Students tape photos and notes to the LOVE Statue in honor of Sarah Katz, a Penn student who died in September 2022.
Credit: Jesse ZhangThe Penn Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships announced an award to advance health literacy in honor of Sarah Katz, a Penn student who died in September 2022.
The award provides funding for students who are working on projects to promote health literacy with an emphasis on heart-related health. Applications are open to all full-time undergraduate students who will be graduating in 2025 or beyond.
Katz, 21, was a College junior with a heart condition known as long QT syndrome 1, which is characterized by irregular heartbeat rhythms. She died hours after drinking a 30-ounce Charged Lemonade from the Panera at 200 S. 40th St.
With the grant, CURF and the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education aim to honor the memory of Katz and her legacy. Projects that could receive funding include research on cardiovascular health literacy and outreach and educational efforts.
"We hope to recognize students who share Sarah’s dedication to advancing health literacy and heart health on our campus," the CURF website states.
At Penn and beyond, Katz engaged in several extracurricular commitments related to cardiovascular health. She served as a membership coordinator and CPR training project chair in the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, leading sessions on how to operate AEDs and perform CPR. As a Red Cap ambassador with the American Heart Association, she taught CPR to high school students and organized groups to participate in the Wall Street Run & Heart Walk. Katz also worked as a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.
To apply to the award, students submit a personal statement, project proposal, and budget. Interviews will go out to all qualified candidates following screening by a selection committee in late March or early April. The eventual winner will receive $5,000 to help with the implementation of the proposed project. The projects are expected to be long term efforts — CURF notes that the money cannot go toward one-day events or be used as an academic stipend.
CURF is accepting applications for the award until March 15.
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