By: Kai Rumley, BSPH Internship: Marion County Public Health Department: Bell Flower Clinic I grew up in Avon, Indiana, as the eldest of five siblings. Family has always been a cornerstone of my life, so I strongly desired to attend a university close to home that would allow me to remain active in my… Read more »
For Simrandeep Kaur, public health isn’t just a career—it’s a calling. As the immunization data & surveillance coordinator for the Indiana Department of Health, she has turned her passion for epidemiology into a pathway for making tangible, positive impacts in communities. But Simrandeep’s journey into public health wasn’t always a straight line. “I started… Read more »
Mary Webster’s path to becoming a resource epidemiologist for the Indiana Department of Health began with a deep-rooted passion for diseases and how they spread. “I have always held a fascination with different diseases and how they travel,” Mary explains. This curiosity led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with… Read more »
For Dunia Rozakis, the path to discovering their true passion in public health was a journey marked by curiosity, exploration, and a deep commitment to helping others. Hailing from Wheeling, Illinois, and set to graduate in December 2024, Rozakis’s academic journey has been anything but ordinary. Rozakis’s initial foray into college life did not… Read more »
Grace Hicks, a driven and passionate student from Plainfield, Indiana, is making strides in the field of public health as she pursues her major in epidemiology with a minor in health administration. Set to graduate in May 2025 from the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health, Hicks’s path to discovering her true calling in… Read more »
By Vanessa Aguirre By the time she was 14 years old, Latasha Allen knew she wanted to be an epidemiologist. She was fascinated by how diseases spread from person to person, and this kick-started her desire to learn more about the field of epidemiology through formal education. Allen would go on to receive her… Read more »
In honor of National Public Health Week, we asked our student ambassadors to share their journeys to the world of public health. Ahmed Abdel-Aziz, Epidemiology student I had been interested in creating change when I was younger, and my parents had always wanted me to jump into a career in healthcare. While working in healthcare… Read more »
In our Alumni Career Spotlight series, you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world. Lindsay Joy-Wenning Employer: Indiana Department of Health Current position: Field Epidemiologist Location: Bloomington, IN Degree(s): BA – IUPUI 2011; MPH – IU Fairbanks 2015 Why… Read more »
Please tell us about your long-term career goals. My long-term career goal is to work for a nonprofit organization in my community to help minimize health inequities. I’m interested about informing the public about public health resources that can help prevent chronic and infectious diseases. I aim to work in an environment that is inclusive… Read more »
By Crystal Jones Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Shirley Payne, MPH’11, has balanced her role as an adjunct faculty member at IU Bloomington with a job transition at the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH). In July 2020, she graduated with her Ph.D. in Health Behavior, her fourth degree from Indiana University. In each of these… Read more »