Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About
    About UNO
    • Leadership
    • Mission and Strategic Plan
    • Accreditation
    • Our City: Omaha
    • Facts & Figures
    • News
    • Events
    • Organizational Units
    • Campus Safety
    • Buildings and Maps
    Get Started
    • Apply
    • Campus Visit
    • Contact Us
    Front view of UNO's ASH building
    Get Started Today

    Apply Now
  • Academics
    Majors and Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Master's Programs
    • Doctoral Programs
    • International Programs
    • Online Programs
    • Class Search
    Colleges
    • College of Arts and Sciences
    • College of Business Administration
    • College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
    • College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
    • College of Information Science & Technology
    • College of Public Affairs and Community Service
    • Graduate Studies
    Resources
    • Catalogs
    • Academic Calendar
    • Library
    • Advising
    • Academic Affairs
    • Registrar
    • Academic Support
    • Request Transcript
    Top view glance of calendar showing August 2024
    Deadlines Are Approaching

    View year-at-a-glance calendars that include term start and end dates, and school holidays.

    Academic Calendar
  • Cost & Aid Backback to Main menu
    • Undergraduate Tuition
    • Graduate Tuition
    • Financial Support
    • Cost of Attendance
    • Undergraduate Scholarships
    • All Scholarship Information
    • Military and Veterans Benefits
    • Consumer Information
  • Admissions
    Get Started
    • Apply
    • Complete Your FAFSA
    • Schedule a Campus Visit
    • Request Info
    Admitted Students
    • Orientation
    • Enrollment Deposit
    • Transcripts
    • UNO 101
    • New Student & Family Events
    Cost & Aid
    • Undergraduate Tuition
    • Graduate Tuition
    • Financial Aid
    • Cost of Attendance
    • Scholarships
    • Military and Veterans Benefits
    • Consumer Information
    Admissions
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Transfer Students
    • Graduate Admissions
    Students walking together on campus for a tour
    Visit UNO's Campus

    Schedule a Tour
  • Student Life
    Campus Life
    • Event Calendar
    • Athletics
    • Campus Dining
    • Student Housing
    • Campus Recreation
    • Milo Bail Student Center
    • Parking and Transportation
    • Campus Safety
    Involvement and Leadership
    • Student Organizations
    • Student Government
    • Career Services and Internships
    • Spirit and Tradition
    • Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion
    Support
    • Academic Support
    • Maverick Advising Center
    • Accessibility
    • Durango's Advancement & Support Hub (DASH)
    • Student Service
    • Student Safety
    Resources
    • Health Services
    • Military-Connected Resources
    • Student Conduct and Community Standards
    • Division of Student Life and Wellbeing
    Students participating in a beading craft activity
    Get Involved on Campus

    See Events Calendar
  • Engagement
    Students
    • Student Service and Leadership Collaborative
    • Find Volunteer Opportunities
    • Maverick Food Pantry
    • Voter Information
    • Internship Opportunities
    • Career Services
    • Student Resources
    • Become an Engaged Scholar
    Faculty and Staff
    • Faculty Senate
    • Center for Faculty Excellence
    • Staff Advisory Council
    • Faculty Resources
    • Engaged Research
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Community-Based Learning Courses
    Community
    • Campus Resources
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center
    • Promote Volunteer Opportunities
    • Promote Internship Opportunities
    • Rent Office Space
    • Senior Passport Program
    • Community Engagement Partnership Initiative
    Office of Engagement
    • Connect to Campus
    • Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Rent Office Space
    • Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center
    • Partner With Us
    • Senior Passport Program
    • Nebraska Business Development Center
    • Community Partners on Campus
    Student volunteering with a food bank
    Connect with Us

    Contact the Office of Engagement
  • Research
    Student
    • Research and Creative Activity Fair
    • Graduate Research (GRACA)
    • Student Conference Travel Fund
    • Undergraduate Scholarly Experience (FUSE) Fund
    Faculty
    • Grant Databases
    • External Funding
    • Awards and Committees
    • Office of Sponsored Programs
    Research at UNO
    • Office of Research and Creative Activity
    • Research News
    • Centers and Institutes
    Students giving presentations on research projects
    UNO Pushes Innovation Forward

    Read UNO Research News
  • Athletics
    Men's Teams
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Swimming & Diving
    • Tennis
    Women's Teams
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Golf
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming & Diving
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
    • Volleyball
    Game Day Resources
    • Purchase Tickets
    • Team Schedules
    • Buy Maverick Gear
    Baxter Arena
    • Calendar
    • Tickets
    • Directions & Parking
    • Clear Bag Policy
    • Public Skating
    Hockey player walking out on the ice arena
    Cheer on our Mavericks!

