Demi Adefarati
Collegeville, PA
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Demi
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because I loved the research being conducted by professors within the various departments, and because of Drexel's location within Philadelphia. Ultimately, I knew that I wanted to be in Philly because I love the community, and I wanted to be engaged with a city that I felt a personal connection to.
Research Interests: Chronic Inflammatory Conditions Amongst Women of Color, Health Inequities, Women of Color and their Experiences in the Healthcare System within the United States, Economic Determinants of Health, and the Intersection of Racial and Gender Based Trauma as a Determinant of Health
Alesha Amin
Dallas, Texas
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Alesha
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of all the hands-on experience that you get.
Research Interests: Maternal and Child Health
ILE Project: SCPA Adolescent Health Research Assistant. I will be analyzing medical records of women who take a specific type of birth control, and looking at their demographics ( eg. race, ethnicity, age, poverty level) and sexually transmitted infection rates.
Other Involvement: Between the Lines Research Assistant
Khadijah Bundick
Roanoke, VA
MPH, Global Health
About Khadijah
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the distinctiveness of the program.
Research Interests: Maternal Reproductive Health (Research), Health Policy/Inequities
Sarah Caldwell
Washington Crossing, PA
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
(minor in Global Health)
About Sarah
Why I Chose Dornsife: I found it really interesting that each professor had their own individual research. I thought that not only could Dornsife provide me with a sense of knowledge moving forward, but also insight into the field of public health which I hope to pursue.
Research Interests: Global Health
ILE Project: I am working with a community services organization to provide data analysis on 5 years of HUD health outcome data. In doing so, I will identify areas of gaps in health programming and provide suggestions for future changes.
Other Involvement: Maternal and Child Health Club
Mary Conroy
Manahawkin, NJ
MPH, Health Management & Policy
About Mary
Why I Chose Dornsife: The ILE experience & depths that help expose me to different aspects of public health.
Research Interests: Hospital management
ILE Project: I start my ILE winter term being that I am the 6th quarter track.
Other Involvement: Graduate Assistant in Department of Athletics - ACHIEVE Center
Sierra Cuellar
Ocean View, DE
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Sierra
Why I Chose Dornsife: Dornsife was actually the only school I applied to, but it ended up being a great fit because of the emphasis on and opportunity to be involved in research specific to my area of study. Philadelphia is also so full of public health connections -- there are important relationships to be formed everywhere around the city.
Research Interests: Global Health, Vulnerable Populations, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, Reproductive Health/Rights, Gender Equality, WASH
ILE Project: My ILE looks to understand the relationship between immigration climate (sanctuary status, population composition) and school performance among children of Latino immigrants comparing families who are not separated and separated due to deportation. This will be done through qualitative analysis and quantitative descriptive methods.
Other Involvement: Research Assistant for Dr. Ana Martinez-Donate, SGO Vice President of Social Engagement
Isabel De Ramos
Philadelphia, PA
MS, Epidemiology
About Isabel
Why I Chose Dornsife: Dornsife's dedication in improving the health of Philadelphia's disadvantaged and most vulnerable populations resonates with my own career goals. As a Philly native, I chose Drexel as my new home once I discovered that Dornsife has deep roots and connections with overall public health research, programs, and projects throughout the city.
Research Interests: Health Disparities, Immigrant & Refugee Health, Chronic Disease, Health Equity, Health of People of Color
Adrian Diogo
Elizabeth, NJ
MPH, Epidemiology
About Adrian
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because it is the best School of Public Health in Philadelphia. The curriculum has a strong emphasis on building qualitative skills with real-world experience through strong community partnerships.
Research Interests: Healthy Aging, Injury Prevention, and Health Economics
ILE Project: I will be describing how the incidence of non-driving related suspensions among New Jersey drivers varies by race/ethnicity, sex, and age. I will also be examining spatiotemporal relationships between non-driving related license suspensions and driver’s race/ethnicity, sex, and age.
