MPH Practicum Symposium 2025

PRACTICUM SITE: The Andy Center

SITE SUPERVISOR: Ben Aaronson

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta

CAMP ANDY is a 5-week summer day camp program for children ages 6-12, designed to help kids with autism spectrum disorders and ADHD develop social and behavioral skills outside of a clinical setting. The program aims to enhance self-esteem, self-efficacy, and resilience, particularly in group environments. CAMP ANDY launched its first summer program in 2024 and sought advice from a public health perspective on improving accessibility for campers of diverse races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, the camp aimed to increase accessibility for staff, including neurodivergent individuals. My practicum involved analyzing the application process to identify facilitators and barriers to participation from the perspectives of children, parents, and staff. This work aimed to support the camp's mission of providing life-changing, evidence-based care for neurodivergent youth.

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle Children's Hospital

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Katie Nielsen

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Bryan Weiner

I am a second-year MPH student in the Global Health Department, concentrating on maternal and child health. I am also a physician trained in Peru. My project practicum seeks to identify the primary barriers and facilitators to provide timetable pediatric burn injury care in tertiary and secondary hospitals in Peru. Children in LMICs face disparities in mortality and disability due to pediatric burn injuries. One major factor contributing to these disparities is a lack of access to resources for the stabilization and treatment of pediatric burn injuries. This practicum aims to develop a protocol for assessing barriers and facilitators for the implementation of pediatric burn injury care in facilities from Peru. Additionally, The project aims to develop communication strategies for the protocol deployment in Peru with key stakeholders from the Peruvian Ministry of Health and leaders from the included healthcare facilities.

PRACTICUM SITE: University of Washington Medical Center

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Lyndsey Benson and Dr. Emily Godfrey

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Clarence Spigner

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health with a focus on women’s reproductive health and justice, particularly abortion access and contraception self-efficacy. For my practicum at UW Medicine, I worked in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) to enhance understanding and access to abortion services across Washington state.

Initially, my project explored abortion access throughout the WWAMI region, but it became evident that Washington lacked a comprehensive view of available services. To address this gap, I conducted a statewide data collection effort, documenting clinic and organizational services, county locations, affiliations, and availability of services such as in-person and mail-order abortion pills, in-clinic procedures, and telehealth options.

Using this data, I developed an interactive stakeholder map that provides a detailed overview of abortion care across the state. This map serves as a critical resource for stakeholders, aiding efforts to understand service availability and improve abortion access statewide.

PRACTICUM SITE: PATH

SITE SUPERVISOR: Ellen Browder-Long

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Jennifer Slyker

I am a second-year MPH-Global Health candidate interested in helping to improve access and quality of healthcare for children and mothers globally. For my practicum, I worked with PATH, an International Health NGO, specifically the Integrated Maternal and Child Health Development Team (IMCHD). We aimed to understand the current work being done to improve Maternal and Child Health in Latin America, finding donors that have funded work in the past, and those with current calls out for submissions. Practicum activities consisted of producing a list of potential new donors and grant opportunities, writing a concept note submitted to a donor addressing the support of caregivers of young children with disabilities in Peru, and presenting my findings to the broader IMCHD team.

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle Children's Hospital

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Rachel Umoren

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology with a passion for working at the intersection of epidemiologic research and clinical pediatric medicine. For my practicum, I collaborated with the Pediatric Transport Learning Laboratory (PTLL) at Seattle Children’s Hospital, which focuses on improving the care of pediatric patients during interfacility transport within a regional network. As part of my work with PTLL, I conducted a quantitative analysis to identify trends in vital sign data among neonatal transport patients diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy compared to those without the diagnosis. Additionally, I expanded a previous analysis of neonatal transport disparities to include new pediatric data. These efforts resulted in a publication-ready abstract and a comprehensive report for PTLL leadership. The findings from my practicum will contribute to the growing body of pediatric transport literature and inform decision-making on interfacility transport practices for pediatric patients.

