Umit Shrestha
About Umit Shrestha
Umit Shrestha is a Research Faculty and Project Director at the Colorado School of Public Health, specializing in public health interventions for American Indian and Alaska Native populations. He has extensive experience in academia and research, having held positions at various institutions and contributed to significant public health projects.
Current Role at University of Colorado
Umit Shrestha serves as a Research Faculty and Project Director at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado. He has held this position since 2019. In this role, he teaches a course on Global Health and oversees various research projects, including the Native WYSE CHOICES project. His responsibilities include managing participant recruitment, data collection systems, and coordinating meetings with the Project Advisory Board.
Previous Experience in Research and Academia
Prior to his current role, Umit Shrestha worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Sanford Research from 2017 to 2018. He also served as an Instructor of Record at South Dakota State University for five years, from 2012 to 2017, and as a Sociology Faculty member at Ridgewater College for nine months in 2016. Additionally, he held a Graduate Assistant position at South Dakota State University in 2009.
Internship at World Health Organization
Umit Shrestha completed an internship at the World Health Organization in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 2013 to 2014. During this internship, he focused on gender and social analysis, contributing to the organization's understanding of these critical areas in public health.
Educational Background and Degrees
Umit Shrestha holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Sociology from South Dakota State University, which he completed from 2012 to 2016. He also earned a Master of Science (M.S.) in Sociology from the same institution between 2009 and 2012. His undergraduate studies include a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, completed from 2003 to 2007. He began his education at the University of Cambridge, where he achieved GCE O and A Levels from 2001 to 2003.
Research Contributions and Projects
Umit Shrestha has developed and coordinated the implementation of a technological adaptation of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy preventive intervention aimed at American Indian and Alaska Native young women. He has also consulted with methodological experts to create an electronic survey instrument and qualitative measures for the Native WYSE CHOICES project. His work includes overseeing data analysis and manuscript preparation related to project outcomes.