Olamide Adebowale
Richmond, VA
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Olamide
Why I Chose Dornsife: It is one of the best programs I found, and it brought me my full circle moment.
Research Interests: Health improvement for vulnerable and immigrant populations.
Favorite Place on Campus: Not sure yet.
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: My kitchen :)
Breanne Baez
Pomona, NY
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Breanne
Why I Chose Dornsife: The many opportunities offered and the location of Drexel itself.
Research Interests: Nutrition/Obesity
Favorite Place on Campus: The Rec Center
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Johns Food Truck
Maura Boughter-Dornfeld
Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Health Management & Policy
About Maura
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because I saw immediately how engaged the whole community is and how much everyone cares about each individual's success and growth. Dornsife demonstrated their interest in having well-rounded students, understood my need for some financial support, and helped me with my hope to gain experience (in many forms) to further my career in public health.
Research Interests: Food Insecurity, Childhood Adversity/Trauma, Access to Health Care
Favorite Place on Campus: 3rd floor (Health Management & Policy Department) of Nesbitt!
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Spurrito or Boba (Food Trucks) and Han Dynasty (Restaurant)
Breauna Branch
Bowie, MD
MPH, Epidemiology
About Breauna
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because I really enjoyed how welcoming everyone was when I visited the school during the admissions process. I value that we as students are required to gain more experience in the field as a graduation requirement compared to other institutions. Dornsife has many opportunities to be engaged with the campus and community as well as having numerous community partnerships.
Research Interests: Infectious Disease, Maternal and Child Health, and Global Health
Favorite Place on Campus: The Collaboratory in Nesbitt Hall
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Landmark
Chelsi Defoe
Brooklyn, NY
MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health
About Chelsi
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the people. I couldn't attend the Accepted Students Day so I reached out to Phi and received a personal tour in return. The faculty and students that spoke to me were so down to earth and genuine. I immediately felt like I was supported here. I thought to myself that I wanted to be a part of a school that truly cares about its students and Dornsife embodied that. Also, I was sold by the on-campus Chick-fil-A!
Research Interests: I am interested in occupational health and hazard assessments. Right now, I am assisting Dr. Huynh with her project on developing an intervention program for nail salon workers. I hope to do a similar project for my ILE assessing the health hazards of food truck workers.
Favorite Place on Campus: Nesbitt Collaboratory
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Mike's Food Stop
Casey Gonzaga (Leech)
North Wales, PA
MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health
(minor in Infectious Disease and Prevention)
About Casey
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the vast opportunities that are present within the city of Philadelphia. You have to complete breadths monthly, and a depth over the summer, which can be in any area of interest to you. This has really helped me see public health from different perspectives, other than just EOH. I truly believe that this is what helped focus my interests.
Research Interests: Infectious Disease Outbreak Control / Surveillance; Opioid Epidemic Surveillance; Global Health
Favorite Place on Campus: In the winter, 6th floor Nesbitt. In the warmer months, the quad.
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Valanni restaurant in Center City, Tran's Food Truck
Areej Idris
Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Epidemiology
About Areej
Why I Chose Dornsife: The courses offered by the school and the location.
Research Interests: Pharmacoepidemiology
Favorite Place on Campus: Nesbitt Hall
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Chinese food truck
Thomas Jackson, MS
Stringer, Mississippi
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Thomas
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the community-centered emphasis and the focus on practical experiences, along with the availability of concentrations, the 5-quarter program design, and the excellent job placement statistics.
Research Interests: Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy Advocacy, Evaluation, and Analysis
Favorite Place on Campus: Nesbitt Hall, 3rd floor
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Food trucks: tied between Kami and Halal Trucks. Restaurant: Nom Wah Philadelphia
Jannie Kim
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
MPH, Epidemiology
(minor in Program Monitoring and Evaluation)
About Jannie
Why I Chose Dornsife: I really liked how the practical experiences were incorporated with the academic curriculum.
