Caleb Adeoye
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
MPH, Epidemiology

About Caleb

Why I Chose Dornsife: This was the school that ticked all the boxes for me in terms of the program outline for the specific course I wanted to do, and it aligned best with the career goals.

Research Interests: Health Services Management and Administration, Community Health

My APE: My APE was a qualitative study on Black men's health and their transition to fatherhood.

Other Activities: Teaching assistant and treasurer for the Peer Health Educators' group.

Edmond Appiah
Kumasi, Ghana
MPH, Epidemiology

About Edmond

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose to pursue graduate studies at Dornsife School of Public Health because of the practical learning and research experience that suits my career and academic goals. The research centers, resources, and programs at Dornsife demonstrate the school's strong research inclination. I am therefore confident that the highly intellectual and research-stimulating atmosphere at Drexel University will equip me with the skills to address health disparities and build more healthy communities.

Research Interests: Cancer Epidemiology

Marissa Bacon
Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Epidemiology (online program)

About Marissa

Why I Chose Dornsife: Of the many MPH programs I considered, Drexel was the only program that I felt would allow me to tailor my degree experience exactly how I wanted. Other programs were often too general, but at Drexel I have the opportunity to concentrate my degree in epidemiology while still taking classes that interest me and will help shape my development. Although I am an online student, I still feel connected to the Drexel community and have several opportunities to visit and interact with those on campus.

Research Interests: Social Determinants of Health, Health Literacy, Data Analysis and Research Methods

Joshua Bozym
Scranton, PA
Executive Master of Public Health (EMPH)

About Joshua

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife for its affiliation and connections to the Northeast and community it fosters in and outside Philadelphia. I am located in Scranton, PA, roughly 2 hours north of Philadelphia, and with my program, due to the hybrid component, I feel extremely well connected to the school and its teaching staff. My long-term goal is joining a hospital network's administration staff, in supporting value-based health strategies. Drexel is allowing me to align my academic research interests while furthering my own career.

Research Interests: Health Policy, Health Literacy and Communication, Biostatistics

My APE: In collaboration with the Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy and Practice, my APE focused on advancing trauma informed policy and practice in Philadelphia. My project consisted of a comprehensive landscape analysis of current trauma informed initiatives and organizations within the city with the goal of expanding trauma informed approaches through policy and practice. My project combined data-driven insights for trauma-aware community development.

Other Activities: Teaching assistant for undergraduate public health courses, Curriculum Assessment Committee

Divya Chanda
Mathabhanga, West Bengal, India
MPH, Epidemiology

About Divya

Why I Chose Dornsife: I made the deliberate choice of Dornsife, for it was here that my latent potential was discerned when I had yet to perceive it fully. Their unwavering belief in my capabilities resonated profoundly with me, compelling me to become part of a community that not only nurtures growth but also celebrates the journey of self-discovery and development.

Research Interests: Intellectual Disabilities Inclusive Clinical Trial Analysis, Immigration Epidemiology

My APE: My FIRE Fellowship allowed me to navigate complex DEI issues, gain a deeper understanding of safety culture, and further develop my skills in both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

My ILE: I will work with the Interventional Oncology team at Johnson & Johnson on a real-world evidence research project. My focus will be evaluating unmet needs and the burden of disease epidemiology in head and neck cancer, applying the knowledge and skills from my coursework to address these critical issues.

Other Activities: Research assistant at the FIRST Center

Daniel (Dan) Epstein
Norfolk, MA
MPH, Global Health

About Dan

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife for the wide variety of MPH concentrations Drexel has to offer. With Drexel University located in the heart of Philadelphia, I know I can help make a difference in the larger neighborhood of University City and beyond. Also founding dean, Jonathan Mann, had similar philosophical principles as my public health hero, Dr. Paul Farmer who both promoted the idea of health is a human right worldwide.

Research Interests: Global Health Equity, Climate Change, Health Care Quality, Maternal and Child Health & Nutrition

My APE: My APE project was a continuation of my undergraduate internship at a patient-centered medical home in the quality improvement department I did in 2020 during my senior year. I designed a food insecurity survey as a passive surveillance screening tool. I also examined the association of primary care and barriers to food pantry access in food deserts.

Other Activities: Maternal-Child Health Student Organization

Becca Hernandez
San Antonio, TX
MS, Infection Prevention & Control

About Becca

Why I Chose Dornsife: Small classes and great resources for online students.

