The endowed Amanda Gill Memorial Fund was established to provide further research or educational opportunities to students studying public health, specifically in the area of infectious disease, which Amanda was passionate about.

USF College of Public Health alumna Amanda Gill had a heart for helping others.

A graduate of the first BSPH class in 2011, her parents said Amanda had a passion for working with people with infectious diseases and always said she wanted to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or in Africa to help AIDS patients.

Amanda was born in September of 1988 in Clearwater, Fla. She spent the majority of her education at Northside Christian School before transferring to Clearwater Hight School, where she graduated.

While attending USF, Gill worked at Busch Gardens and was awarded the Employee of the Year award. But being a big sister was her true badge of honor. “She was a fierce protector of her younger brother, Matthew, who also ended up attending USF, and always had his back,” Amanda’s father, Jim, said.

Always on the go, her family said she was involved in many activities in her free time and was a light to others. She loved adventure, her dog, Oakley, and had a heart to help. “She wanted to help people more than anything,” her mother Denice said. “When she smiled, everybody smiled.”

After graduating the COPH, Amanda’s  career path lead her across many different cities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. From food safety for local restaurants to the North Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center, Amanda’s parents said that each role could be linked back to her interest and experience in public health.

One role even led her right to the front lines of COVID at a drive-thru testing center.

In her most recent role, Amanda worked as an Infection Preventionist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.

“She wanted to do the best and go above and beyond,” said Shalom Patel, infection prevention manager of operations at Piedmont Healthcare with whom Amanda worked. “Amanda was fun and very bright, and she had an infectious smile. She was one of my most enthusiastic employees who was always very open and honest with me, which I appreciated. She was a team player and went out of her way to help other people. Acceptance overall was really important to Amanda.”

During her time at Piedmont, Patel said a big part of Amanda’s role was collaborating closely with the engineering department. She also worked with the MRSA-prevention team and infection prevention in the cardiac critical care unit areas.

Patel also noted that Amanda was a natural leader and mentor who took new employees under her wing.

“When she moved to Atlanta to work at Piedmont, she was very happy,” Patel said. “Amanda said this was the type of work she wanted the whole time. In infection prevention, she got to be the ‘boots on the ground,’ I think she was in the right place.”

In 35 years, Amanda lived a full life and was invested in helping so many others. “She was a shining light in all of our lives,” Denice Gill said.

A Celebration of Life was held Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at Central Christian Church in St. Petersburg, Fla. Live Stream Link: https://boxcast.tv/view/amanda-gill-memorial-service-3p-vnovk1edkyfq3jnemasb

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you please consider donating to the Amanda Gill Memorial Fund #540045 at the University of South Florida.

Donations may be mailed to: USF Foundation, Inc., 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC 100, Tampa, FL 33620 (ATTN: Beth Ahmedic, USF Health); memo line: Fund #540045 Amanda Gill Memorial Fund

Story by: Liz Bannon, College of Public Health

The post In remembrance of Amanda Gill appeared first on College of Public Health News.

When Stephanie Carraway relocated to Tampa from Florida’s East Coast 12 years ago, she took a job as a secretary in the infection prevention department at Moffitt Cancer Center.

“My time there proved to be highly influential,” said Carraway, a native of Islamorada, Fla., and a 2006 graduate of Florida State University. “I became deeply inspired by the department, prompting me to pursue a specialization in infection prevention.”

In 2013, Carraway enrolled in classes at USF to acquire a graduate certificate in infection control, which sparked an even broader interest in public health. In 2015, she received her MPH from USF’s College of Public Health with a specialization in infection control.

Carraway said what she loves about the work is her ability to have a direct impact on an individual’s health and well-being.

“Our primary objective revolves around ensuring the well-being of both patients and staff, shielding them from the risks associated with communicable diseases and infections that they might be vulnerable to during their hospital stay,” Carraway said. “It is truly gratifying to witness the positive impact my team can make by introducing projects or processes that enhance the health outcomes of our patients and the safety of our staff.”

Carraway credits her COPH training with helping her climb to the top.

