November is International Education Month

How does health care differ in industrial versus nonindustrial countries? In socialist versus capitalist societies? In rural versus urban settings? What health inequities do different populations in different parts of the world face?

USF College of Public Health (COPH) students can get answers to those questions by participating in a study abroad program.

In 2024, the COPH will be offering international study programs to Panama, Canada, London and Japan. These for-credit programs are open to both undergraduate and master’s students and generally last about a week. They give students the opportunity to study public health with a cultural context, examining how different countries handle things such as disaster preparedness, preventative health measures and public health policy. Students are also given time to tour and engage in community service projects and research.

Students who have been on the programs say the experience has been eye-opening.

“Personally, I plan to pursue a career in global health and program management, so gaining experience traveling with a public health mindset and learning about different sites that are conducting public health work, such as the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), was super important for me,” said Nupur Kothari, a BSPH student who traveled to Panama. “Being able to participate in research and data collection in Panama helped translate the education I have gained in the COPH to actual practice.”

Hannah Harburg, an MPH student concentrating in epidemiology, said her experience in Japan was “transformative.”

“Exploring Japan for the first time altered my outlook on life,” Harburg said. “Gujo Hachiman is an area I found so beautiful, I cried. As I explored the quiet river town, I knew this was going to be a moment I would cherish for the rest of my life. The storm drain water was so clean you could feed the carp that swam in it. This trip reaffirmed my commitment to researching public health. I gathered ideas and learned problem-solving skills through active information synthesis, diversified group work and insightful debates.”

Erin Millsapps, a Coverdell Fellow who served in the Peace Corps in South Africa as a community HIV/AIDS outreach coordinator, recently returned from a summer international field experience (IFE) in Gqueberha, South Africa.

The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship program at the COPH is a graduate fellowship program awarding financial assistance to selected returning Peace Corps volunteers who are pursuing an MPH or MSPH.

“During my IFE, my peers and I focused on addressing health disparities in ENT [ear, nose and throat] health through community engagement,” said Millsapps, who is an MPH student concentrating in epidemiology and global health. “These endeavors, emphasizing interdisciplinary teams and cultural competency, not only achieved project goals but also strengthened my ability to meet COPH competencies. Grateful for the opportunities provided by the Coverdell Fellowship and USF/COPH, I am empowered to make a meaningful impact in the field of public health.”

For more information about COPH international study programs and Peace Corps requirements, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Sara Daniels, a USF College of Public Health MSPH student, recently completed a competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) summer fellowship program.

Daniels, who is concentrating in both health promotion and behavior and global communicable diseases, was a Graduate Research Fellow with the NIH’s G-SOAR program. The program provides U.S. graduate students with valuable experience exploring the intersection of basic, translational and clinical research at the NIH. Daniels noted that the G-SOAR program has an acceptance rate of about 30% every year.

“I applied for the G-SOAR program because I knew I was interested in working for the NIH at some point in the future,” Daniels said. “I was looking for a summer internship and came across the NIH program, which would allow me to network with other graduate students, scientists and principal investigators working at the NIH doing cutting-edge biomedical research. Additionally, I was looking to practice and learn new lab skills.”

Daniels spent the summer working on COVID-19 research.

“My work focused on a specific enzyme that is part of the replication and transcription process known as NSP 14,” Daniels explained. “The lab where I worked studies iron-sulphur clusters and their role in biological processes. Many of these iron-sulphur clusters have been found in proteins encoded in the SARS-Cov-2 [COVID-19] genome and have been found at sites that were previously incorrectly classified as zinc-binding sites. Unfortunately, because of the time constraints of my fellowship, I could not continue with the process and identify potential iron-sulphur clusters on NSP-14. However, my lab will continue to work on further classifications.”

In addition to her lab work, Daniels attended weekly “Becoming a Resilient Scientist” discussion groups and presented at an NIH summer poster day. The latter, she said, was one of the highlights of her fellowship experience, giving her the opportunity to summarize her research into a poster format and share it with others at the NIH, including scientists and medical professionals working in NIH’s clinical center.

