Helen Barker

HELEN BARKER Cell:- Email:- Education Dual Bachelor of Arts Degrees: English, Creative Writing: High Point University, 2018. Biology: High Point University, 2018. Relevant Experience AmeriCorps VISTA Member: Terms of Service August 2018-August 2020, High Point, NC • Planned and implemented curriculum around food education for summer camps, the Greater High Point Food Alliance, and the High Point Farmers Market for kids ages 4-16, then transformed activities into a web-based camp during COVID-19. • Wrote and edited grants, securing over $250,000 in organizational funding from a variety of sources including everything from private organizations and donations to city and statewide funding opportunities. • Reimagined Greater High Point Food Alliance social media presence to increase our online traffic. • Maintained the High Point Food Finder App and website, keeping up with changes in food pantry, community meals and gardens, and emergency assistance resources in both Spanish and English. • Translated Greater High Point Resource Guide into Spanish for distribution among nonprofits and the Wake Forest Baptist Health system. • Coordinated 10,000 lb. food drop for High Point University’s MLK Day of Service. • Assessed community needs in partner neighborhoods and presented a citywide action plan to combat food insecurity in seniors. • Collected, analyzed, and presented data on food insecurity in the area to a variety of audiences. • Coordinated presentations and speaking opportunities for the Greater High Point Food Alliance staff and Executive Director. • Prepared and executed board meetings while also recording and distributing meeting minutes. • Developed financial documents for emerging non-profit after breaking from host organization. Leadership as a VISTA Founding Member of the Committee for a Resilient High Point: the Hayden-Harman Foundation: August 2019-Present • Bimonthly meetings discussing the vision and evolution of the committee. • Created survey highlighting local issues related to housing, food insecurity, education, healthcare, etc. • Identified key stakeholders to send survey about community needs and assets to. • Planned focus groups and other events to discuss findings of surveys and focus groups. • Created action plan to address feedback from survey and how to implement a resource sharing system across nonprofits and city resources. • Coordinated in person and web-based convenings on Adverse Childhood Experiences and community-based interventions to food insecurity, racial equity, and housing. • • Greater High Point Food Alliance Board Member: August 2018-Present Monthly meetings with other board members. Monthly meetings with the Food Education Team, subcommittee. “BestHealth” Intern Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, August 2017-May 2018 • Planned, scheduled, and oversaw events for “BestHealth” program participants. • Recruited new members and speakers for programming and distributed information about the program. • Tracked and analyzed membership data and participation to determine most appropriate fees for programming. • Developed programming overhaul, including a summary of events and initiatives to be implemented over the following two years. The Borgen Project Regional Director: February 2017-February 2018 • Promoted after a successful term as a staff writer for the non-profit. • Continued lobbying and fundraising, focused on supporting bipartisan efforts to alleviate global poverty. Leadership Roles Head Editor of Remembering Washington Street: Memories of a High Point Neighborhood: August 2017-May 2019. • Interviewed High Point community members about their role in the Civil Rights Movement, wrote book chapter on segregation within High Point, edited additional chapters on the impact of the Civil Rights Movement in this community. Research Apprentice and Research Rookies Mentor at High Point University: August 2017-May 2018. • Mentored and assisted college freshmen as they navigated research workshops and opportunities at High Point University. President and Founding Member of STEM Initiative at High Point University: August 2017-May 2018. • Community based outreach centered on encouraging women and minorities to enter STEM fields of education and employment. Creative Writing Center Mentor: High Point University: August 2017-May 2018. • Worked with elementary and middle school students as a group and individually to craft creative writing pieces as part of an after school program. VIDA Volunteer Coordinator at High Point University: May 2016-May 2018. • Provided information to interested undergraduates and helped coordinate medical, veterinary, and dental mission trips to Guatemala based on my own experience with the program, culture, language, etc. Writing and Publications Staff Writer at The Odyssey Online, August 2016- May 2018. • Wrote weekly articles for the website on a variety of topics. • Assisted with creating social media engagement ideas for team of writers, based on SEO content experience. Writing Intern at The Borgen Project, August 2016- May 2017. • Created 