“The invaluable knowledge I gained at USF has played a pivotal role in shaping my current position,” she stated. “My experience at USF has enabled me to successfully transition into the role of an infection preventionist, significantly expanding my responsibilities within my organization. I started as a secretary and today, I stand as director of infection prevention at a prominent comprehensive cancer center, a testament to the transformative power of education and personal growth.”

Infection control’s ever-changing nature keeps Carraway on her toes.

“I am dedicated to the education of health care personnel and the general public regarding infectious diseases and effective measures to contain their spread,” she said. “Through this outreach, I aim to foster awareness and empower individuals with knowledge on limiting the transmission of infectious diseases. I firmly believe that in this role, the learning process never ceases. There is an endless array of knowledge and skills to acquire, and I relish the opportunity to face and overcome such challenges.”

Carraway said one of her greatest professional accomplishments is being selected as a fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Fellows of the APIC must demonstrate exceptional expertise and leadership in the field of infection control and epidemiology, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals and exhibiting proficiency in at least three of the four domains of infection prevention (for example, operations and performance improvement, professional stewardship, etc.).

“Receiving the title of APIC fellow is an accomplishment that I am immensely proud of. It highlights my dedication to infection prevention and control, as well as my commitment to advancing the field through leadership and scholarly contributions,” Carraway said.

Carraway intends on staying put at Moffitt, at least for the time being.

“I love working at Moffitt. I feel like I have truly found my passion and I love what I do,” she said. “I am not sure what the future holds for my career, but I am along for the ride!”

Alumni Fast Five:

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

I was always inspired by doctors and thought medicine was super cool!

Where would we find you on the weekend?

You will most likely find me spending time with my family. My weekends are when I get to have fun with my 5-year-old daughter and my husband. I look forward to different activities and watching my daughter grow and play! There is no other place I would rather be.

What is the last book you read?

I am currently pursuing my MBA, so the only books I have read lately are about finance!

What superpower would you like to have?

I would love to be able to heal people. You know…place your hand on a broken arm and fix it. There would be no better feeling!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

This is tough, and I am not sure I could pick just one. I really loved “Mrs. Doubtfire” growing up and that’s in my top 10!

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post From secretary to department head: One grad’s rise in infection control appeared first on College of Public Health News.

When Jennifer Davids graduated in 2019 with her bachelor’s degree in public health, she started work promoting a health screening program. Although she loved the people she was helping, she didn’t really feel fulfilled.

What she wanted, she realized, was a boots-on-the-ground job in health care, fighting disease and infection.

Choosing infection control

“Growing up, my dad was an EMT who eventually became an EMS chief,” Davids said. “I would go on emergency medical calls with him and assist with some of the courses he taught. The medical field and community felt like my extended family, and I missed that. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and I had a lot more time to reflect on what I truly wanted to do with my public health degree, I thought about the classes I took in undergrad that impacted me the most. I realized that I love communicable diseases, understanding how they spread, how they impact the body and figuring out ways to help break the chain of infection to stop and slow the spread of disease.”

Choosing the COPH

Davids researched MPH programs in infection control and settled on the USF College of Public Health. She’s currently concentrating in infection control and working on a certificate in the epidemiology of infectious diseases.

“I am a military spouse, so I wanted to ensure I had a program that would be as portable as I have to be,” Davids noted. “The program being offered completely online was a huge bonus because I knew no matter where the Air Force would send us, I would still be able to accomplish my goals. Another huge part of choosing this program was the opportunity to not only be a part of the amazing infection control concentration (which is very rare to find) but also to do the epidemiology of infectious diseases certificate. Infection control requires a lot of data manipulation and analysis for a successful program, so I wanted to ensure I got more exposure and expertise in data collection, management and analysis.”  

Although she’s still completing the MPH program, today Davids works as an infection preventionist (IP) with Madigan Army Medical Center, a large military hospital in Washington State with more than 200 beds, a pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit and busy operating room.

Some of her responsibilities include helping to determine if a patient’s infection was acquired in the hospital or elsewhere, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards and evaluating the use of transmission-based precautions for inpatients.