Research Interests: Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Infection Prevention

Ripon Hosain
Singapore/ Dhaka, Bangladesh
MS, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (minor in Human Health Risk Assessment)

About Ripon

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the excellent research facilities available here.

Research Interests: Occupational Diseases, Biostatistics

My APE: As an MS student I didn't have APE, but I was engaged in a FIRE Fellowship during the summer.

My MS Thesis: “The Relationship Between Occupation and Lung Cancer Incidence Among Women in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study”

Other Activities: Research assistant at FIRST Center in the EOH department. Graduate assistant with QuIEHR Working Group in Epidemiology department.

Oleksandr Kolesnikov
Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Global Health (minor in Infectious Disease and Population Health)

About Oleksandr

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife for their well-respected program, established curriculum, diverse and supportive faculty, and public health initiative programs both in Philadelphia and beyond.

Research Interests: Cancer Epidemiology, Infectious Disease, Disease Prevention, Clinical Research, and Health Equity

My APE: I worked with Mobile Cancer Screening Van for Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. My project included developing a one-page shared-decision making guide for men screening for prostate cancer. I was able to develop this tool and use it out in the Greater Philadelphia area in cancer screenings. My other portion of this was to translate the tool into several different languages including Chinese and Spanish while ensuring health translations were accurate.

Alysha Melnyk
Mohnton, PA
MPH, Global Health

About Alysha

Why I Chose Dornsife: Dornsife offers the school and work balance I was searching for. Since completing my Bachelor of Science in Biology at Susquehanna University in 2014, I have worked with ECRI (an international medical nonprofit). I always knew I would go back to school, but I was so passionate about growing my career at ECRI that I needed to find a program that I could complete with a full-time work schedule. Additionally, I was searching for a program that could truly compliment the work I do. Dornsife provides me with that balance, and I am happy I can build my career and gain additional knowledge at school simultaneously. Despite already working in the public health field, I find Dornsife continually offers new resources, varied perspectives and additional knowledge that allows me to grow inside and outside the classroom.

Research Interests: Global Health, Health Policy & Health Care Delivery, Behavioral Science & Health Communication

My APE: I provided E-learning Technical Support for the PCORI Health Care Horizon Scanning System (HCHSS). I specifically worked on the PCORI Horizon Scanning Database which is a part of HCHSS, and was developed to make health care technology innovation information more easily accessible to the public. In my role providing E-learning Technical Support, I helped to create user-friendly and accessible resources to help individuals navigate the PCORI Horizon Scanning Database.

Other Activities: I am a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and have participated in the Dornsife Case Competition (2021 and 2022).

Marie Owino
Nairobi, Kenya
MPH, Epidemiology (minor in Global Health)

About Marie

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the school's foundation of healthcare as a human right, and the tangible efforts it makes to enforce this on both the local and global scales.

Research Interests: Global Health, Reproductive and Sexual Health, Maternal and Child Health

My APE: I worked on the voice2AI project at Weill Cornell Medicine. We collaboratively built voice AI models for healthcare settings.

My ILE: I am looking at variations by race of preterm birth as a precursor for postpartum depression.

Other Activities: Drexel Black Graduate Student Union Vice President, Drexel Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (DGWiSE) Mentorship Chair, Dornsife Fellow, IDEA Fellow (23-24), Dornsife Office of DEIB Research Assistant

Amruta Popatrao Patil
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
MPH, Epidemiology

About Amruta

Why I Chose Dornsife: The Dornsife School of Public Health has extensive research in diverse fields, has specific centers for these researches like Urban Health Collaborative, A. J. Drexel Autism Institute. It is one of the highest-ranking universities in public health in the USA.

Research Interests: Infectious Disease and Biostatistics

My APE: I worked as a FIRE Fellow focusing on the DEI assessment and Fire Service Organizational Culture and Safety (FOCUS) 3.0 survey, both aimed at enhancing safety and inclusivity within the fire service. Along with my team, I developed resources for fire departments by conducting literature reviews on successful DEI initiatives and refining tools to help departments enhance their safety and inclusivity scores. We also prepared for stakeholder engagement, educating fire departments on how to interpret the DEI and FOCUS results. Throughout this process, I gained skills in qualitative data analysis, literature reviews, and using REDCap software. Weekly meetings allowed us to track progress and collaborate effectively, while visits to fire stations, EMS ride-alongs, and meetings with experts deepened my understanding of fire department safety culture and the challenges firefighters face. This experience highlighted the importance of DEI in creating safer, more supportive workplaces, and taught me to communicate complex data in a way that fire departments could readily use to improve their safety practices.

