Bevyn Mannke, MPH graduated from Dornsife School of Public Health in 2021 with a major in Community Health and Prevention (CHP) and a minor in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). She returned to CHP in 2023 as a doctoral student working with Dr. Renee Turchi and Dr. Amy Carroll-Scott.
While earning her MPH at Dornsife, Mannke was President of the Maternal and Child Health Student Organization (MCHSO), served as a Graduate Writing Consultant at the Drexel Writing Center, and completed her MPH capstone project as a qualitative research assistant for the Viewpoints on Immunization Counseling Experience (VOICES) in Prenatal Care Project at Drexel University.
Additionally, Mannke co-taught 10 undergraduate and graduate level courses in Health and Human Rights, Maternal and Child Health, the History of Public Health, and Global Health as a Teaching Assistant in the CHP department.
Mannke also participated in the Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) Trainees Ambassador Group (TAG) Program through the Maternal & Child Health’s Bureau (MCHB) Division of MCH Workforce Development (DMCHWD). TAG aims to promote connections between trainees across the MCH training program and provide trainees with leadership development opportunities. Mannke served as the TAG Social Media Director, coordinating social media efforts to strengthen links between MCH trainees and generate MCH content, resources, and training for dissemination through social media.
What drew you to MCH?
Mannke chose to attend Dornsife School of Public Health because of the MCH program. At Penn State, Mannke took a women’s reproductive health class and loved it. Throughout the course, she was introduced to public health and MCH, and after working as a medical scribe for a year post-college, she decided to go back to school for her MPH, with a focus in MCH. Mannke says that MCH and sexual and reproductive health work felt like the right combination of clinical work, law, and advocacy.
How are you using your current MCH training?
Mannke’s doctoral work at Dornsife focuses on equitable healthcare for families. Her research interests include maternal health disparities and the intersections of sexual and reproductive health and infectious disease.
Mannke also continues to work as a Research Analyst on the Research, Evaluation, and Data team at AccessMatters, a non-profit, public health organization in Philadelphia. AccessMatters’ mission is to protect, expand, and enhance equitable access to sexual and reproductive health care and information for all people.
Mannke works on programs across AccessMatters, managing IRB logistics, conducting phone interviews, developing surveys, and monitoring qualitative and quantitative data. Her role also includes creating data visualization presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
How did your time at Dornsife influence your career?
Mannke says, “The biggest influence that Drexel and the MCH program had on my career was networking. I met with professors and networked with different nonprofits at career events throughout my time at Drexel. These experiences helped me get my foot in the door and learn about different MCH organizations and opportunities.”
Advice to current and future MCH students?
Mannke says, “Whatever skillset you think is your weakest, focus on that during your time at Dornsife. My weakness coming into the program was networking. I used Dornsife’s resources to meet as many people as I could and learn about new opportunities. To get the most out of the program, focus on improving your weakness.”