PRACTICUM SITE: Snohomish County Health Department

SITE SUPERVISOR: Brittany Bevis-Sciuto

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Vivian Hawkins

I am a second-year MPH Epidemiology student with an interest in mental and behavioral health. I completed my practicum project with the Snohomish County Health Department. The goal of my practicum project was to understand how substance use impacts youth in Snohomish County and identify solutions youth envision for harm reduction, prevention, and creating safer environments in their communities. My work involved analyzing listening sessions with youth across Snohomish County to identify key themes and recommendations and comparing these findings to data from the 2023 Washington Healthy Youth Survey. I developed several deliverables, including site-specific listening session summaries, a one-page overall project summary, tailored presentations for the Snohomish County Health Department and local community coalitions, and a recording of my community coalition presentation.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP)

SITE SUPERVISOR: Colleen McCarty

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH student in Epidemiology, Maternal and Child Health track. For my practicum, I conducted qualitative interviews with primary care pediatric providers (including pediatricians, family physicians, and Advance Practice Providers) and other relevant stakeholders to identify barriers and facilitators to providing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) to adolescents. I am currently in the process of analysis, and plan to use the findings to make policy recommendations aimed at overcoming obstacles hindering PCPs from offering MOUD to adolescents. I am enjoying the opportunity to learn about and engage in qualitative interviewing, and incredibly grateful to my site supervisor for her expertise and guidance along the way.

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle Children's

SITE SUPERVISOR: Tonya Palermo

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology. My practicum focused on effectively communicating research findings on chronic pancreatitis (CP) pain in adolescents. CP is a debilitating long-term condition that significantly impacts the quality of life in children, particularly when they struggle to communicate or manage their pain. The goal of this practicum was to develop evidence-based, culturally relevant recommendations for assessing pancreatitis pain in pediatric populations. This involved synthesizing recent research findings and analyzing data from the Chronic/Acute Pancreatitis and Monitoring of Pain and Opioid Use project (CHAMP-INSPPIRE 2) to inform clinical practices for the INternational Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In Search for a CuRE (INSPPIRE 2), a multi-site consortium.

The practicum deliverables included a presentation on best practices and recommendations for pain assessment, shared with pediatric CP physicians nationwide. Additionally, I created a newsletter to disseminate our findings to families of children diagnosed with CP.

PRACTICUM SITE: Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dolores Jimerson

DEPARTMENT: Online MPH

FACULTY ADVISER: Genya Shimkin

I am a second-year online MPH student interested in strengthening tribal family and cultural systems to prevent interpersonal and intrapersonal violence. My practicum project supported the creation of an adolescent SBIRT for a Native boarding school. The SBIRT (Screening for Brief Intake and Referral to Treatment) model is a universal screening model that aims to reduce or prevent substance use by identifying people who are at risk and connecting them to tiered levels of treatment or intervention. This model is a cost and time-effective approach for reducing substance use and improving health outcomes.

For my project, I am working with Native boarding school students to develop an SBIRT that will be used to screen all incoming students for priority substance use and mental health issues. It will also include conversation guides that help administering adults talk about the substance use and mental health issues identified in a way that makes youth feel respected, empowered, and supported. 

PRACTICUM SITE: University of Washington

SITE SUPERVISOR: Monica Vavilala

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology, specializing in the Maternal and Child Health track. As a pediatrician, my primary interest has always been in children's health. For my practicum, I focused on how epidemiology skills can help better interpret prevalent diseases, specifically pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is a leading cause of childhood mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. I worked with the PEGASUS program, which researches guideline adherence in TBI management in South America, my home region. My project analyzed factors contributing to guideline adherence in TBI management, assessed the association between these factors and adherence rates, and evaluated the PEGASUS program’s performance through interviews with site PIs. This work will help improve TBI treatment dynamics and guide the development of more effective interventions for South American populations.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington Department of Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Khim Schoenacker

DEPARTMENT: Nutrition

FACULTY ADVISER: Anne Lund

I am a second-year MPH Nutrition student and a trainee in the RDN program. My professional interests focus on addressing food insecurity in ways that respect and honor diverse food cultures and traditions. For my practicum project with the Washington Department of Health, I developed a toolkit for tribal communities aimed at addressing high cholesterol among adolescents using indigenous foods and practices. The toolkit includes culturally relevant foods, recipes, and community resources such as gardens and food banks, along with accessible information on high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

PRACTICUM SITE: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

SITE SUPERVISOR: Emily Chandler

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH candidate in the Epidemiology-Maternal and Child Health track at the University of Washington. My practicum was with the Black Infant Health (BIH) program at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, a community-centered initiative that supports Black families from pregnancy through the first year postpartum. During my practicum, I contributed to BIH’s program evaluation efforts by developing, implementing, and analyzing client and community health worker satisfaction surveys, as well as focus groups with program staff and the Community Advisory Board (CAB). These tools provided valuable feedback to guide program improvements, strengthen internal processes, and advocate for sustainable funding.