“As a second-year MSPH student getting into more technical courses and lab work, my training at the NIH allowed me to advance my understanding of techniques and apply those skills to cutting-edge research,” Daniels said. “The most significant impact this experience will have on my academic pursuits will be in the laboratory techniques that I learned and refined.”

Daniels’ advice to any students interested in NIH fellowships like the G-SOAR program is “to just take a shot and do it.” She also tells students to research labs early in the process. “The application process can be lengthy,” she said, “but so worth it.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health (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 on May 5.

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.

“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 encouragement to the graduating class. This year’s speaker was Patrick Rodriguez, instructor I.

“As you enter this next phase of your lives, we encourage you to remember the importance of being a lifelong learner. The field of public health is constantly evolving, and it is essential to stay up to date with the latest research, technologies and best practices,” he said. “We also encourage you to embrace diversity and inclusivity in your work, recognizing that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the root causes of social and economic disparities.”

Drs. Janice Zgibor, Amy Alman, Jaime Corvin and Victor Weedon rounded out the ceremony, presenting the Class of 2023 with their degrees and class gifts.

Zgibor, professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs, spoke to the PhD and DrPH graduates.

“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, MSPH and MHA 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.

While the graduate student ceremony was underway, 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.

This semester, 684 undergraduates, 129 students seeking their master’s degree and 10 doctoral students graduated and entered the public health profession.

Here Are Some of the Stories From the Class of 2023:

Cayla Lomax’s path to public health wasn’t a straightforward one.

“In my last year of undergrad, I took a health economics course on a whim. It’s somewhat hyperbolic, but this class completely changed my trajectory. I knew nothing about the health care industry and knew even less about public health but upon taking this course, I completely fell in love with the topic. I loved learning about the health care industry and was eager to learn more. I wanted to know if it was possible to ‘fix’ the industry and I wanted to pursue further education that was more centered on health policy to find out. This is what ultimately led me to public health.”

As an MPH student concentrating in health policies and programs, Lomax said her favorite memories were passing the CPH exam and being a part of the Black-ish in Public Health student organization.

After graduation, Lomax will be working in the Hillsborough County Department of Health (DOH) as a human services program specialist.

“What I love most about this position is that you can see public health directly in action. The program I’ll be working on seeks to address the social determinants of health of clients that the DOH works with,” she said. “We’re looking to improve the health outcomes of our clients by addressing and connecting them to community resources that can meet their social needs, such as food security or transportation. I love how my position will allow me to work directly with the population we’re serving—I feel like by doing so you can really get a feel for how we can positively impact people’s lives.”

A two-time USF alumna, Chinwendu Ilonzo graduated with her MPH with concentrations in epidemiology and maternal and child health.

“Already a one-time USF alum, USF has always been a school I’ve called home,” said Ilozo, who earned her BS in biomedical science in 2019. “Being familiar with the campus, different activities and opportunities available and the wonderful people that study and teach here, I didn’t want to go anywhere else for my public health degree.”

During her time at the COPH, Ilonzo was involved in several organizations, even founding and serving as president of the Black-ish in Public Health student organization.

Ilonzo is excited to start her full-time position as a health care associate supporting and implementing initiatives focused on health care policy and performance measures.

“What I love about this position is that I will be able to apply the skills and knowledge I have gained during my program. Also, that the work is centered around improving the quality of health care through policy and systems change,” she said. “This position is heavily focused on written communication for different audiences, literature reviews, project management and developing relationships with internal and external stakeholders —all of which I have built a solid foundation for during my time as a graduate student. I feel the COPH has prepared me to take this next step!”

In the future, Ilonzo hopes to become a physician and open a medical practice that is more accommodating and accessible to Black and brown communities. She’d also like to evaluate maternal health programs and develop policies that improve community health.

Laura Pemble was first introduced to public health while studying comparative health systems and health policy abroad in Sydney, Australia, during her freshman year at Florida State University. When she returned to Florida, she decided to focus on health management and pursue her MHA at the COPH.

During her time at the COPH, Pemble said she was most proud of how much she grew in terms of professionalism and exploring a multitude of opportunities.