Davids says she started her job right about the time she started the infection control MPH program. “What I learned in just those first few weeks really helped me be more successful starting out as an IP,” Davids said. “That knowledge has only grown and progressed as I have completed the other courses that are really built to help you learn how to implement an infection control program.”

“There’s always something new to learn!”

Davids says she loves the breadth of infection control and the support she gets at the COPH.

“Even with the program being online, I’ve felt an immense amount of support from the faculty,” she said. “They’re always happy to answer questions and provide feedback. Infection control overlaps so many other areas of public health, such as occupational health in implementing a blood-borne pathogen exposure protocol or understanding facility management when advising on a construction project within a healthcare facility, that it’s nearly impossible to get bored. There’s always something new to learn!” 

Future goals

While Davids says she’s happy working as an IP, her ultimate goal is to become director of an infection control program at a large cancer hospital.

“I’ve always been humbled by the vastness of cancer’s effects on the body, and I’m passionate about how to keep those patients as safe as possible while their body works incredibly hard to battle the disease,” Davids commented.

Davids expects to earn her MPH in Fall 2023.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Public health student finds a career in infection control appeared first on College of Public Health News.

After two years, the USF College of Public Health (COPH) was able to celebrate the 2022 fall graduates virtually and in person on Dec. 9-10.

This semester, 456 undergraduates, 70 students seeking their master’s degree and seven doctoral students graduated and entered the public health profession.

On Dec. 9, the COPH welcomed master’s and doctoral students to a graduation ceremony presented at the college (and also livestreamed) to family, friends, students, faculty and staff. (Click here to view the full ceremony)

Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the COPH, began the ceremony sharing the morning’s top news headlines. The dean noted that the public’s health is an ever-present concern (and news topic) for the country and the world.

Petersen highlight stories about Medicaid, children vaping, breast cancer drugs and pregnancy, COVID-19 booster age limits and respiratory problems from red tide.

“Why does that matter?” asked Petersen. “Because everything that happens in our environment affects our health.”

Every year, the COPH Excellence in Teaching awardee offers words of inspiration to the graduating class. This year’s speaker was Dr. Dinorah Martinez-Tyson, associate professor.

“My message to you is to be persistent, don’t let the fear of ‘what if’ ruin the joy of ‘what is’ or diminish what you are capable of. The world is full of possibilities, even the ones not planned,” Martinez-Tyson said. “As public health professionals and advocates, you are pursuing opportunities where you can have an impact on the world, where you can have meaningful careers that prevent illness, educate and inform policy, help those who are sick manage disease and keep our workplace and communities safe. While these are challenging times, I know that you have the knowledge, skills and passion necessary to create positive social change!”

Drs. Janice Zgibor and Jaime Corvin rounded out the ceremony, presenting the Class of 2022 with their degrees and class gifts.

Zgibor, professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs, introduced the doctoral students graduating.

“I’m so proud of the accomplishments that you have made. It’s taken some time, but you did it. I had the privilege of reading all of your projects and you have made an impact on public health today as we speak,” Zgibor said.

Moving onto the MPH and MSPH students, Corvin, associate professor and director of MPH programs, urged the graduates to stand up for the vulnerable, fight for the innocent and weak and advocate for change.

“Let nothing stand in the way of your drive and passion, and never cease to be inspired,” she said.

On Dec. 10, the undergraduate studies team celebrated BSHS and BSPH graduates with a stop-in photo booth session before the USF Health ceremony at the USF Yuengling Center.

Here are some of the stories from the Class of 2022:

As a labor and delivery nurse for more than 25 years, Adrienne Rizwan became interested in public health from her experiences in health care. After seeing her daughter graduate from USF, she decided to go back to school and earn her MPH in public health practice.

Her road to earning her MPH would be a difficult and challenging one, though.

“When I began my MPH in the fall of 2019, I had been struggling for three years with PTSD from a trauma I suffered in 2016,” she said. “I chose the degree to give my life some direction and purpose. At the same time, I also became a full-time caregiver to my elderly mother.”

