At ASPPH, our focus is on attracting exceptional individuals who align with our mission to advance academic public health by mobilizing the collective power of our members to drive excellence and innovation in education, research, and practice. Our commitment to our core values enables us to draw from a varied applicant pool, ensuring diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, and geography within our team. We are thrilled to announce the recent addition of four new members to our staff.

1. Elizabeth (Liz) Burpee, MPH, MSW – Liz Burpee serves as ASPPH’s Director of Public Health Workforce Development for CDC-funded initiatives. In this role, Liz is responsible for implementing, managing, and reporting on workforce-related grant programs housed within the ASPPH Center for Public Health Workforce Development. Prior to joining ASPPH, Liz served as Project Director for the National Consortium for Public Health Workforce Development, then housed at the de Beaumont Foundation. Liz has also served as the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) program lead for the New Orleans Health Department, as Interim Executive Director of a community development non-profit, and as the architect of a 60-member collective impact initiative to combat racial health disparities in New Orleans. Liz received her Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work from the University of Washington and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
2. Aicha Lahlou – Aicha joins ASPPH as a Human Resources (HR) Manager on the Operations Team. Her role involves providing seamless support in operations and working collaboratively with all staff to assist with recruiting, onboarding, and training of employees. With over a decade of experience, she is an impact-driven and results-oriented HR professional with a proven track record of optimizing workforce planning in highly matrixed environments. Aicha is committed to being a servant leader and advocating for health equity for all. She holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from the University of Marymount.
3. Nikhita Pamidala – Nikhita joins ASPPH as a Public Health Associate through the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PHAP is a competitive two-year training program where associates are assigned to state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and work alongside other professionals across a variety of public health settings. Nikhita was assigned to ASPPH to work on public health policy and law, where she works as the Coordinator of External Relations, assisting with all advocacy, marketing, and communication efforts. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Clinical Neuroscience.
4. Sierra Sledge, MPH – Sierra will serve as the Fellowship Program Manager on the Research and Practice Team for grant-funded initiatives. Before joining ASPPH, Sierra worked as a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ORISE Fellow in the Division of Workforce Development within the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce. During her time at the CDC, she helped to support fellowship programs and events that focused on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justic (DEIJ) education. Sierra is committed to advancing public health with workforce development, health education, and DEIJ. She holds a Master of Public Health, Community Health from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and holds a certification in health education.