“I stepped out of my comfort zone for many opportunities, including running for and being voted president of the Health Management Student Association and for accepting a summer internship position in Chicago, where I did not know anyone in the city,” she said.

After graduation, Pemble will be pursuing an administrative fellowship at Tampa General Hospital. The yearlong program is designed to be a continued-learning experience where she will be doing rotations through various departments and completing several high-level projects.

“As I begin working hands-on in a hospital, I will apply the knowledge and professionalism I acquired in my classes to build relationships and be successful in future endeavors,” she said. “I believe this program was an amazing experience and immensely furthered my career. The opportunities that I was provided with are invaluable, and this program was very nurturing.”

The first in her family to graduate from college, Jacqueline Perez earned her BA in global health and international comparative studies from Duke University before deciding to attend the COPH for her MPH in health promotion and behavior.

Perez was first introduced to public health after landing an internship at the Duke Student Wellness Center (DuWell) her freshman year of undergrad.

“I didn’t know it then, but my job at DuWell introduced me to public health and the world of health education and promotion. During my four years as a DuWell intern, I had the opportunity to create and lead the implementation of health promotion projects centered around topics in sexual health, healthy relationships and mindfulness,” she said. “As someone who values creativity, this was my first work experience creating projects and programs to improve the health and well-being of my peers—and having fun while doing so. Once I realized this, I knew public health was the place for me.”

During her time at the COPH, Perez was involved in Eta Sigma Gamma and the USF Health Executive Student Leadership Board. She was also a graduate assistant for the Florida Research Prevention Center (FPRC) and Dr. Rita Debate, researching food insecurity among college students.

After graduation, Perez is excited to join the health communication research team at Fors Marsh as a research analyst.

“I never imagined myself as a research analyst, but one of the things that I love about this position is the potential for impact by developing evidence-based public health programs for our communities. I am also excited to work with a team of researchers who are driven and put people first,” she said.

A first-generation American, Calandra Peterkin had always been around health care coming from a family of nurses and midwives.

“My journey has been interesting. I wanted to become a lawyer when I was younger. However, in 2018, I became a medication technician and resident aide. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in health care,” she said. “I got into public health when I started as a freshman at USF and was amazed by how much public health covers without having to be a nurse or in direct patient care.”

During her time at USF, Peterkin was involved in numerous organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women, Black Female Development Circle, National Society of Black Women in Medicine, co-chair for education for Time for Change and vice president/health chair for the USF Chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Peterkin was recently accepted in the COPH’s MPH program and will also be working as a community health worker.

“I love that this new position focuses on overcoming social determinants of health and getting patients to their primary care practitioner rather than using the ER,” she said. “I love trying to build the bridge to the continuity of care and having the physician’s support.”

As she continues her graduate-level education, Peterkin said, “I hope to build relationships with more professors at USF! I want to be a part of more discussions and become a certified health education specialist.”

After earning her BS in communication sciences and disorders in 2011 and a BS in event management with a minor in 2014, both from the University of Central Florida, Aura Marie Reyes knew she needed to come the USF for her public health degree.

“It’s a funny story! In high school, I was a part of a club called Future Business Leaders of America. We were on our way to a conference and my teacher decided to book a university tour at USF. Since then, I always had a feeling that I would be studying at USF one day. As the pandemic affected the hospitality industry, I thought it was the perfect time to pivot my career and apply for a master’s in public health. I was living in New Jersey at the time and I saw that USF had an MPH. I decided to apply and move back to Florida to be closer to my family. I think in an odd way it was fate.”

One of Reyes favorite memories at the COPH was being asked to join the Florida Prevention Research Center (FPRC) team as a graduate research assistant working on a project that aligned with her previous experience in hospitality.

“I was able to lead, delegate tasks and learn to code a qualitative study. The major accomplishment though was completing the target number of interviews needed for one population. Recruitment is hard!”