Other Involvement: GIS Research Assistant at Dornsife's Urban Health Collaborative
Ngozi Fadulu
Clementon, NJ
MPH, Epidemiology (online program)
About Ngozi
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife based on revelations I read from current students and the school's expertise in the area of public health around the city of Philadelphia and all over the nation.
Research Interests: Infectious Disease Surveillance, Maternal and Child Health, Social Epidemiology
Kaitlyn Farrell
Philadelphia, PA
MPH, Global Health
About Kaitlyn
Why I Chose Dornsife: I was instantly drawn to Dornsife's core mission to fight for health as a human right, locally and globally. Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health perfectly encapsulated everything I envisioned for my MPH degree. With unmatched educational opportunities and a newly created Global Health MPH program, the choice was clear. At Drexel, I would gain the tools I need to improve the health and well-being of children and families, both here in Philadelphia and around the globe.
Research Interests: Global Health, Ethics, Maternal and Child Health, and Latino and Immigrant Health
Rozhan Ghanbari
Paso Robles, CA
MPH, Epidemiology
About Rozhan
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the welcoming environment and opportunities for research!
Research Interests: Mental Health, Global Health, and Infectious Disease
ILE Project: My ILE is the Neighborhood Diversity and Well-Being Study in the DC Area. The purpose of this research is to use data from a DC-area survey to understand associations relevant to pathways that connect neighborhood diversity and well-being. Research questions may focus on specific aspects of the neighborhood environment; potentially mediating attitudes, beliefs, experiences or behaviors; and outcomes such as risk factors and symptoms relevant to health and well-being.
Other Involvement: Dornsife Fellow - Research Assistant (Health Management and Policy Department), 7 Cups Peer Listener, and FIRE Fellow (Summer 2020)
Sucharu Ghosh
Hooghly, West Bengal, India
MPH, Epidemiology
About Sucharu
Why I Chose Dornsife: The curriculum of Dornsife with extensive practical exposure attracts me the most. The practicum is divided into two sections: Breadth (10 monthly engagements) and Depth (a minimum 120-hour internship). Moreover, it has a campus of diverse cultures with students from different countries. Also, U.S. News ranks it in the top 19th position!!!
Research Interests: Infectious Diseases and Substance Abuse
ILE Project: I am trying to find out how oral health access improves the quality of life and employment rate among people suffering from substance use disorder and homelessness.
Other Involvement: COVID-19 Contact Tracing Project Manager
Line Pascale Gonel
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Line Pascale
Why I Chose Dornsife: My choice was based on the broad practical opportunities available and the scholarships offered regardless if you are a resident student or not. As an international student those two opportunities are making a great difference in my graduate student experience. Furthermore, I love history and if I want to know more about Americans culture, Philadelphia is the best place. It's rich in history and Dornsife is the number #1 School of Public in Philadelphia.
Research Interests: Healthcare Management, Health Insurance
Nikki Johnson
Lumberton, NJ
MPH, Epidemiology
About Nikki
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife for the interdisciplinary curriculum, small school feel and the endless opportunities in public health Philadelphia has to offer!
Research Interests: Health Disparities, Maternal and Child Health, Chronic Disease, Cancer, Environmental Epidemiology
ILE Project: My ILE is to assess if there is any risk associated with LARC (long-acting reversible contraception) and adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm labor or spontaneous abortion.
Other Involvement: Teaching Assistant for EPI570
Matthew Joy
Trenton, NJ
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
(minor in Public Health Emergency Preparedness)
About Matthew
Why I Chose Dornsife: Because of the many research opportunities the School has to offer.
Research Interests: Infectious Disease, Nutrition, Health Disparities, Health Communication
ILE Project: I am working at Fox Chase Cancer Center where I will be examining preliminary data on a recovery support study on bladder cancer patients and caregivers.
Other Involvement: Research Assistant in Dr. Philip Massey's Health & Digital Media Innovation Lab
Maureen Klopp
Willow Springs, IL
MPH, Epidemiology
About Maureen
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the expansive opportunities that are offered through different experiences. Also, I enjoy all the multitude of electives offered that allow me to explore my other interests and then have the opportunity to have a minor.
