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Introducing the First ASPPH/CDC Tribal Health Department Fellowship Cohort

ASPPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are proud to introduce the inaugural cohort of ASPPH/CDC Tribal Health Department Fellows. Launched in 2025, the ASPPH/CDC Tribal Health Department Fellowship Program strengthens Tribal public health capacity by placing professionals in year-long, on-the-ground roles within Tribal Health Departments.

Guided by Tribal health leaders and designed in partnership with Tribal communities, this fellowship supports locally driven projects from health assessments to program development to reaccreditation efforts that advance Tribal sovereignty and community well-being.

Meet the outstanding first cohort of fellows and learn how they will contribute to strengthening Tribal public health systems across the country.

Elizabeth Frost

PhD, Public Health (Global Health) – San Diego State University School of Public Health and University of California San Diego, 2025

Winnebago Public Health Department

Elizabeth will provide capacity-building assistance to the Winnebago Public Health Department by supporting reaccreditation efforts and maternal and child health programming. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Elizabeth has spent more than a decade working in public health, addressing areas such as cancer prevention, COVID-19 response, maternal and child health, refugee health, water and sanitation, and HIV prevention. She is passionate about advancing health through community-centered approaches and is a committed and aspiring ally to the communities she partners with.

Mazie Lebowitz

MPH – Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, 2025

Squaxin Island Health Clinic

Mazie will provide capacity-building assistance to the Squaxin Island Health Clinic by completing a Community Health Assessment and providing actionable recommendations that support future health programs and resource allocation. Mazie is a registered member of Fort William First Nation (Ojibwe) in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In addition to her MPH, she holds a BA in Biology with a minor in Global Health from Dartmouth College. Mazie is dedicated to serving Indigenous and other underserved communities as a future physician.

Oscar “Kyle” White

MPH – University of New Mexico College of Population Health, 2025

Ohkay Owingeh Health and Human Services Division

Kyle will provide capacity-building assistance to the Ohkay Owingeh Health and Human Services Division by developing and implementing a comprehensive Policy and Procedure Manual to support long-term organizational stability and improved delivery of community health services. Kyle is a Diné public health professional from Crownpoint, New Mexico, with experience in Community-Based Participatory Research, Indigenous evaluation, and Tribal health program development. He is passionate about advancing Tribal health sovereignty and building sustainable, culturally grounded public health systems.

Benjamin Yawakie

MPH/MPP – University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2022

Pascua Yaqui Tribal Health Department

Benjamin will provide capacity-building assistance to the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Health Department by updating and supporting the implementation of its Public Health Workforce Development Plan. Benjamin is a dual-enrolled citizen with the Pueblo of Zuni and White Bear First Nations and a descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. He has dedicated his life to utilizing the gifts the Creator endowed upon him to be of service to American Indians and Alaska Natives to improve the health and wellness of all of our people.

This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Notice of Funding Opportunity CDC-RFA-PW-24-0080 “Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health.” The CDC awarded the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Cooperative Agreement No. NU38PW000021 to support the Category

A population, Tribal Health Departments, to provide capacity-building assistance to improve their overall performance.