Then in July 2020, she was hospitalized with severe pancreatitis of unknown origin. After several more attacks she was diagnosed with a congenital condition and was offered a life-threatening procedure that had a 50 percent chance of success.

While she struggled to finish her degree with the possibility she might die, Rizwan persevered and continued her education. She is thankful to say that the procedure worked and proud to say that she did it.

“Throughout my hospitalizations and surgeries, I continued to meet my deadlines for school and was very grateful for the kindness of professors who told me to put my health first,” she said. “So here I am at the finish line, only one year longer than originally planned! I’m lucky and thankful to be alive and to be able to enjoy my beautiful family again.”

After earning his PharmD degree from the University of Minnesota, Zachary Nelson became interested in public health after he worked in an urban emergency department that helped an underserved community. He said it was clear that not everyone had the same opportunities to be healthy.

“I chose USF for my MPH in infection control because of its strong leadership and the strong testimonials from students whom I know that also are USF COPH alumni,” he said. “I also really appreciated, as a working professional, how flexible the schedule was, the support I received and how affordable the program is in comparison to other top-tier public health schools.”

Nelson said a huge challenge he had during his program was working in a hospital and seeing the devastation caused my COVID-19.

“We all struggled with the pandemic, but working within the hospital and seeing the true, real devastation caused by SARS-CoV-2 while trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy was extremely challenging,” he said. “For that, I credit my wonderful coworkers at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, my partner Drew, my understanding family and friends and my USF support system.”

After graduation, Nelson is planning on using his education to step outside of direct patient care to provide more population-level expertise regarding antimicrobial resistance and diagnostic stewardship.

“I also am working as a consultant at the Minnesota Department of Health to help hospitals throughout Minnesota, especially those with fewer resources, implement evidence-based antimicrobial use practices and sustainable surveillance systems,” he said. “I hope to break into a role in hospital epidemiology, which has historically been filled by physicians. I would love to demonstrate the role that other health professions can play in this field.”

Madison Sanders always dreamed of becoming an attorney. After taking a few undergraduate courses about health care at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., she decided to focus in on health law.

“I took medical ethics as an undergraduate and became so passionate about medical law and how policy affects our health,” she said. “I saw that USF offered a health policies and programs concentration where I could take law courses in health care law and health care ethics and knew I would absolutely love it here!”

Sanders said she chose to attend the COPH for her MPH because it had the largest variety of concentrations as well as a range of faculty with different research backgrounds. She also saw that several COPH faculty also attended Stetson Law School in Gulfport, Fla., which she will be applying to soon.

One of Sanders proudest accomplishments was passing the CPH exam and working with Drs. Ellen Daley, professor and associate dean of research and practice, and Karen Liller, Distinguished USF Health Professor and director of the Activist Lab.

“I am so proud about passing the CPH exam and being given the opportunity to work as a graduate research assistant for both Drs. Daley and Liller,” she said. “I was also able to be a guest speaker for undergraduate COPH students, health scholars and middle and high school students at Freedom and Liberty!”

After graduation, Sanders will be working as a full-time coordinator and analyst for Liller and the USF Activist Lab. She is also studying to take the LSAT in February to begin law school applications.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Public Health alum Charles Ford was recently selected as a 2022-2023 Gilman Scholarship alumni ambassador. He will serve as an official representative of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

The scholarship enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.

As alumni ambassadors, these representatives provide testimonials about their Gilman Scholarship experiences at campus presentations and offer application tips via written articles, videos, webinars and special events.

Ford, a Tampa native, earned his BS from Florida State University in 2018 and his MPH from the COPH in 2020. In addition to receiving his graduate degree from the COPH, Ford also completed a graduate certificate in infection control.

“I chose to attend the COPH because of the preeminence and history of the public health program for educating and training world-class public health professionals,” Ford said.

During his time in the program, Ford focused his studies on the dual epidemiology and global communicable disease concentrations and is most proud of serving as treasurer for the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Student Association.