Reyes said that she’ll always remember the people that she met while in the MPH program and the support they gave each other through all the highs and lows.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

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On October 28, 1987, the U.S. Congress passed a proclamation of the first national Immigrants Day (Proclamation 5737, 1987). To commemorate this day, we are focusing this piece on a group of immigrants that are often stigmatized and condemned through stereotypes and fallacies, the undocumented and DACAmented immigrant community. As undocumented members of the genetic counseling community, we wanted to share the challenges we faced while pursuing a genetic counseling career. Our five perspectives may not represent the breadth of experience of 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., but we hope that through sharing our experiences we can motivate our community to focus on making the genetic counseling profession more accessible (Esterline & Batalova, 2022). 

Understanding the Barriers to Entry in our Profession for Undocumented Prospective Students
For many immigrants in the U.S., a graduate education is the only path towards professional growth; a chance to create a promising future for us and our families. However, numerous barriers to entry can prevent undocumented students from reaching that goal.

In genetic counseling, some of the most prominent challenges undocumented students face that prevent us from attaining a graduate education include financial obligations, oppressive state educational policies, limited access to opportunities meant to fulfill application requirements and lack of guidance for undocumented applicants. Additionally, we have had to cope with uncertainty and shame surrounding our undocumented status which discourages us from sharing with friends and colleagues the hardships and fear we experience. Throughout the graduate program application process, we often feel vulnerable and unsure of how to productively disclose our immigration status. Feeling unable to openly share our circumstances with peers can make our journey seem incredibly isolating. To combat this, we have found that building a community of undocumented students has helped us feel less vulnerable and encouraged us to be transparent about our statuses. As we further develop this community, we have created a guide for undocumented students as they navigate entrance into the field. Guide for prospective undocu/DACAmented genetic counseling students.

Building Institutional Support for our Undocumented Genetic Counseling Students
Undocumented graduate students provide a rich and unique source of lived experience at academic institutions. This can enhance their peers’, colleagues’ and supervisors’ understanding of and compassion for the broader undocumented community (Whitla et al., 2033). As a group, undocumented students are self-reliant, and compassionate and possess the qualities necessary to be successful genetic counselors.  

Yet unlike their resident peers, undocumented students face unique challenges when pursuing graduate education. These may include confronting difficult emotions associated with the precarious regulations impacting our immigration status, the burden of acting as a community representative, lack of access to health care, limited financial resources (e.g., academic loans/aid) and an ill-defined career trajectory (i.e., no roadmap to practicing genetic counseling while undocumented). 

To navigate these challenges without guidance is difficult. Because of this, we rely on the support of those in institutional leadership positions. We are thankful for those who have listened, have provided unconditional positive regard, have elevated our voices and have helped us see a future for ourselves that we may not have imagined otherwise. However, we acknowledge that this support is not available at every institution. For that reason, we have written recommendations with solutions that can be implemented within graduate programs to best support undocumented genetic counseling students.

Guidance for genetic counselors that work with undo/DACAmented students

Enabling and Sustaining Undocumented Genetic Counseling Practitioners
Unsurprisingly, obstacles for undocumented genetic counselors persist beyond our graduate training. A notable barrier to practicing genetic counseling while undocumented is the personal identification requirement for our exam certification and licensure registration. Although DACA recipients can fulfill proper identification requirements, many undocumented individuals are not eligible for DACA and thus do not have appropriate ID preventing them from meeting these registration requirements. This, of course, negatively impacts their job prospects. Furthermore, unlike other international applicants, undocumented genetic counselors cannot apply for employment visa sponsorship through their employer. However, there are other work options, such as independent contracting, that remain largely unknown to many in our field. These hurdles are a harsh reality for undocumented genetic counselors hoping to contribute to our field and are key motivators driving us to give back to our communities and advance our careers in the present, because our futures are in no way guaranteed. 

We cannot do the work of addressing these issues alone. As such, we hope that this article will spur action in our field to help secure the futures of all genetic counselors. Visit www.undocugc.com to learn more ways to support the undocumented genetic counseling community!

Reposted from Genetic Counselor Insights. Stefania Alastre, MSPH, a coauthor of this story, is a bilingual genetic counselor and USF College of Public Health alumna who was a DACA recipient.