My ILE: I am analyzing data from FOCUS 3.0 survey, which examines the safety climate within United States fire departments. My research focuses on demographic factors of fire department that influence management commitment to safety and supervisor support for safety.

Other Activities: SAS Curiosity Cup participant, research assistant at the College of Nursing and Health Professionals (studying factors that influence dementia in older adults), research assistant with the FIRST Center, Graduate Student Government Organization event coordinator

Elizabeth Shaffer
Lansdale, PA
MS, Epidemiology

About Elizabeth

Why I Chose Dornsife: They are a great school that is local to my home so I commute in by Regional Rail. The faculty and staff are wonderful and committed to the success and intellectual development of their students!

Research Interests: Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Intersection of Public Health

Prayag Shah
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
MPH, Epidemiology

About Prayag

Why I Chose Dornsife: Dornsife is recognised as a R1 institute with different research activities. There is also diversity in different researches that are going on, like for urban health research there is a specific center called the Urban Health Collaborative. There is center for autism, too. Also my major is Epidemiology but as the Biostatistics department is interconnected with it, students get to know both of the subjects and gain different skills in those aspects. Flexibility in the minors, other electives is also great part of the school. Also there is much diversity and equity in different cultures.

Research Interests: Epidemiology of Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases, Infectious Disease and Biotatistics

Fnu Shweta
Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Epidemiology

About Fnu

Why I Chose Dornsife: Because of its reputation, graduation rate, and of course for being a top research school in the USA

Research Interests: Epidemiology and Cardiovascular Disease

My APE: I worked as a Community Advocate at Lutheran Settlement House in Philadelphia. My role involved supporting vulnerable populations by connecting them to essential services such as housing, healthcare, and food security. I also assisted with public health initiatives, focusing on increasing access to resources for underserved communities. Through this experience, I developed skills in community engagement and advocacy while contributing to public health efforts at the local level.

Dilawer Siddiqi
Los Angeles, CA
MPH, Health Management & Policy

About Dilawer

Why I Chose Dornsife: I felt a strong connection with the commitment towards the Human Right to Health, it encompassed everything that I want to work towards as a Healthcare Professional.

Research Interests: Health Management, Global Health, Cancer Prevention and Etiology

My APE: I worked as an intern at Jefferson Health in the Infection Prevention and Control Department. I am currently working on standardizing infection prevention policies throughout Jefferson’s North Region sites.

Other Activities: Teaching assistant for Public Health Foundations courses, Ambassador for This Is Public Health (Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health), President of Peer Health Educators

Eudes Soussa
Brazzaville, The Republic of Congo
MPH, Epidemiology

About Eudes

Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because it is one of top best schools of research and epidemiology in the United States of America. Dornsife has a wide variety in research and work when it comes to public health; this aspect of the school made me want to be part of this community which aims to improve the health of the population living in this world.

Research Interests: Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases, Hypertension, Disease Prevention, Epidemiology

My APE: I completed an internship at Delaware Valley Community Health and worked on a project that promoted vaccination for children in a healthcare setting. This involved educating parents about infectious diseases and vaccinations, planning school-age vaccination clinic days, and aiming to control disease in the Philadelphia area. The project focused on disease prevention, early intervention, health education, health behaviors, and access to care. Additionally, I collected, entered, and analyzed social determinants of health data from care coordination and health education. Furthermore, I contributed to a project proposal addressing food insecurity, which aimed to nourish and support the patient community at DVCH. The proposal focused on providing access to freshly prepared, nutritious meals made from sustainable, locally sourced ingredients through a health center-operated food truck, with the goal of reducing food insecurity and promoting overall wellness for all.

My ILE: My project is titled, “Examining the association between depression scores and the presence and severity of diabetes among US adults in 2017-2018.” Proposed research questions are, “Is there a relationship between diabetes and depression scores among US adults?” and “Is there a relationship between depression scores and level of diabetes control in people with diabetes?"

Other Activities: DSPH Award Committee board member, Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion (SCDI) event coordinator

Tameka Stephenson Harris
Jamaica
MPH, Epidemiology

About Tameka

Why I Chose Dornsife: The programme shared was quite comprehensive and gives you the level of exposure needed to work efficiently as a medical epidemiologist. The electives were very interesting.

Research Interests: Any medical research