth analysis of the dialogues within US healthcare policy, focusing on California’s Proposition 1, which aims to address the effects of America’s mental health epidemic.

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East Palestine: One Year Later

Public Health Policy

April 3, 2024

Health-related issues as a result of mankind’s increasing pollution have been a key discussion in healthcare policy in the United States. While pollution is often a byproduct of an economically considered policy, pollution can also come as a result of unintended catastrophes, one of which occurred in East Palestine over a year ago. As a result, this brief conducts an in-depth analysis of the conversations within US healthcare policy and legislative suggestions to address the effects of the East Palestine train derailment that remain even a year after the event unfolded.

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Drug Overdose Prevention

Public Health Policy

March 1, 2024

Drug overdose prevention has been a key discussion in healthcare policy in the United States. As a result, this brief conducts an in-depth analysis of the conversations within US healthcare policy, and legislative suggestions for drug overdose prevention, which have the potential to help US citizens. Access is a large question in the context of overdose prevention, with overdoses at historical levels. As a result, one of the most important healthcare considerations in recent years is associated with drug overdose prevention policies. Thus, some policies are analyzed with their unique ability to help the United States and its citizens.

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Public Perception of Medicare for All

Public Health Policy

January 10, 2024

Medicare for All has been a key discussion in healthcare policy in the United States. As a result, this brief conducts an in-depth analysis of the public perception of US healthcare policy, and legislative suggestions for Medicare for All, which have the potential to help US citizens. Accessibility is a large question in the context of healthcare because it is currently too expensive for many Americans

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Preserving Privacy in Healthcare: Policy Actions for a Secure Future

Public Health Policy

December 23, 2023

This brief will cover the current state of privacy protection of health data in the United States and current policy considerations to further this. Some key pieces of our analysis are analyzing historical subjects within the field of public health privacy and an in-depth overview of the current actions the federal government is taking and their pitfalls, so we can inspect legislation that could potentially solve these pressing problems.

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