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.”