Awards
Dr. Jeanette South-Paul Social Determinants of Health Enrichment Award
3rd Place Recipient | Scaife Hall | September 2025
“Why Patients Don’t Show Up: Comorbidities & Follow Up at a Free Eye Clinic”
James Whitley1 BS, Valeria Villabona-Martinez1 MD, Zeila Hobson1 BS, Paula A Sepulveda-Beltran1 MD, Brenda Kirk1 COT, Jay Chhablani1 MD, Evan Waxman1 MD PhD
Community Advisor to Eyes on Wheels student leader and researcher James Whiteley, supported his research on one of our data sets as part of the summer 2025 UPitt School of Medicine Social Determinants of Health Enrichment Program.
Dr. Joseph Laythe Social Justice Award
Edinboro University Office of Diversity & Inclusion | Feb 2020
The Laythe Award celebrates a current EU student champion who stands for equality both on campus and in the greater community. Awarded a plaque and invited to an awards luncheon, I was very moved to be recognized for my dedication to social justice and advocacy.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Complexity and Barriers to Vision Care: A Narrative Review Informed by a Mobile Eye Program“
Valeria Villabona-Martinez1,2, Anne Schulman2, Bharadwaj Chirravuri2, Kerollos Kamel2, Paula A. Sepulveda-Beltran1,2, Zeila Hobson1,2 and Evan L. Waxman1,2,
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Special Issue: Advances and Trends in Mobile Healthcare
Valeria Villabona-Martinez1,2, Anna A. Zdunek1, Jessica Y. Jiang1, Paula A. Sepulveda-Beltran1,2, Zeila A. Hobson1,2and Evan L. Waxman1,2,
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Special Issue: Advances and Trends in Mobile Healthcare
Conferences
UPMC Ophthalmology Research Retreat & Symposium 2025
UPMC Vision Institute | July 22-24, 2025
“When Eye Care Isn’t the Priority: Missed Follow-Up After Community-Based Ophthalmologic Referrals“
Valeria Villabona-Martinez, MD ; Paula A Sepulveda-Beltran MD ; Zeila Hobson, BS ; Brenda Kirk ; Anne Schulman, BA ; James
Whitley, BA 1 1; Evan Waxman, MD PhD
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Conference 2025
Salt Lake City, UT | May 4-8, 2025
“Social Determinants of Health and Insurance Disparities in Eye Care Access: Insights from a 2-Day Community-Based Event“
Paula A. Sepulveda-Beltran, Valeria Villabona-Martinez, Brenda Kirk, Anne Shulman, James Whitley, Zeila Hobson, Evan L. Waxman
“Opportunities for Remote Ophthalmology: Patient and Operator Experience Using an Automated Refractor“
Valeria Villabona-Martinez, MD ; Paula A Sepulveda-Beltran MD ; Zeila Hobson, BS ; Brenda Kirk ; Anne Schulman ; James Whitley ; Evan Waxman, MD PhD
Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference 2019-2020
May 2019 Chatham University
“The Role of Sound in Demonstrative Computer Animation on Mock Jurors’ Decision-Making”
May 2020 Virtually Hosted
“Dynamic Perceptions of Voluntary Personal Data Utilization: Which Contexts Disrupt Perceived Privacy?”
Portfolio 