In 2019, in his second year at USF, Ford began his first public health career experience at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Hillsborough County as a human services program consultant in the HIV Surveillance Program. In this role, he worked to conduct and coordinate public health surveys for people living with HIV/AIDS with the CDC Medical Monitoring Project.

“Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be difficult for graduate students and this is one obstacle I overcame while simultaneous working and studying full-time,” Ford said, “Supportive classmates and peers who are willing to grab food after stressful exams can make all the difference in graduate school. The skills and principles I gained while at the COPH were foundational in my success as a public health professional, and the connections I have made during this time have greatly influenced my career path.”

In May 2020, Ford graduated from the COPH and transferred to the epidemiology department of the FDOH where he began work as a long-term care facility co-lead in the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts.

In this role, he directly applied the skills he learned at the COPH to assist contact tracing, case investigations, outbreak management and so much more.

“The opportunity to work as an epidemiologist on an emerging disease in my home community was both exciting and nerve-racking due to the novelty and severity of the virus,” he said.

In October 2020, Ford moved to Miami and began working as an applied epidemiologist at the FDOH in Miami-Dade County and most recently started his career as an infection preventionist (IP) with HCA Florida Aventura Hospital.

There, he promotes and delivers high quality, patient-centered care by assisting with the administration of infection prevention policies, procedures and programs.

“The most exciting part of my job is the application of the knowledge and skills I learned during the infection control graduate certificate,” he said.

As an infection preventionist, he identifies, investigates, reports and monitors the incidence of nosocomial infections among patients and personnel, and implements policies and procedures to prevent cross-contamination.

In June 2020, Ford was selected as a Gilman alumni ambassador after completing a nine-week medical service internship with the NGO Humanity and Community Development Projects in Ghana. Following his service internship, he completed a follow-up service project where he spoke to first-generational college students about his experiences abroad at organizations in Tallahassee, such as the Southern Scholarship Foundation.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to be selected as a Gilman alumni ambassador and to get the word out about the Gilman Scholarship to as many eligible students as possible,” he said.

As for future plans, Ford wants to continue growing in his career as an IP by obtaining certification in infection control and becoming a certified professional in health care quality.

COPH Alumni Fast Five:

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

As a child and young adult, I dreamt about becoming a famous saxophonist and world-renowned jazz musician.

Where would we find you on the weekend?

On a weekend you would find me lounging by the pool with an adult beverage and a good book.

What is the last book you read?

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot.

What superpower would you like to have?

My all-time desired superpower is elemental control (i.e., control of the elements—earth, water, fire, air).

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

All-time favorite movie is Pixar’s “Ratatouille.”

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

The post COPH alumnus selected as a Gilman Scholarship ambassador appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Barmak Kusha said he experienced a change of heart while in medical school. While he liked the “fighting disease part” of the field, he wasn’t sure that treating ill people was what he really wanted to do for a career.

After leaving medical school, he immediately began taking courses in epidemiology and biostatistics as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and decided to apply to a public health program while working in his first gig in public health at the Wisconsin Department of Public Health.

His new path led him to earn his MPH from Yale University in epidemiology of microbial diseases.

From there, he would go on to work in international public health for 15 years on issues including malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis, disaster relief, vaccine program implementation and maternal and child health, to name a few.  Most of his work was at private not-for-profits, such as International Medical Corps, RTI, Plan International and JSI, but he also spent two years as an Emerging Leaders Fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including at the NIAID/NIH and the Office of Global Health of the Secretary of HHS.

“The ability to make a difference in the lives of people en masse—hundreds, thousands and millions of people—that’s something really very powerful,” Kusha said of what he enjoyed about working in the field of public health.

But, despite all that, he said that something was still missing for him.

“It became clear that a career track was very difficult in this field,” he said. “Because of the nature of the beast, most international public health/global health work is grant driven or contractor based. I was getting more sidetracked into management types of activities and doing less of what I wanted to do, which was the scientific and technical aspect of the work.”

After consulting with a former professor, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Public Health at Baylor University, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology & microbiology, and co-director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, he started to consider working in hospital infection prevention and control.