Research Interests: Infectious Disease, Global Health, and Emergency Preparedness and Response
ILE Project: I worked with EPA Region 3 Office of Communities, Tribes & Environmental Assessment on characterizing vulnerable and at-risk populations in communities using small area estimates. I researched and developed a plan for EPA's use of small area estimates of health outcomes in conjecture with their environmental data.
Other Involvement: Maternal and Child Health Club
Celina Koh
New York, NY
MPH, Epidemiology
About Celina
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the emphasis on practical experiences along with the flexibility to incorporate a minor. Furthermore, the opportunities to network with professors, public health professionals, and students are endless!
Research Interests: Refugee Health, Immigrant Health, Infectious Disease, Chronic Disease, Aging, Environmental Exposure
ILE Project: My ILE is about analyzing the impact of neighborhood green space on hypertension among adults living in Philadelphia. In addition, I will be exploring the difference in odds of hypertension to those who live in advantaged neighborhoods compared to less disadvantaged neighborhoods accounting for proximity to green space.
Other Involvement: Office Assistant at Dornsife's Office of Student Affairs, Research Assistant at Dornsife's Urban Health Collaborative working on the COVID-19 Dashboard with Big Cities Health Coalition.
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 for over six years with international medical nonprofit ECRI. 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
Stephanie Miller
Phoenix, AZ
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Stephanie
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the program values, research opportunities, and location.
Research Interests: Substance Abuse, Harm Reduction, Population Mental Health, Injury and Violence Prevention
Aria Mooney
Dunmore, PA
MPH, Epidemiology
About Aria
Why I Chose Dornsife: Dornsife offered me the ability to take a variety of classes in my areas of interest while also being in a great city with so many opportunities. The Dornsife staff was there for me whenever I needed help, so I knew this was the place for me.
Research Interests: Infectious Diseases, Emergency Preparedness
Gabrielle Mullin
Collegeville, PA
MPH, Epidemiology
About Gabrielle
Why I Chose Dornsife: It's located in a large city with many public health initiatives and organizations that I could join.
Research Interests: Cancer Epidemiology, Injury Prevention, Policy
ILE Project: I will be staying with Dornsife's Center for Firefighter Injury Research & Safety Trends (FIRST) for my ILE. I'm analyzing the COVID-19 impact on first responders (fire-based EMS).
Other Involvement: SGO treasurer, Research Assistant at Dornsife's Urban Health Collaborative, FIRE Fellow (Summer 2020)
Garvita Nagar
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
MPH, Epidemiology (minor in Biostatistics)
About Garvita
Why I Chose Dornsife: Dornsife stands out by offering one of the best programs that provides a flexible curriculum with the perfect balance between statistical and public health courses. The school has a number of research opportunities to gain experience in my field of interest.
Research Interests: Epidemiological Research on Oncology, Infectious Diseases and Other Viral Infections
Neeraj Narayan
West Chester, PA
MPH, Epidemiology (online program)
About Neeraj
Why I Chose Dornsife: I loved the opportunities here.
Research Interests: Injury Epidemiology
Gabby O'Leary
Wynnewood, PA
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Gabby
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the research opportunities, emphasis on community engagement, and strong connections in the Philadelphia area.
Research Interests: Maternal and Child Health, Urban Health, Health Disparities, Injury Prevention, Policy
Georgia Pardales
Berkeley Heights, NJ
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Georgia
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the faculty, multiple research opportunities and the location!
Research Interests: Health Communication, Chronic Disease, Vaccination
Puja Patel
Edwardsville, IL
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Puja
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because it was the best fit for everything I wanted in my MPH program. Drexel is in a large city and Dornsife had many opportunities to get involved in the surrounding area through both education and engagement throughout the program.