PRACTICUM SITE: Salem Free Clinics

SITE SUPERVISOR: Jennie Reid

DEPARTMENT: Online MPH

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth

I am a pediatric nurse pursuing my master's degree through the University of Washington's online MPH program. Currently, I work at a children's hospital in Portland, Oregon, but my goal is to transition into program development for community-based organizations after graduation.

For my practicum, I worked with Salem Free Clinics, a safety net clinic that provides no-cost care to the uninsured and underinsured populations in Marion and Polk Counties. I assisted them in conducting an evaluation to understand the barriers preventing women in their patient population from getting mammograms and pap smears. The evaluation was multi-faceted and included qualitative interviews with patients, administering surveys in both Spanish and English to current and former patients, and conducting key informant interviews with clinic staff and partner organizations. I used the data from this evaluation to create an action plan, offering tailored and feasible recommendations on how the clinic could reduce barriers to screening for women in their community.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington State Department of Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Elizabeth Dykstra

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Julianne Meisner

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology with an interest in zoonotic and vector-borne disease surveillance. I collaborated with the Washington State Department of Health zoonotic and vector-borne disease team on a project with the Washington Trails Association (WTA) to map tick sightings reported by hikers across the state.

Using R, I developed code to text-mine keywords from free responses submitted by hikers to the WTA and created an interactive map in ArcGIS to visualize the distribution and frequency of tick sightings across Washington. Additionally, we investigated the association between tick sightings and wildfire activity within the state. This project highlights the value of detailed and consistent reports from the hiking community and underscores the critical role of community involvement in advancing public health research.

PRACTICUM SITE: University of Washington

SITE SUPERVISOR: Jen Antilla

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Nancy Puttkammer

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington, pursuing my studies as a Fulbright fellowship recipient from Sierra Leone. For my practicum with the DIGI-TEAM at I-TECH, University of Washington, I had the privilege of collaborating with global health, epidemiology, and informatics experts from institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University of Washington, and partners across Africa, Europe, and North America.

In this role, I led the development of context-specific training materials designed to enhance the analytical skills of Field Epidemiologists (FEs) working with large surveillance datasets. The training focused on leveraging informatics tools such as R, Excel, Kobo Toolbox, and the District Health Information System Version 2 (DHIS2). Utilizing Scribe, a tool that captures mouse clicks through screenshots, I created step-by-step tutorials to build the analytical capacity of FEs in remote settings. These materials aimed to strengthen disease response efforts in alignment with the 7-1-7 strategy.

The project's deliverables included epidemiological curves, disease burden assessments, and integrated data analyses. These outputs were presented to subject matter experts (SMEs) during review sessions to collect feedback and refine the training materials. The project received high praise at the Informatics Curriculum Validation event held in August 2024 at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

PRACTICUM SITE: Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington Food Safety Center of Excellence

SITE SUPERVISOR: Piper Brase

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Janet Baseman

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology. For my practicum, I worked with the Washington Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence (CoE), a division of the Washington State Department of Health dedicated to strengthening the training and surveillance practices of epidemiologists. During this project, I contributed to Foodborne, a podcast for early-career epidemiologists focused on historical foodborne and enteric disease outbreaks. My work included scripting an episode on the 2016 E. coli outbreak linked to flour, creating an interview guide for the epidemiologists who led the investigation, and developing web materials to complement the first season's episodes. This experience allowed me to support the CoE’s mission of disseminating information about foodborne illnesses through a creative platform. For those interested, Foodborne debuts in January 2025!