Research Interests: Global health, maternal/child health, obesity, diabetes
Favorite Place on Campus: Tech Lounge on the Square
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Taqueria La Veracruzana
Kelly McLaughlin
Selinsgrove, PA
MS, Epidemiology
(minor in Biostatistics)
About Kelly
Why I Chose Dornsife: Drexel, as well as the city of Philadelphia, provide incredible resources and mentors that help shape your professional career in public health from the very first day. I enjoy the opportunities to collaborate with professors in other departments, as well as other public health professionals here in the city.
Research Interests: My research interests include physical activity, injury and chronic disease prevention, and disease outbreaks.
Favorite Place on Campus: Starbucks
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Los Compadres food truck
Rachel Seitz
Monkton, MD
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Rachel
Why I Chose Dornsife: The opportunity to participate in research and to promote health in all policies.
Research Interests: Policy affecting those with special health care needs.
Favorite Place on Campus: Dornsife
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Hummus Grill
Samantha Trainor
Voorhees, NJ
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Samantha
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because everyone I met immediately during an open house made me feel like this was where I should be, and I thought the program was one of the best out of other schools I applied to! When first starting the program, I was introduced to so many people who I have been able to network with and other students who I have become close with!
Research Interests: ACA and access to care/ Areas of PH: Hospital Management and Patient Safety
Favorite Place on Campus: 3rd floor of Nesbitt: HMP floor because I can speak with my peers and get my studying done
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Grilly Cheese (grilled cheese) food truck or Fuel on 32 and Chestnut
Alex Trautman
Hollywood, FL
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Alex
Why I Chose Dornsife: I love that Dornsife believes in and fights for Health as a Human Right. I also felt really welcomed here by the entire CHP department when I came to tour and I think Philadelphia provides a really unique place to study public health.
Research Interests: Sexual and Reproductive Health, Women's Health
Favorite Place on Campus: 4th floor of Nesbitt
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Brunch at Jones
Lauren Trumbull
Center Valley, PA
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Lauren
Why I Chose Dornsife: I choose Drexel because of the many partnerships the school has with organizations in Philadelphia and I believed the professors research interests matched my own.
Research Interests: Health disparities, violence, human trafficking
Favorite Place on Campus: Starbucks!
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Sabrina's Café
Danielle Uibel
Washington Township, NJ
MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health
About Danielle
Why I Chose Dornsife: Philadelphia has so much to offer and Dornsife takes advantage of the city and helps us gain so many opportunities!
Research Interests: Infectious Disease, Global Health, Medicine and Public Health, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer
Favorite Place on Campus: Nesbitt 6th floor and the Starbucks in the LeBow Business Building
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: WaWa and Grilly Cheese
Revathi Varanasi
Plainsboro, NJ
MPH, Epidemiology
(minor in Health Economics)
About Revathi
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because everyone in the school made it very clear that they were actively involved with helping each student achieve their goals. Also, Philly is an amazing city to live in!
Research Interests: Mental health and Substance Use
Favorite Place on Campus: Nesbitt Hall, 7th floor lounge - where I go to study between classes!
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: El Rey near 20th and Chestnut
Kenna Yadeta
Silver Spring, MD
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Kenna
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of its location in the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia has so much to offer and I couldn't wait to collaborate with the many partnerships Drexel had with the surrounding community.
Research Interests: Violence and Trauma, Maternal and Child Health,Women's Health, Substance Abuse, Health disparities, Health Equity, Social Justice
Favorite Place on Campus: Third floor kitchen....they have the best coffee :)
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: Jessie's Boys
Claudia Zumaeta Castillo
Lima, Peru
MPH, Community Health & Prevention
About Claudia
Why I Chose Dornsife: Because of its Community Engagement.
Research Interests: Infectious Diseases, Minorities & Underserved population
Favorite Place on Campus: The Recreational Center
Favorite Food Truck or Restaurant in Philadelphia: South Philly Barbacoa (Real Mexican Food, not TexMex)