MPH Epidemiology
"I think what MEZCOPH (unknowingly) offers that many other programs in the country might not have is comradery with your fellow students. Coming from Oregon, I was worried I was going to be studying by myself all the time and have no friends to hang out with after class. However, I have found such amazing like-minded people that have not only helped me get through my studies, but have become life-long friends in the process. I feel this is in large part due to the small class sizes, course scheduling, and the amazing pool of people the admissions department accepts."
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Hometown:
Portland, Oregon
Prior Degree(s):BA Microbiology, Whitworth University
Before entering the program:After I graduated from Whitworth University in 2011, I became a high school biology teacher/tutor for one year before coming to MEZCOPH.
Why did you choose public health?As far back as I can remember, infectious diseases have always interested me and after a microbiology course my freshmen year, I’ve been hooked. However, after a summer internship at the University of Iowa researching Leishmaniasis, I realized I wanted to interact more with people and less with “laboratory functions”, so epidemiology seemed like the ideal avenue for me.
Why did you choose MEZCOPH?The sunshine, to experience an education at a large university, funding, reassurance from current students that I would find the research I wanted, the staff’s amiable demeanor to me all throughout the application process, and PAC 12 sports.
Public health interests:Bioterrorism, infectious disease, GIS, and syndromic surveillance
Internship:My internship at the Arizona Department of Health Services focused on looking at 70 years of rabies cases and then looking at environmental trends over those years in hopes of finding associations between the two.
Interests/hobbies outside of school:Netflix, watching my Ducks or Seahawks play, golfing, playing basketball with Tom, hiking with Dustin, snowboarding, surfing, and collecting music (I have over 50,000 songs).
Tip for future students:Cultivate your research curiosities. If you are dead set on a research topic (like I was) allow yourself to be open to new ideas when you come here and you just might find a topic that “calls to you” more than your original topic.