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington Department of Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Hillary Booth

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Stephen Hawes

I am a second-year MPH candidate in the Department of Epidemiology. For my practicum, I collaborated with the Washington State Department of Health’s Food Safety Center of Excellence team on the Environmental Health Field Kit Project (EHFKP). This project focuses on identifying foods associated with specific pathogens, such as Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes, during foodborne outbreaks in the United States. The EHFKP features an interactive user interface built with R, enabling users to search for foods linked to a particular pathogen and vice versa. The project supports applied foodborne surveillance efforts by providing epidemiologists with information about the diverse range of foods, including novel food vehicles, associated with specific pathogens. This tool aids in hypothesis generation during the early stages of outbreak investigations.

PRACTICUM SITE: Snohomish County Health Department

SITE SUPERVISOR: Hollianne Bruce

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology 

FACULTY ADVISER: Janet Baseman

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology with interests in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and maternal and child health. For my practicum project, I collaborated with the Snohomish County Health Department to analyze STI data from the past five years, assessing trends among populations at higher risk. The findings informed the county's Sexual Health Clinic team about current trends among teens and older adults and helped generate hypotheses about STI epidemiology in these groups. My practicum deliverables included data briefs for teen and older adult populations, along with recommendations on where to focus intervention efforts.

PRACTICUM SITE: EPIMOD - Togo

SITE SUPERVISOR: Tchaa Abalo Bakai

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Yanfang Su

Kokou Tbah Tighankpa, MD is an MPH candidate at the School of Public Health within the Department of Global Health. He conducted his practicum project in Togo, where his focus was on Assessing Contextual Factors, to Implement the 7-1-7 Target in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): Application of Organizational Readiness for Policy Implementation (OR4PI) Framework. 7-1-7 stands for 7 days towards detecting a probable outbreak, 1 day to start an epidemiological investigation, and 7 days to start field operation, which Togo has recently piloted. As a Togolese, Kokou Tbah has dreamt of a robust health system that is more resilient against infectious diseases and is ready to respond quickly in times of need. Hence, this project aims to explore the facilitating and hindering factors for implementing the 7-1-7 target approach for outbreak and pandemic early action in rural and urban Togo.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence

SITE SUPERVISOR: Hillary Booth

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Janet Baseman

I am a second-year MPH student in Epidemiology with a focus on infectious disease surveillance and public health practice. For my practicum, I collaborated with the Washington Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence at the Washington State Department of Health on a project to strengthen foodborne illness outbreak detection and response in carceral facilities.

My work involved conducting a comprehensive literature review to examine trends and challenges associated with foodborne illness outbreaks in carceral settings across the United States. Additionally, I developed and administered a structured questionnaire to local health jurisdictions in Washington State to identify key contacts within carceral facilities and enhance communication and coordination for outbreak response.

This experience deepened my understanding of the intersection between public health and underserved populations, contributing to efforts to promote health equity and improve disease prevention strategies in these unique and often overlooked settings.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington State Department of Health 

SITE SUPERVISOR: Piper Brase

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Janet Baseman

I am a second-year MPH student in the Health Systems and Population Health program, specializing in the Health Systems and Policy track, with interests in policy, technology, epidemiology, health communication, and informatics. For my practicum, I partnered with the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence to develop "Foodborne", an educational podcast series for early-career public health professionals. My contributions included writing the full script for the frozen stuffed chicken products outbreak episode for Season 2, the "Advice" episode script for Season 1, and creating website materials for two Season 1 episodes on cantaloupe and hazelnut outbreaks. This project allowed me to apply my skills in outbreak investigation research, scriptwriting, and health communication while exploring innovative ways to make public health education engaging and accessible to emerging professionals.

PRACTICUM SITE: IHME

SITE SUPERVISOR: Amanda Novotney

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr.Hmwe Hmwe Kyu

I am a second-year MPH student in the Global Health Program. My interests include HIV, tuberculosis(TB) and other infectious diseases. During my practicum at IHME, I contributed to a project on drug-resistant TB mortality risks, focusing on multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) tuberculosis. My responsibilities include conducting a systematic review to update the Global Burden of Disease(GBD) Study's evidence base, and registering the review protocol in PROSPERO. Through this practicum, I gained hands-on experience with systematic review methodologies and developed technical skills to address global health challenges.

