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Samantha Edwards

Graduate Extension/Research Assistant

Samantha (Sam) Edwards is a doctoral student in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech. She has been working for the Virginia Tech Center for Public Health Practice since 2020 and began assisting with Virginia Cooperative Extension projects in 2025. Her past projects focused on vaccine education within Balanced Living with Diabetes, stigma around substance use disorder, sustainable transportation, and harm reduction in Southwest Virginia. Her current research focuses on collaboration around Community Health Assessments. Sam is originally from Southwest Virginia, so she grew up being very passionate about health and health literacy within Appalachia. When not working or in class, she enjoys hosting craft nights with friends and spending time with her dog, Roxy.

Education and Experience

  • Certified Health Education Specialist, NCHEC, 2024
  • Master of Public Health, Virginia Tech, 2024
  • Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2022