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Returning Peace Corps volunteers have the option to become a Paul D. Coverdell Fellow at the USF College of Public Health.

This graduate fellowship program awards financial assistance to returning Peace Corps volunteers pursuing an MPH or MSPH degree and will include an internship in underserved communities in Tampa, Fla., under the supervision of faculty.

The Peace Corps currently ranks USF second among more than 150 Peace Corps Prep partner universities.

The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows program is offered to students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in public health, civil and environmental engineering, applied anthropology and global sustainability at USF.

“This program is extremely rewarding as it allows Coverdell Fellows to serve the Tampa community,” said Patricia Roque, academic services administrator for the COPH Experiential Learning team and Coverdell Fellows coordinator. “Coverdell Fellows also get the opportunity to advance the Peace Corps mission—to promote world peace and friendship by helping to further a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.”

Additional benefits include financial assistance in the form of a scholarship from the COPH for $2,000 when students enroll in the Fellows program, renewable in year two as long as the student is making satisfactory progress in their degree program. Fellows may receive this award twice, for a total of $4,000 of scholarship support. All Fellows receive an out-of-state tuition waiver, which covers approximately 58 percent of in-state tuition.

The College of Public Health prioritizes Coverdell Fellows for Graduate Assistantships (GA) in their academic program and at the discretion and need of each program. If selected for a GA, this includes the payment of the health insurance premium, if elected by the student, and also pays a stipend for that term. The GA is equivalent to 80 percent of in-state tuition.

For more information on becoming a Coverdell Fellow, students may visit the COPH’s Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows website. The last day to apply for Fall 2023 is May 1.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

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Dr. Gene Felber is a Bull three times over.

He received his bachelor’s from the university in 1991, his MSPH in epidemiology and biostatistics from USF’s College of Public Health (COPH) in 1993 and his PhD in epidemiology five years later.

“I was the first in my family—immediate or extended—to get a bachelor’s degree, let alone a master’s or doctorate,” said Felber, who grew up near Chicago but moved to Florida after high school. “A very good friend persuaded me to take master-level classes at the COPH while pursuing my bachelor’s. I did so and was immediately intrigued and engaged.”

Felber said what has most impressed him about his COPH education is the breadth and comprehensiveness of the courses he took.

“This is often reinforced when engaging colleagues who graduated from other highly reputable programs, such as Johns Hopkins and Harvard,” he said. “COPH graduates can rest assured that they will be fully prepared to enter the workplace and engage professionally and academically.”

Being newly married, working full time and pursuing a doctorate made life challenging, but Felber came through with flying colors.

He was inducted into the prestigious Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health and landed jobs at some of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, including Takeda and Shire Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he received an award for his work on a novel agent and approach measuring outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma. He has more than 15 years of experience as an epidemiologist, consultant and outcomes researcher and more than 17 years in the pharmaceutical field, working as a field medical scientist, outcome researcher, health economist and field leader.

Today, Felber is senior director and U.S. national lead for academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks and national oncology organizations, U.S. medical affairs at Gilead Sciences. His primary responsibility is identifying potential scientific research collaboration opportunities with partner sites, including participation in clinical trials and real-world research opportunities.  He says his proudest professional achievements have been building novel best-in-class medical and scientific functions in an industry that didn’t previously exist.

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

An astronaut.

Where would we find you on the weekend?

Under a car or on top of a mountain.

What is the last book you read?

“Outlive,” by Peter Attia.

What superpower would you like to have?

According to my spouse, the ability to read minds!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

“Blade Runner” (the original, non-director’s cut).

To view the awards ceremony, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Each year, students in the USF College of Public Health (COPH) nominate faculty members for the COPH’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

The award is given to one faculty member who, according to the college’s webpage, “has made major contributions to student development, as well as to the quality of education within their department and the college as a whole.”

This year’s recipient is Patrick Rodriguez, instructor I, who received both his BS and MSPH with a concentration in industrial hygiene from USF.