PRACTICUM SITE: Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (NW PEHSU)

SITE SUPERVISOR: MaryKate Cardon

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Catherine Karr (DEOHS)

I am a second-year MPH candidate in the Department of Epidemiology (Maternal and Child Health track). My research interests focus on how the built and social environments of neighborhoods impact early childhood health outcomes and influence children's ability to thrive throughout their life course. For my practicum, I worked with the Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (NW PEHSU) with outreach efforts addressing environmental health disparities in Yakima Valley, Washington. I curated a bilingual health education resource library and led outreach events at local health fairs, providing families with accessible and culturally relevant education on the topic of air quality during wildfire smoke events. Additionally, I conducted an informal community assessment at the Toppenish Health Fair, where families identified their top environmental and children’s health concerns. This feedback informed actionable recommendations to enhance NW PEHSU’s community engagement strategies and future research in addressing pressing environmental health challenges affecting this vulnerable community. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilience

SITE SUPERVISOR: Anna Reed, MPH

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Alyson Littman, PhD, MPH

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology. My public health interests of environmental health and air quality have guided me to pursue a community-involved experience with the Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilience at the UW. Partnered with the Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment at Gonzaga University, my practicum experience revolved around hosting and collecting data during the Smoke Ready Symposium. Over the summer, we gathered community partners from around Washington state to engage in a World Café style symposium regarding wildfire smoke. My role during this event was a notetaker. After the event, I served to code transcripts along with other UW team members. Our findings will be compiled and developed into qualitative research articles. Findings from the symposium will lead to policy change in communities to address vulnerable populations, as well as barriers and facilitators to wildfire smoke resilience.

PRACTICUM SITE: Latino Center for Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Leo Morales

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Jason Daniel Ulloa

I am Agus, a second-year MPH student in the Global Health department. Driven by a passion for reproductive justice and equity, my research and activism primarily focus on abortion and LGBTQI+ rights. During my practicum with the Latino Center for Health, I gained valuable insights into conducting community health screenings, outreach activities, and culturally responsive research for Latinx communities in Washington State at risk of non-communicable diseases.

PRACTICUM SITE: American Public Health Association

SITE SUPERVISOR: Omid Bagheri Garak

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Amy Hagopian

I am a second-year Global Health MPH student pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Global Health of Women, Adolescents, and Children (WACh). I am passionate about human rights, WACh, and sexual and reproductive health. For my practicum, I am developing a policy statement for the American Public Health Association (APHA), sponsored by the International Health section. APHA policy statements are designed to influence U.S. policy. My statement explores the potential population health benefits of U.S. ratification of international treaties, focusing on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The U.S. government’s history of treaty absenteeism deprives its residents of access to international accountability mechanisms.

PRACTICUM SITE: Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kjell Arne Johansson MD PhD

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: David Watkins MD MPH

I am a second-year MPH student in the Public Health Genetics program with a background as a family physician. My interest lies in exploring the barriers and facilitators to genetic service delivery in Taiwan compared to the U.S.

During my practicum at the Ethics Center at National Taiwan University Hospital, I collaborated with the center's chief to conduct an interview study involving 12 healthcare professionals experienced in genetic testing in Taiwan. My responsibilities included designing the interview guide, recruiting participants, conducting the interviews, coding the transcripts, and performing the final thematic analysis. After the interviews, I developed educational materials to introduce genetic testing and fundamental genomic concepts to non-geneticist healthcare workers. For my thesis, I will expand this project by conducting a survey study on a larger sample of physicians to evaluate their experiences and attitudes toward genetic service delivery.

PRACTICUM SITE: Chelan-Douglas Health District

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kristen N. Hosey DNP, RN, PHNA-BC

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Janet Baseman, PhD

During my practicum with the Chelan-Douglas Health District, I gained invaluable hands-on experience addressing food access inequities. The project's goal was to identify areas within Chelan and Douglas Counties that qualified as food deserts and provide actionable recommendations to inform nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and WIC. By conducting windshield surveys, analyzing food pricing data, and evaluating geographic and economic barriers, I developed a deeper understanding of how systemic inequities affect food access in underserved areas. This experience strengthened my ability to conduct comprehensive needs assessments, use mixed-methods approaches to collect and analyze data, and collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary teams. Observing the interplay between social determinants of health, geographic isolation, and economic disparities enriched my perspective on health equity. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Providence

