Master of Public Health Student Organization

Kim Kassander - President

During my undergraduate career, I studied nutrition and although it was incredibly interesting I knew I wanted to pursue something different. In 2016, I traveled to 22 different countries that spanned over five continents. This opportunity changed my focus to bigger picture issues that affect marginalized communities. I chose UW-Madison because the faculty and staff would result in a deeper understanding of global leadership, health systems, community assessment, program management and health disparities. These are all required skills that would allow me to be successful in improving health and wellness for people in communities around the world.

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Mitch Arnold - Co-Vice President

 

I'm a 2nd year MPH student and will be applying to medical school next summer. I got into public health because as a future physician, I want to work with public health officials and local communities to improve the health of my state/community. I also want to work with Doctors Without Borders (or other missions-centered medical programs) and possibly the Navy early on in my medical career to gain abroad experience and improve the public health of countries that have little to no healthcare infrastructure. My favorite part of the MPH program is the required field experience that let me work side-by-side with one of the nation's leading Family Physicians on the topics of infectious disease, influenza, and immunizations. Oh, and I'll be the TA for Epi 797 this fall. See you there!

 

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Austin Gerdes - Co-Vice President

 

I’ve always been very passionate about protecting both the environment and human health as a whole. During undergrad, I began to study the relationship between environmental topics like pollution and climate change, and their impact on human health. I’ve been very happy to have the opportunity to continue to explore the climate/human health dynamic, as well as its surrounding policy, during my MPH here at UW-Madison. I especially love that I’ve been able to do so through both my coursework and fieldwork, where I’ve been working in the Wisconsin DHS’s Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health. I look forward to taking the skills I’ve learned and experiences I’ve had during my MPH and directly applying them to my future career.

 

Sam Aisen - Co-Social and Fundraising Chair

 

I became interested in public health while I was studying anthropology (focusing on medical anthropology) in college and learning about the idea that a person’s health is somewhat a reflection of the social infrastructure that they interact with. Public health professionals have the opportunity to work on improving social infrastructures and improving the health of populations. My favorite part of the UW-Madison MPH program is how available and friendly faculty and staff are for meetings, advising, and general guidance. I’m always able to make appointments to talk through homework and/or general school and career goals with my professors and instructors.

 

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Grace Shea - Co-Social and Fundraising Chair

 

I became interested in public health after witnessing the socioeconomic inequity experienced by many of my teenage peers in Atlanta but this interest has matured into a passion for partnering with underserved communities. Before starting my MPH, I was a high school teacher in Milwaukee in the zip code with the highest incarceration rates for black men in the U.S., and my teaching experiences forcibly opened my eyes to the inescapable socioecological factors that have produced a prevalence of health disparities in Milwaukee’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. This realization was not the first spark of my interest in public health but rather clarified how I could help improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in disadvantaged communities. Moving forward, I hope to use my MPH to better partner with communities to promote equity in access and quality of care.