“Receiving this award is a great honor and a recognition of the hard work and dedication that I have put into instruction,” Rodriguez said. “It reminds me of how important it is to make strong connections with the students in my classroom. It also motivates me to continue improving my lecturing skills and keep striving for excellence.”

Rodriguez has a strong background in epidemiology and environmental health and worked for the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County for eight years before returning to his alma mater to teach. At the COPH, Rodriguez teaches a variety of undergraduate courses on topics such as health disparities, public health policies and practices and critical issues in public health.

Students praised Rodriguez for his ability to engage and motivate them.

“In January 2022, I began attending the COPH as a new transfer student from a small community college. It was the first time I was living on my own, just figuring out what I wanted to do with my life,” said COPH student Zachary Sanders in his nomination of Rodriguez. “This was an exciting yet turbulent experience. Patrick Rodriguez was one of the first faculty members to get to know me, talking to me before or after classes and in the hallways. He got to know me on a personal level, asking what motivated me and what I would like to do with my career in public health. Very quickly, the college turned into a place in which I felt like I belonged, one in which faculty cared about the development of its undergraduates and prepared them for anything in life, not just public health.”

“I’ve taken part in different volunteering activities with Patrick,” added Laura Perdiguero in her nomination materials. “The one that made the biggest difference in me was the humanitarian relief activity I carried out with him in Immokalee after Hurricane Ian happened. Patrick is so involved with migrant farm workers, and the experience was so inspiring for me. It taught me a lot about vulnerable communities in Florida.”

In an effort to help his students succeed, Rodriguez said he strives to create a supportive, inclusive environment where students feel valued and are encouraged to participate.

“I believe that every student has the potential to succeed, and I work to create opportunities for each of my students to achieve their goals and fulfill their potential,” he said.

Rodriguez said that what he loves most about teaching is sharing his knowledge of and passion for public health with his students.

“I love seeing the progress and growth of my students as they learn and develop their skills,” he said. “I also love the challenge of finding creative and effective ways to engage my students and help them find their passion. I hope to inspire my students to pursue their interests and to develop a curiosity and thirst for knowledge that will stay with them throughout their lives.”

To view the awards ceremony, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Sherri Berger, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) acting deputy director for policy, communications and legislative affairs and a USF College of Public Health (COPH) alumna, has received the Robert W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership.

The award recognizes and honors federal career executives for the Senior Executive Service (members serve in key positions just below presidential appointees) who have demonstrated superior dedication and leadership in achieving their agency’s mission and nurturing future managers.

“I am deeply honored to accept this award and to continue answering the call of public service every day,” said Berger, who concentrated in epidemiology and graduated from the COPH in 1996 with an MSPH.  “I would be remiss in accepting this award if I didn’t recognize the efforts of the more than 12,000 people at CDC who are hard at work, day in and day out, protecting the health of our nation.”

Berger has been at the CDC for more than 26 years. And in that time, she’s held a variety of leadership roles, from chief operating officer to associate director of the Financial Management Office to a brand chief of public health policy, among others.

“I’ve always felt that life is about learning and growing,” she said. “And I’ve tried to make the most out of every opportunity. While I was a scientist, for example, I took additional leadership training. And while I was a leader, I took additional financial management training. I always volunteered to do things that were outside the scope of my job so that I could expose myself to different things. I was thinking about those next steps in my career path and getting myself ready for that.”

And for Berger, it’s not just about her own career path, but also about those who work alongside her.

“What I’ve tried to do in my career is find junior staff and give them opportunities to come to meetings and be exposed to decision-making processes and things that they wouldn’t normally get to see early in their career,” she commented.

Berger says she’s appreciative of her time at USF and credits the college with helping her get to where she is today.

“The COPH faculty, staff and students helped me reach my full potential, and what I have achieved professionally, with their support, has helped me earn this award,” she added.

Story by Parker Guevarra and Donna Campisano

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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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It wasn’t until her last year of undergraduate work at the University of South Florida (USF) that Dr. Laura Riley even thought about a career in public health.

“I took an intro to public health course during the last year of my undergraduate degree, which really introduced me to the field and the possibility of pursuing a career in that direction,” said Riley, who graduated from the USF College of Public Health in 2016 with her doctorate in occupational exposure science. 