Research Interests: Access to Care, Mental Health, Maternal and Child Health
ILE Project: My ILE was with Health Partners Plans within their Government Affairs Unit as a Government Affairs Policy Intern. I looked at legislation and contracting with the state and worked on the implementation of requirements.
Other Involvement: SGO, HMP Anti-Racism Coordinating Committee, HMP Accountability Workgroup, AJ Drexel Autism Institute Policy and Analytics Center Student Worker
Mikaela Perez
San Antonio, TX
MPH, Epidemiology
About Mikaela
Why I Chose Dornsife: I love the diversity in Philadelphia. This is a great location to study public health as well as participate in the various research opportunities that Drexel offers such as the Urban Health Collaborative.
Research Interests: Maternal and Child Health, HIV/AIDS, Infectious Disease, Global Health, Reproductive Health, Sexual Health, and Urban Health
Liam Romond
Wind Gap, PA
MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (minor in Public Health Emergency Preparedness)
About Liam
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the school's distinguished faculty to learn from and work with, as well as the incredible resources that the school and university offer.
Research Interests: Unintentional Injuries Related to the Built Environment, Occupational Safety, Impacts of Climate Change on Older Populations, Environmental Justice in Rural Communities
Isabelle Shumate
Hershey, PA
MPH/MBA Dual Degree
About Isabelle
Why I Chose Dornsife: I choose Dornsife because of the emphasis on the Philadelphia community and the opportunities the school provided. In addition, during a preview day I attended all of the students seemed so passionate about the school and their work which helped me make the final decision to attend Drexel.
Research Interests: Clinical Management, Healthcare Consulting
Other Involvement: Health Management & Policy Club Vice President
Maya Stallings
Media, PA
MPH, Epidemiology
About Maya
Why I Chose Dornsife: I loved how it was in the center of Philadelphia. I wanted to go to a school that would give me the tools I needed to give back to my community.
Research Interests: Violence Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, Health Disparities, Health Equity, Health of People of Color
ILE Project: I will be looking at how the risk of Black men experiencing gun violence in Philadelphia has increased in 2020 compared to 2019. I will use data sources to also see if there's a connection between violence and housing segregation by zip code.
Other Involvement: Treasurer of the Peer Health Educators Club
Laneisha Sullivan
Wayne, NJ
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Laneisha
Why I Chose Dornsife: As a Drexel University undergraduate alumna, I've always appreciated the resources this school offered both during and after graduation. After being named Philadelphia's #1 Public Health School, I immediately had to know why. Immediately, I knew the faculty, current students and academic resources provided on campus were going to propel my public health career journey farther than I imagined.
Research Interests: Women's Health, Vulnerable Populations, Hospital Management
ILE Project: I am working with the Healthcare Improvement Foundation. Their newest initiative "Cities Changing Diabetes" has recently launched in Philly and I'm one of their new interns. My specific role works with one of their projects, "Latinos Educating Latinos," focusing on literature reviews, program success measurement and evaluation.
Other Involvement: Drexel Black Student Union, Lindy Center for Civic Engagement
Yosselin Turcios
Alexandria, VA
MPH, Community Health and Prevention
About Yosselin
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of its skills-based curriculum, outstanding faculty research, and hands-on public health opportunities.
Research Interests: Latinx/Immigrant Health, Health Disparities and Health Equity, and Maternal and Child Health Among Marginalized Communities
Alaisha Verdeflor
Sayreville, NJ
MPH, Health Management and Policy
About Alaisha
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of its commitment to partnering with the surrounding Philadelphia community.
Research Interests: Health Equity, Housing Equity, Oppression and Health, Policy Analysis and Evaluation
Nicole Wittmeyer
Wilmington, DE
MPH, Health Management and Policy (minor in Infectious Disease and Population Health)
About Nicole
Why I Chose Dornsife: I chose Dornsife because of the opportunities the program has to offer, the option to declare a minor, and the ability to participate in research and network with professors.
Research Interests: Health Management, Chronic Disease, Infectious Disease, Mental Health, Nutrition