March 20, 2023

Drexel Magazine’s latest edition features 40 Under 40 alumni who "advance knowledge, lift communities, forge connections and improve conditions for others."

Two outstanding alums from the Dornsife School of Public Health are featured: Christine Ivery, MPH '18, and Kathryn McNamara, MPH '16.

Both talk about how the coursework and hands-on experiences at Dornsife inspired their career paths.

Christine Ivery, MPH '18

Project Manager, Thomas Jefferson University Collaborative for Health Equity (Philadelphia, PA)

Through her work at a North Philadelphia community center, Christine "saw so many gaps and so many needs.”

When she realized this amounted to promoting public health — and that she wanted to be better at it — she decided to pursue an MPH at Drexel Dornsife, where she learned about things like building community relationships and “how to sustain programs over time,” she says.

Once she worked on a project in maternal child health at Drexel, she adds, “There was pretty much no turning back.”

Her role as project manager at Thomas Jefferson University’s Collaborative for Health Equity "encompasses maternal health and the broader scope of health equity for all walks of life,” she says."

Read Christine's full interview

Kathryn McNamara, MPH '16

Environmental Health Officer, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, (Albuquerque, NM)

Kathryn is "on the front lines of public health" as a field environmental health officer with the U.S. Public Health Service stationed at the Indian Health Service in New Mexico, which serves more than 100,000 tribal members across four states.

"My experiences at Drexel were pivotal to my career path today," says Kathryn. "I came into public health with an unconventional background in international relations and Arabic."

"I was so fortunate to be mentored by Dr. Igor Burstyn and pursue the rigorous scientific coursework I needed in health physics, biostatistics and industrial hygiene. While a student at Drexel, I interned at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and first encountered Public Health Service officers. Right then and there, I knew I had found my community."

Read Kathryn's full interview

This is the eleventh year that the magazine has showcased "40 Under 40" alumni honorees.

Read all "40 Under 40" interviews in Drexel Magazine