Now more than ever, ASPPH and our community must come together, stand firm in our values, and advance our mission. Public health is driven by education, research, and action. Academic public health plays a critical role, shaping policy, fueling innovation, and preparing the next generation of leaders. To amplify that impact, we’ve gathered stories from across our community, including students.
Why I Work to Strengthen Health Systems—A Personal Story
Clare Szalay Timbo, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Gender and Programs
University of San Francisco MPH Program
My commitment to public health began with a moment I will never forget. Years ago in Sierra Leone, I was at a district hospital when a young pregnant woman arrived...
From Prescriptions to Prevention: A Dermatologist’s Journey into Public Health
Neha Jha, Student
University of San Francisco MPH Program
I began my career as a dermatologist and trichologist in India and practiced for 10 years, focused on consulting patients in front of me. I treated rashes, hair loss, and...
From Rural Clinics to Public Health: How Medical Brigades Shaped My Path to Medicine
Chloe Urias
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
As a Master of Public Health (MPH) student on the Global Health track at Vanderbilt University, I am deeply committed to understanding how culture, geography, and social determinants shape health...
From Lithium Toxicity to Public Health Advocacy: A Student’s Path Through Medicine
Ivan Martinez Diez-Muro, Undergraduate Researcher
University of South Florida College of Public Health
My introduction to public health did not begin in academia; it began as a patient. In 2018, during what should have been an ordinary semester, I experienced kidney failure caused...
From the Microbiology Lab Bench to Advocating for Antibiotic Stewardship on College Campuses
Okeoghene Marcel Edafetanure-Ibeh
Texas A&M School of Public Health
My commitment to antibiotic stewardship began long before my doctoral training, long before I even knew the term. As an undergraduate Medical Laboratory Science student concentrating in medical microbiology, I...
Why Public Health Will Always Matter
Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH
Public health is ultimately a discipline a way of looking at the world identifying health problems and then working across sectors to make sure that communities are physically socially emotionally...
When Experience Becomes Advocacy: Empowering Public Health Through Accessibility
Grace Harmoush
American University of Beirut
Accessibility isn’t just an educational issue, it’s also a public health necessity. I chose public health as a career because I grew up understanding that health is shaped less by...
What Drew Me to Public Health
Blender Muzvondiwa
University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences
Growing up, I have always been ardent about communities and health, and my acquaintances know me as a people person. My professional journey began as a District Nutritionist under Gweru...
Turning Science into Action
Hilary Godwin, PhD
My path into public health is a little non-traditional. I actually got my PhD in chemistry and was a chemistry professor as an associate professor and I got into public...
Voices from the Public Health Community
We are seeking stories from those who benefit from public health—patients, families, and community members, as well as public health professionals working on the frontlines and our members. Your stories will help us change the narrative about the importance of public health funding and programs at the local, state, and national levels. During the 2025 ASPPH Annual Meeting, we asked attendees to share their responses to these questions. Discover the stories from our community.
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Public health is everything—it touches every part of our lives and communities.
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Everyone deserves a life made better by public health.
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Public health = clean air, thriving lives, and justice for all.
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Stories move hearts; data drives decisions.
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Science and facts must lead our communication—now more than ever.
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Prevention, education, and empathy are the backbone of public health.
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Public health saves lives and saves money.
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Diversity, cultural competency, and service strengthen public health for all.
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We must support public health students through meaningful internships and training.
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Public health is essential for a healthier world, a stronger economy, and a safer future.
- To help make happier and healthier communities
- Everyone deserves to lead a healthy life
- I want to be a changemaker and voice for marginalized communities to help put an end to health disparities and inequities.
- Public health is a human right.
- To focus on prevention rather than cure and help people attain their best possible health state
- I am a physician from Pakistan. My father, a physician turned public health specialist, inspired me.
- Public Health is and always has been, political!
- Training the next generation of public health practitioners to make a difference in the world!
- Coming from a low income family, I’ve seen the difficulties of not having resources first hand. I want to be able to connect similar families to the equipment to prolong their life.
- Knowing I could impact a population of people.
- To aid those without a voice.
- Because I believe in equity and science.
- I wanted to make a difference in preparing communities for disasters.
- To make healthcare accessible for ALL.
- I want to make sure to leave the next generation in a better place with access to equitable healthcare.
- Public health is the anchor, catalyst, and beacon for collective flourishing.
- The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Training the next generation of public health experts/superstars!
- HBCUs for public health.
- I love teaching in public health and environmental health because I enjoy inspiring the next generation and also getting inspired by them.
- I got my first public health job through a faculty connection during my MPH. Academic public health works!
- Collaboration between schools of public health across the world.
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Public health is a career for people who care about activism, science, and health.
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It’s the heart of our communities—prevention, equity, advocacy, and access.
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Public health = mental health, environmental health, and health policy.
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All health is public health. So is all law.
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Community engagement and communication are essential public health tools.
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It’s about teaching, research, service, and practice—all integrated.
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Public health means caring for everyone, inclusively and without borders.
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Embrace conflict to find better solutions.
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Data justice, antiracism, and access to a healthy life for all.
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Real public health is love, life, and liberation.
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Public health is protecting people and the planet. One Earth.