“I began researching the different departments within the COPH,” she added, “and Dr. Yehia Hammad [now retired] met with me personally to discuss the environmental and occupational health department. After hearing more about this department and researching all of the potential career opportunities available for someone with this background, I made the decision to pursue an MSPH degree [and later her doctorate].”

Three-time Bull

Staying at USF for her two graduate degrees was a no-brainer for Riley, a native of Melbourne, Fla. She says being on campus already made it easy to research the graduate program and meet with department leaders to get her questions answered. “USF seemed to have such a great and well-established program,” she said. “And not having to pick up and move my entire life to a new place was a bonus!”

Riley says one of her fondest memories while attending the COPH was sitting in Dr. Steve Mlynarek’s office (her graduate thesis advisor) for what she dubbed her “therapy sessions.” 

“There were laughs and sometimes tears, but I always left feeling like I had someone in my corner during this sometimes stressful process,” Riley said.

One of Riley’s biggest challenges during her six-year graduate journey was becoming a first-time mom while a student. 

“I knew that after graduation that I wanted to launch into my industrial hygiene career, and that immediately getting pregnant when entering the workforce may impact that,” Riley explained. “So, I made the decision to have both my kids while completing my doctorate degree. This definitely added a whole other layer of stress and exhaustion, but I’m so grateful to the faculty (Dr. Jaime Corvin, in particular), who were reaffirming and supportive of my decision. My kids were too young to remember watching their mom walk across the stage to receive her doctorate degree, but I think it is a great story to tell them and a lesson on ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’”

Creating a safer hospital system, especially during COVID

Riley’s first job post-graduation is also her current one. For the past five years, she’s been a certified industrial hygienist for Northside Hospital’s Infection Prevention Department. Northside has five acute-care hospitals and over 240 outpatient facilities and takes care of patients in 25 counties across Georgia.

“I love that I serve as almost an ‘in-house consultant’ for our hospital system, which means that no week is ever the same! I’ve helped integrate industrial hygiene and environmental health into many programs and policies throughout the Northside system, including the fields of employee exposure assessments, indoor air quality, ventilation systems, water management and construction infection control,” said Riley, who is also the infection control subcommittee chair for the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s (AIHA) Healthcare Working Group and the second year director for the AIHA Georgia local section.

With the advent of COVID-19, making hospitals safe has taken on an even greater urgency. 

“Once COVID hit, my work became much more focused on assisting our employee health department with N95 mask selection and respiratory-protection education for our staff,” Riley stated. “I also worked closely with our engineering department as we set up COVID influx units.  A lot was being asked of our engineering department regarding ventilation design changes, so I felt sort of like the liaison and ‘translator’ between operations and administration. This involved a lot of education on pressure differentials, filtration efficiency and air changes.”

Beyond the books

According to Riley, the COPH not only gave her a top-notch academic education, but it also taught her essential communication skills. 

“I have an entire shelf in my office where I keep all of my old textbooks, and I’ll frequently reference them for different questions or issues,” Riley said. “But in addition to what I learned academically, I also learned so many interpersonal skills that helped me navigate more easily in my professional career—things like being comfortable speaking or presenting to a group, being able to explain technical concepts in a way that makes sense to someone outside the IH field and using scientific reasoning to problem-solve issues when they arise. I find that [this job] is the perfect blend of strict science and people-focused work. It allows you to interact and collaborate with so many different groups of people. I can confidently say that my degree program gave me such a thorough knowledge base for so many facets of this diverse profession.”

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

I wanted to be a dentist from such a young age, all the way up until my sophomore/junior year of college! But when it came time to start planning to take the DAT and applying to dental schools, I just could not find the motivation. That made me realize that I perhaps needed to start expanding my horizons into other facets of STEM.

Where can we find you on the weekend?

Hiking or camping in the North Georgia mountains with my family or working in the yard!

What is the last book you read?

“Commonwealth,” by Ann Patchett

What superpower would you like to have?

Teleportation!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

Any 90s romantic comedy!

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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