With family in Florida and a new desire to move and change locations away from the competition-saturated Washington, D.C., area, he started to pursue USF College Public Health’s graduate certificate in infection prevention, which he earned in 2019.

“This program is extremely aligned with the knowledge competencies of the Certification Board of Infection Control. So, it doesn’t waste your time,” he said. “Every single objective of every single session of every single of those four classes is aligned with the knowledge competencies of the Certification in Infection Control (CIC). From the very beginning it pushes you toward your CIC and it is a very professionally driven curriculum that leads you somewhere.”

He said this graduate certificate program is “ideal for the adult learner who is looking for a career shift” and because of this program, he said, he was able to start his new path in infection prevention within a short period of time.

Kusha is now director of infection prevention at HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, a 350-bed acute care hospital in west Pasco County, with a catchment area that includes Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

He’s directly responsible for all infection prevention activities of the hospital that are required through hospital policy and regulation, or which are evidenced-based best practices.

“That runs the gamut from essentially preventing hospital acquired infections to preventing the spread of infections patients bring in. We want to make sure that infection doesn’t spread to visitors, staff and other patients. It also includes things that we do to patients here, whether it’s through invasive devices such as central venous lines, indwelling urinary catheters and ventilators and surgical procedures. But it also includes water safety, air quality, construction, protection of dialysis patients, pharmacy, food service, employee health and so on. It touches on every element of a hospital’s operation as it pertains to preventing infection of a patient,” he said.

He said this career shift from international public health to hospital infection prevention has been one of his proudest professional achievements.

“In a very short period, I gained the experience and accomplishments necessary to be promoted to becoming director of infection prevention,” Kusha said.

His future plans include applying to the USF COPH’s DrPH program.

“My public health practice is what I do every day, which is to help the hospital provide health care safe from infection,” he said. “My passion is to be able to be a source of information, resources, tools and expertise to help everyone else drive the practice in infection prevention. Infection prevention ultimately relies on all the primary bedside caregivers, nurses, doctors and ancillary departments such as EVS, food and nutrition and pharmacy. It’s knowing that you’re in a position where you can drive something on a mass community level, that’s my passion.”

Alumni Fast Five:

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

A wildlife biologist.  

Where would we find you on the weekend?

Outside reading and sipping coffee.

What is the last book you read or what are you currently reading?

“Memory of Water,” by Emmi Itäranta.

What superpower would you like to have?

I don’t want any superpower, that is dangerous! I don’t trust myself!

What is your all-time favorite movie?

Denis Villeneuve’s version of “Dune” that came out in 2021.  

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

The post COPH graduate certificate opens doors to career in infection control appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The daughter of a family physician and physician assistant, Caitlin Crews-Stowe says she was always interested in health and science, and in particular, infectious diseases. “I used to read books on outbreaks when I was in elementary school,” says Crews-Stowe, who graduated the USF College of Public Health (COPH) in 2007 with an MPH. Crews-Stowe concentrated in global communicable diseases and, in 2009, received a graduate certificate from the COPH in infection control.

“Disease control and epidemiology are probably two of the most interesting things to me about public health,” she said. “As we’ve seen in the past two years, poor disease control and lack of understanding of the epidemiology of a pathogen can have catastrophic results.”

Crews-Stowe was a high school science teacher and cheerleading coach when she decided to pursue her MPH. She knew she wanted to continue working while getting her degree, so a program that offered evening and online classes was essential.

“I got really excited researching the COPH program because all of the classes were in topics I was interested in,” she said, “and many of them were held in the evening. The flexibility of the classes allowed me to [puruse my degree] and still make a living. I’m proud of completing both my degree and graduate certificate in two years while working full time.”

With her degree in hand, Crews-Stowe began work as an infection preventionist—first part time at Moffitt Cancer Center, then later at various hospitals, including Florida Hospital in Celebration, Fla., and Lakeland Regional Medical Center, in Lakeland, Fla.

