Joseph C. Tringali was an innovator and visionary businessman from Baltimore. He was a man of many abilities and gifts and had the ability to work hard, persevere, and overcome many obstacles in order to achieve success in business and in life.

His greatest gift was his family, to whom he owed all and devoted all. But he also had the gift of gratitude. He recognized his own good fortune and empathized with those who were less fortunate. He was especially touched by the plight of children who faced hardships and challenges, whether due to health issues, poverty, or lack of opportunity and encouragement.

The Joseph C. Tringali Scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates a firm commitment to embarking on a career in public health that will address the challenges facing disadvantaged children and improve their opportunities for healthy and productive lives.

Applicants should indicate their interest when applying to their master's program via SOPHAS.

Emily Flanders, 2024 Scholarship Recipient

MPH Major: Community Health and Prevention

Growing up, I spent much of my childhood in and out of hospitals. After years of doctors visits, specialists, and countless tests, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness at thirteen. I soon found myself a part of a community I never expected, navigating treatment plans, educational materials and new resources. My early exposure to the healthcare system sparked an interest in public health, particularly regarding access to care and the experiences of young patients.

Throughout my undergraduate career at The College of New Jersey, I spent significant time studying the social determinants of health and health disparities amongst populations. I engaged in coursework that examined the maternal mortality crisis and the crucial role of doulas, gaining insight into how advocacy and support systems can significantly improve patient experiences and outcomes. My coursework was complemented by my internship experience with AmIOK, a grant-funded organization aimed at providing trauma-informed care to college students. This role allowed me the opportunity to complete research on sexual assault trauma, investigating the impact similar organizations play in addressing access disparities.

My experiences and education only furthered my passion for community health and solidified my desire to be an advocate for equitable healthcare. As an MPH student at the Dornsife School of Public Health, I aim to deepen my understanding of how to enhance healthcare access and education within the communities we serve, with a particular emphasis on maternal and child health. I aspire to create meaningful change in the Philadelphia community and ensure healthcare is a human right.

Danielle Whyte, 2023 Scholarship Recipient

MPH Major: Epidemiology

Danielle's Focus: As an undergraduate student at the University of Delaware, I gained extensive research experience on varying topics. These experiences opened my eyes to how society has widely spread discrimination and inequalities through mutually reinforcing systems such as education, housing, media, healthcare, criminal justice, and more.

Through researching the extent race shapes women's reproductive healthcare experiences, I saw that the concept of trust is complex. Our results indicated that black women did not trust the healthcare system but did trust their primary care doctors. Learning about reproductive health during this study, combined with my knowledge of poor maternal health outcomes for Black women in the United States, fueled my desire to address the many challenges underprivileged populations face.

As an MPH student at the Dornsife School of Public Health, I plan to focus on developing the skills necessary to conduct adequate research on marginalized populations. I hope to take the steps needed to build trust between the healthcare system and vulnerable communities while also breaking the barriers to equity.

Houssam Joudi, 2022 Scholarship Recipient

MPH Major: Community Health and Prevention

Houssam’s Focus: During my undergraduate education at UC Davis, my degrees in Biological Psychology and Chicanx Studies allowed me to explore a breadth of topics. Outside the classroom in Sacramento, our student-run Imani Clinic and the Youth Xplosion Program (YXP) served to address the negative social determinants of health that Oak Park’s largely medically underserved and disenfranchised population continues to face on a daily basis.

Guided by my younger sister’s seventy-two-day hospital stay in and out of the PICU due to a severe gastrointestinal viral infection, I found myself heavily invested in the realm of pediatric healthcare. After interning at the UC Davis Surgical Research Facility during my undergraduate years, addressing conditions such as spina bifida and congenital heart defects, I began working for the UC Davis Medical Center’s Department of Pediatrics where we researched neonatal resuscitation and pulmonology.

At the intersection of my passion for the sciences and social justice, I found public health and medicine. As a current MPH student at the Dornsife School of Public Health and into my future career, I seek to study, research, and address the various social determinants of health that impact the outcomes of our community members across the country through a lens of preventative care with a particular emphasis on our pediatric and chronically ill patients.

Tamar Tertulien, 2022 Scholarship Recipient

MPH Major: Epidemiology

Tamar's Focus: As a recent graduate of Temple University's undergraduate program, I learned various topics such as social determinants of health, SES, health behavior model, health inequities, etc. However, one of the topics that stood out the most to me is health disparities. During my time at Temple, I conducted a research paper on maternal mortality, particularly in Black families. During my research, I found that pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, yet there is a considerable disparity in race. Several reasons include behavioral factors (e.g., smoking, physical activity, etc.) and nonbehavioral factors (i.e., living in poverty, crime rates, etc.). Furthermore, as a woman of color myself, I feel disappointed to hear many anecdotes where Black mothers and children are not receiving the proper care they need.

As an MPH student at Drexel, my focus is to allow other students and faculty to be aware of this health disparity. I want to build my knowledge on this particular topic and find ways to tackle it. I applied to be an epidemiology student at Drexel to continue my research and be the best maternal and child health epidemiologist I can be. Pregnancy-related deaths are a public health problem, and I think it is essential to discuss it.

Jordan Carl, 2021 Scholarship Recipient

MPH Major: Community Health and Prevention

Jordan's Focus: Through my past studies and experiences, I have seen the power public health initiatives can have to change the trajectory of families' days and lives. I have specifically worked in areas of child nutrition, domestic poverty advocacy, COVID-19 resource coordination and child life at an in-patient clinic. Through each of these positions, I have directly and indirectly supported low-income and marginalized children and families.

From a legislative perspective, I have seen how grave lowering the poverty line can be for families barely scraping by and how critical policy governing nutrition programs are to hungry children. I have also worked with families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and seen the gaps in the programs.

At Dornsife, I am interested in continuing to learn about how to best serve and amplify the voices of disadvantaged populations. I am looking forward to getting involved in community-led interventions and research.

With an MPH in Community Health and Prevention, I will be better equipped to listen to children and families and improve health outcomes in underserved communities by acting as an advocate.

Hiba Chaudhry, 2021 Scholarship Recipient

MPH Major: Health Management and Policy 

Hiba's Focus: As a child, I always knew that I wanted to help people out and create a difference in the world. Coming from a country where poverty was high and many mothers and children, especially babies were at a disadvantage.

While pursuing my education, I learned more about the disparities faced by mothers and how important it is for us to create an environment where everyone deserves to lead a healthy and peaceful life, with access to healthcare and regarding mothers and children, access to formula and an abundance of healthy food.

I have volunteered in programs where we would help children by providing them with education as well as with the basic medical knowledge so that they could care for their hygiene.

I applied for my Master’s in Public Health after graduating from college with the focus in Health Management and Policy and a concentration in Maternal and Child Health because I think it is a matter which is sometimes overlooked, especially in third world countries and this creates a path to the birth of new diseases and poor health among mothers and children.

Learn more about the Maternal and Child Health Program at the Dornsife School of Public Health