ASPPH is pleased to welcome 22 new fellows who will engage in practice-based training assignments through the ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellowship Program. The Program aims to support a culturally relevant and applied mentored learning experience for early career professionals with graduate degrees in public health. This next generation of public health leaders will have an opportunity to round out their academic training and gain practical public health experience through exposure to state-of-the-art technology and databases, acquisition of skills and knowledge to enhance their careers, and interaction with technical experts in their chosen fields.
For the next 12 to 24 months, Fellows’ training will follow eight tracks in 11 different CDC Centers/Institutes/Offices (CIOs). The separate tracks will allow the fellows to strengthen their capacity in the focus areas that interest them most. Ultimately, upon completion of the ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellowship Program, fellows will have made useful contributions to projects of national public health importance that are related to the mission of the CDC, while gaining a significant skillset that will set the foundation for their own public health careers.
ASPPH/CDC Fellow, Michael Vega, MPH (Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice) shares that he is “deeply passionate about addressing the health disparities and social determinants affecting refugees, immigrants, and global communities, drawing from my own experiences in a community of immigrants and non-English speakers. My fellowship aligns with my objective to hone skills in community engagement, participatory research, emergency risk communication, and cultural competence assessments.” He goes on to say, “I aspire to contribute to global public health and population health initiatives, and I believe this fellowship will provide the crucial training and perspective needed to further these goals.”
ASPPH/CDC Fellow, Fardin Rahman, MPH (New York University School of Global Public Health) adds, “In my fellowship, I will be assessing projects pertaining to local and tribal groups to determine their effectiveness and make recommendations that align with the population’s needs. As someone who is interested in working towards addressing the lack of safe and affordable health access in marginalized communities, both nationally and globally, I think that this fellowship will equip me with the skills and knowledge that I need to advocate for community-sensitive and community-engaged interventions.”
Representing various ASPPH-member schools and programs, the Class of 2023 ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellows includes:
| Fellow | ASPPH-member School/Program | Track | Host CIO |
| Julci Areza, MPH | University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health | Health Equity | Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) |
| Lauren Beagle, MPH | Emory University Rollins School of Public Health | Suicide Prevention | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Megan Collins, MPH | Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice | Emergency Preparedness/ Response | Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) |
| Kyra Cummings, MPH | Temple University College of Public Health | Overdose Prevention | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Marissa Hardin, MPH | University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health | Health Education | Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation (OPPE) Formerly OADPS |
| Joanne Johnson, MPH | University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health | Core Public Health | Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) |
| Alison Kwok, MPH | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | Suicide Prevention | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Meredith Mase, MPH | University of Michigan School of Public Health | Interpersonal Violence | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Katelyn Miscioscia, MPH | Colorado School of Public Health | Overdose Prevention | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Ilenia Morales, MPH | Georgia State University School of Public Health | Overdose Prevention | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Bridget Morrison, JD, MPH | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | Overdose Prevention | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Ro Nadreau, MPH | San Diego State University School of Public Health | Mental Health | National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) |
| Antony Nguyen, MPH | Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health | Interpersonal Violence | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) |
| Fardin Rahman, MPH | New York University School of Global Public Health | Core Public Health | National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce |
| Midjina Richard, MPH | University of Georgia College of Public Health | Core Public Health | National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce |
| Kara Sapp, MPH | University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health | Mental Health | National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) |
| Emma Kate Sellers, MPH | University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health | Health Education | National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) |
| Jenisha Stapleton, MPH | Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine | Health Equity | Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) |
| Mae Tanner, MPH | Chamberlain University MPH Program | Emergency Preparedness/ Response | Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) |
| Kyra Terry, MPH | Claremont Graduate University | Health Education | Office of Laboratory Science and Safety (OLSS) |
| Michael Vega, MPH | Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice | Health Education | National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) |
| Jaclyn Williamson, MPH | Colorado School of Public Health | Health Education | National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) |
ASPPH would like to thank our partners at the CDC for supporting this important training program. Learn more about the ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellowship Program or email TrainingPrograms@aspph.org for additional information.