20 high quality articles about global poverty, published on The Borgen Project website and blog. Barker, Helen, Lauren Fitch, and Cara Kozma, Remembering Washington Street: Memories from a High Point Neighborhood, High Point University, 2019. Barker, Helen. "Washington Street and Segregation." Remembering Washington Street: Memories from a High Point Neighborhood, High Point University, 2019. Research Experience Founding Member: Committee for a Resilient High Point, Hayden-Harman Foundation: August 2019-Present • Studied the resilience model in response to adverse childhood effects to develop citywide survey based on identifying community needs and assets. • Hosted neighborhood based focus groups to further discuss these topics and preserve community voices. • Planned quarterly gatherings with key community stakeholders to discuss data and key action items revealed by this data collection. Research Assistant: High Point University and Greater High Point Food Alliance, August 2018Present • Developed citywide survey and asset ranking system to identify community needs related to food security. • Held focus groups in partner neighborhoods to discuss the value of different resources as identified by the ranking system. Research Assistant: High Point University Microbiology Lab: August 2017-May 2018 • Cloned and overexpressed SpoIIID from Clostridium sporogenes in Eshcerichia coli. • Purified the protein using a Qiagen matrix, running the sample on a column of nickel beads under standard protocol. • Altered the reaction conditions for running SDS-PAGE gels to produce a higher protein yield, using methods such as sample size, varying salt concentration, and changing the brand of nickel beads used. Research Assistant: High Point University and Pennybyrn Assisted Living Facility: January 2017December 2017 • Crafted and held narrative medicine workshops to analyze the effects such interactions have on elderly dementia patients. • Tracked blood pressure changed in group participants and compared these rates to the blood pressure of patients in a control group, who only participated in other activities (watching movies, nature walks, crafts, etc.). Research Assistant: High Point University and North Carolina Zoo: January 2016-December 2016 • Developed and carried out projects analyzing the wellbeing of the animals on exhibit through Zoo Tracker App. • Made recommendations to zoo staff based on project findings. • Observed behavior changes in Western Lowland Gorillas in response to daily feeding enrichment. • Studied Sand Cat’s behavior in response to new enclosure. This data later led to the addition of a mate on exhibit. • Monitored two Ocelots’ mating and territory behavior upon first introduction. This data later led to the implementation of a successful breeding program. • Observed elephant herd behavior as related to shade availability and usage to promote the addition of more shading on exhibit. Research Assistant: High Point University and Greensboro Science Center: January 2015December 2015 • Taught a lemur to use an iPad, by having him touch a continually shrinking white box. • Trained the lemur on match-to-sample and set-switching tasks on custom Lemurama application, preparing him to take the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a definitive test of executive function used in humans. • Worked with a team of coders, who developed the app, to explain the premise of the project, what functions were needed, and to troubleshoot issues as they arose. Research Rookies Scholar: High Point University August 2014-May 2015 • Completed a series of fifteen activities: online assignments, in person workshops, movies and discussions, centered on research methods, presentation techniques, and ethics. • Designed and carried out one mini-research project to demonstrate skills learned through the program activities. Research Presentations Manipulating Reagent Conditions to Improve Protein Yield During SpoIIID Purification: • High-PURCS 2018 Poster Presentation. Publishing with the Community: • High Point University Service Learning Showcase 2018 Poster Presentation. Margaret Cavendish: Her World, Her Work, and Her Unintentional Impact on Science, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Feminism: • SNCURS 2017 Oral Presentation. • High-PURCS 2018 Oral Presentation. The Potential Physiological Health Effects of Narrative Medicine in Dementia Patients: • High Point University Summer Research Symposium 2017 Poster Presentation. Captive Ocelot Behavior and Habitat Adjustment: • SNURCS 2016 Poster Presentation. • High Point University Summer Research Symposium 2017 Poster Presentation. Captive Sand Cat Behavior and Habitat Adjustment: • High Point University Summer Research Symposium 2017 Poster Presentation. Activity Budgets of Captive Elephants: • High Point University Summer Research Symposium 2017 Poster Presentation. A Comparative Study of Executive Function in a Lemur: • High Point University Summer Research Symposium 2015 Poster Presentation. • SNCURS 2015 Poster Presentation. • High-PURCS 2016 Poster Presentation.