Among other things, Crews-Stowe monitored isolation and hand-hygiene compliance, provided staff and patient education on infectious diseases and performed infection and outbreak monitoring.

In 2014, Crews-Stowe left Florida for Carrollton, Georgia, to oversee infection prevention for four hospitals with the Tanner Health System. From there, she began work at Healthcare Corporation of America, overseeing health care associated infection prevention reporting.

In 2016, Crews-Stowe made the transition to the industry side of health care.

“First, I was a clinical science liaison [providing clinical representation and input to new product development and marketing strategies] and later I was a clinical affairs research manager,” she said.

Today, Crews-Stowe, who is pursuing her PhD in health sciences at Nova Southeastern University and teaches biostatistics, epidemiology and health science research at South University, is vice president of clinical affairs for ActivePure Medical, a company based in Dallas, Tex., that manufacturers air and surface disinfecting products for health care systems.

“My role is to generate laboratory and real-world clinical evidence to support our products,” she explained. “I work closely with hospitals and academic centers to assist with protocol development, study management and data analysis. Traditionally, infection prevention has really focused on controlling disease transmission through cleaning and disinfection of hands and surfaces. But I think we are really starting to realize the impact that controlling pathogens via other methods can have. I’m helping develop evidence in an exciting field that can potentially help not only those in a health care setting, but also in a community setting.”

Crews-Stowe’s immediate goal is to finish her dissertation (her topic is short-term outcomes of patients who develop central-line associated bloodstream infections) and then either stay in the medical device industry or possibly pursue an academic teaching career.

“One of the things I love about my job is the ability to work with emerging technology in an underserved space,” Crews-Stowe said. “I love the positive contribution I get to make to the hospitals I work with. I learned so much at the COPH—not just the educational content, which I still use regularly—but the exposure I had to different careers and research interests. It’s all been invaluable.”

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

A medical examiner

Where can we find you on the weekends?

Hiking, spending time with my 9-year-old daughter or working on my dissertation

What is the last book you read?

“Atomic Habits,” by James Clear

What superpower would you like to have?

Teleportation

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

“The Other Guys”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post One alum’s journey from high school science teacher to infection preventionist appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Dr. Kelli Barr has joined the USF College of Public (COPH) as an associate research professor in global health and infectious disease. 

Barr, who was born in Iowa but raised in Santa Rosa, Calif., was previously an assistant professor of biology at Baylor University. She also held the position of assistant research professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida and was a postdoctoral research scientist in the department of biological sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Barr’s research interests center around virus transmission and infection control. Some of her research endeavors have included:

• Developing an in vitro model of the human brain for studying neurological viral infections
• Determining that dengue transmission in Key West, Florida, was persisting at a local level well past the outbreak period in 2012
• Developing a human cell co-culture model to investigate viral congenital infections
• Exploring microbial and chemical exposures of first responders and infection control
• Validating the emergence of Chikungunya virus (a mosquito-transmitted virus) in Pakistan 
• Developing a protocol for isolating high-quality mRNA from samples stored at room temperature using a particular collection device
• Providing technologies and training that translated to a 40 percent reduction in antibiotic usage in individuals admitted to the hospital with a febrile illness

“I’m interested in how virus transmission occurs at the human-animal-environmental interface and how infections can be prevented or reduced,” said Barr, who received her undergraduate degree in English and classical studies at Iowa State and her PhD in plant, insect and microbial science from the University of Missouri. “I am so happy to be here with such amazingly accomplished faculty and staff,” she added. “There’s so much support from every facet of this college. I am looking forward to growing my research program.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Dr. Christine McGuire-Wolfe, a USF College of Public Health (COPH) assistant professor and alum, has joined the Public Policy Committee of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). 

“Being a part of this committee allows me to cultivate an awareness of developing issues in infection control and to pass this knowledge on to my students,” said McGuire-Wolfe, who received both her PhD and MPH from the college. 

According to its website, the APIC’s mission is to create a safer world through the prevention of infection. It is the leading professional association for infection preventionists (IPs) with more than 15,000 members, most of whom are health care providers, public health professionals, epidemiologists and medical technologists. 