    Buy Tickets
  • Alumni Backback to Main menu
    • Alumni
    • Transcripts
    • Thompson Center
  1. UNO
  2. News
  3. 2024
  4. 03
  5. UNO Student Researcher on a Mission to Enhance Maternal and Infant Health in Nebraska and Beyond

UNO Student Researcher on a Mission to Enhance Maternal and Infant Health in Nebraska and Beyond

  • published: 2024/03/15
  • contact: Ashia Aubrey - Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska
  • email: ashiaaubrey@nebraska.edu
  • search keywords:
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Research
Priyanka Chaudhary

Priyanka Chaudhary says she decided to pursue her doctorate degree at the urging of her father.

Priyanka Chaudhary has a vivid memory of speaking with her father before he unexpectedly passed away in 2020 due to a brain hemorrhage. She was in Nebraska, dedicated to working on her master’s degree in public health from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, while her dad was in their home country of Nepal. During their last phone conversation, he recommended that she continue her education and pursue a doctoral degree.

Chaudhary recalls having mixed emotions about what her father proposed, as she was hesitant about going back to school. However, after serious thought and considering the sudden death of her dad, his struggles with his health, and her passion for helping people, she decided to take her father's advice. Chaudhary enrolled in the School of Health and Kinesiology as a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) studying health and early childhood education.

Priyanka Chaudhary and father


“There's a lot of disparity that still exists, so I feel like I could learn about these things and can just be helpful to the community and for the people,” she said.

Chaudhary has a keen interest in understanding the intersection between pregnant women and how they can adopt a healthy lifestyle—and the impact this has on birth outcomes in Nebraska. After discovering this when joining her advisor Danae Dinkle’s lab at UNO and immersing herself in research where she got to interact with moms and babies in person, she fell in love with understanding how she can educate them about adopting a healthy lifestyle. Her dissertation project was revealed to her through this experience.

During her exploration of this topic, she discovered that some women didn’t know how to establish a well-balanced lifestyle while pregnant. Research reveals that less than 25% of pregnant people met the Physical Activity Guidelines to maintain or enhance their health. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends physical activity for healthy pregnant women, as it can improve their overall health and mood during pregnancy and postpartum.

Chaudhary’s dissertation is a mixed-method quantitative study that aims to understand Nebraska pregnant moms' perspectives on their physical activity pre- and post-pregnancy. Currently, she is interviewing participants and using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Surveillance System (PRAMS) to understand the women’s behaviors while pregnant.

So far, Chaudhary has found that a number of the women involved in her research lack knowledge about the specific guidelines for incorporating physical activity into their daily routines.

“They knew about the general idea about the benefit of physical activity,” she said. “They were not aware about the guidelines. Like, hey, I have to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.”

The Graduate Scholars Program at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska supports Chaudhary’s dissertation. It’s a unique program for doctoral students who attend any University of Nebraska campus to receive funding for their research focusing on young children and their development.

She looks forward to utilizing her findings to advance the academic field and empower women with the knowledge that a healthy lifestyle before pregnancy can be beneficial.

“I'm hoping [through] this study people will come to know that adopting that healthy lifestyle, even before pregnancy, plays an important role, just for a holistic approach,” she said.

Chaudhary aspires to return to her home country after completing her doctoral program and use the skills she has learned to positively impact the lives of women and children.

“It's an underdeveloped country, and within that country, I have seen the woman and the child has suffered a lot,” she said. “There is still the strong stigma of women not getting [an] opportunity for education or getting other rights to work or lead a healthy lifestyle.”

The Buffett Early Childhood Institute's Graduate Scholars program is accepting applications for 2024–25 candidates, and the deadline to apply is March 31. Learn more about the program.

  • News Sections:
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

News Sections

  • News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

Featured Stories

  • 4,500 Students Named to UNO Dean’s and Chancellor’s Lists
  • UNO Hosts Ceremonial Groundbreaking for $17.1 Million Biomechanics Addition
  • UNO Celebrated Over 2,000 New Graduates at May 2025 Commencement
  • Terence “Bud” Crawford’s Commencement Knockout at UNO

Contact Us

If you have a story idea, news tip, or other question, please email the UNO News team at unonews@unomaha.edu.

About the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MarComm)

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.