The group’s Public Policy Committee “monitors, analyzes and provides input into legislation in the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures that ensures legislators and regulators have the best information to help them develop policies that create a safer world through the prevention of infection,” says the APIC website. Some of their advocacy projects include supporting antibiotic stewardship, mandatory flu vaccinations for healthcare workers and evidence-based practices of social distancing and masking to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“Participation in this committee requires field experience about the realities and challenges of practicing as an infection preventionist. It also requires knowledge about infection-control related public health issues,” said McGuire-Wolfe, who, in addition to her COPH duties, has worked as an emergency responder and infection control officer with Pasco County Fire Rescue (PCFR) for nearly two decades. “Thirdly, it requires solid writing skills as the committee comments on regulatory and legislative initiatives and provides talking points to stakeholders regarding issues of importance to infection control and prevention. This is a great outreach opportunity for me, as well as an opportunity to represent the online infection control program at the USF COPH.”

McGuire-Wolfe’s term, which began in January 2021, will extend for three years.

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As an emergency responder and infection control officer with Pasco County Fire Rescue (PCFR) for the past 17 years, Dr. Christine McGuire-Wolfe said she will always keep certain calls close to her heart.

“You interact with people on their worst days and also see the best of humanity in action,” she said.  

McGuire-Wolfe, who earned her PhD in public health with a concentration in global communicable disease from the USF College of Public Health (COPH), retired from PCFR in August and has now joined the COPH as an assistant professor.

Upon her retirement, PCFR awarded her the distinguished service award—their highest commendation awarded to employees who retire in good standing and who served with exemplary and honorable service.

“​It really was unexpected—administration had blocked my calendar for the awards ceremony as a ‘transition meeting’ to reassign my job duties,” she said. “Over the years, mentors that I respected the most retired and received this award, so it is an honor that my command staff chose to confer it to me.”

During her career with the PCFR, McGuire-Wolfe designed and expanded infection control efforts to protect the health and safety of paramedics and EMTs actively engaged in providing patient care.

“In the beginning, crew members tended to be skeptical about the benefits of participating in screening and vaccination programs and reporting work-place exposures,” she said. “As the program’s credibility grew, crews respected the recommendations issued and participation rates increased exponentially.”

McGuire-Wolfe helped to successfully mitigate two large potential outbreaks using what she said were, “common public health approaches that were unusually proactive for the fire service.”

The first of those was addressing an intrusion of bats in the dorm rooms of a fire station and the need for rabies prophylaxis for the crew members that had slept in those rooms; the other halting the spread of Hepatitis A—which began with one firefighter unknowingly working several shifts with Hepatitis A, exposing a total of 101 firefighters.

“Approximately 80 percent of these firefighters were previously unvaccinated for Hep A and required timely post-exposure vaccination,” she said. “In addition, several symptomatic firefighters were screened for the virus and station disinfection protocols were implemented.”

She became known throughout PCFR for her efforts advocating to improve firefighter health and safety, something she said she will always be proud of.

“​The professions of firefighting and emergency medical services, as well as Pasco County Fire Rescue, have made significant gains toward incorporating a culture of safety in the workplace, but there are still critical pieces in this approach that need to be strengthened, including infection control,” she said. “Healthy firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs more effectively serve their communities.”

She said the safety of the workers is something that is even more so important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Emergency responders who have access to appropriate personal protective equipment in sufficient quantities are less stressed about providing patient care in the midst of a pandemic,” she said. “To the citizenry and to the fire service and EMS, COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for prevention and the potential for widespread consequences when preventative measures are not implemented appropriately. Efficient infection control practices for crews and on ambulances ensures that emergency response crews are not, unintentionally, transmitting COVID-19 within the community.”

McGuire-Wolfe, who originally joined the COPH in 2013 as an adjunct faculty member, moved into an assistant professor role in 2020.

“​I am grateful to be part of the thriving infection control program at COPH and look forward to incorporating real-world examples of infection control dilemmas, interventions, and successes into the classes that I teach,” she said.

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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