SITE SUPERVISOR: Hannah Lobingier

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth

I am a second-year Master of Public Health student in Health Systems and Population Health, dedicated to advancing health equity by addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) at a systems level. My practicum with Providence’s Medicaid Equity team involves supporting the integration of Community Health Workers (CHWs) to bridge gaps in care and promote equitable health outcomes. In collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, I work to identify and address barriers to care, ensuring CHWs are equipped to connect individuals to essential resources such as housing, food security, and transportation. This initiative strengthens Medicaid’s capacity to serve underserved populations by embedding equity-focused, evidence-based interventions into care delivery. Through this project, I am contributing to the development of sustainable, community-driven solutions that reduce health disparities and improve access to quality care for all.

PRACTICUM SITE: University of Nairobi Faculty of Health Sciences

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dalton Wamalwa

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Maneesh Batra

I am a neonatologist and pediatric infectious disease physician-scientist, as well as a second-year MPH Epidemiology student focused on maternal-child health. My primary interest is improving the health of mothers, infants, and young children in resource-limited settings through equitable, bilateral educational and research collaborations.

PRACTICUM SITE: Hepatitis Education Project

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kimberly Taber 

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Sara Glick

I am a second year MPH Global Health candidate with a focus in HIV, maternal and child health, and infectious disease. During my practicum in fall 2024, I worked at the Hepatitis Education Project in three different capacities. Primarily, I worked to build an implementation package for the rollout of rapid HIV testing at their Central District office. Currently HEP provides rapid Hepatitis screening alongside a syringe service program, buprenorphine clinic, drug checking and unhoused encampment outreach. During my time there I met with community partners and health department officials to understand and complete the process of rolling out a testing program and building client-facing educational materials.

PRACTICUM SITE: Public Health - Seattle & King County

SITE SUPERVISOR: Seth Schromen-Wawrin

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Mriuna Buta

I am a second-year MPH candidate in Health Systems and Population Health with a focus on creating equitable food systems to enhance nutrition security for diverse communities. For my practicum, I developed and designed a toolkit outlining the process of establishing a peer-to-peer outreach program to promote the use of SNAP and SNAP Market Match at farmers markets in King County. The toolkit was based on a peer-to-peer outreach program implemented by the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) team at Public Health – Seattle & King County in 2022 and 2023. The finalized toolkit has been published and is now available to SNAP-Ed providers seeking to create their own peer-to-peer outreach programs.

PRACTICUM SITE: Access, Delivered

SITE SUPERVISOR: Anna Fiastro, MPH, PhD

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Clarence Spigner

I am a second-year MPH student in the Health Systems and Population Health department with an interest in reproductive health policy and advocacy. For my practicum experience, I worked with the University of Washington Access, Delivered Research Initiative, housed in the Department of Family Medicine, on a project aimed at understanding and describing the experiences of individuals who are forced to travel across state lines to access abortion care. I had the opportunity to gather and lead a community advisory board made up of a group of abortion advocates who helped inform our study practices. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Porsesh Policy Research Institute

SITE SUPERVISOR: Ehsan Shayegan

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta

I am a student in the HSPoP MPH program, specializing in the Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration. While searching for a practicum project, I was drawn to Porsesh Policy Research Institute (PR) because of the opportunity it offered to explore new areas in global health, refugee health, and human rights. Throughout my practicum, I have helped manage operations for several PR events, including a panel on LGBTQ rights in Afghanistan. I have also created dissemination materials to share PR's research insights through social media, video, and writing.

PRACTICUM SITE: SEIU 775 Benefits Group

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kate Causey

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta

I am a second-year MPH candidate in the Health Systems and Population Health Department, with a concentration in Health Services and Policy. I worked with the SEIU 775 Benefits Group, which provides training, healthcare benefits, and continuing education to unionized caregivers in Washington State. Using data from a qualitative interview guide translated into Russian, Spanish, and Korean, I contributed to a codebook to assess the healthcare experiences and challenges of caregivers with limited English proficiency (LEP). I then coded and thematically analyzed the transcripts, identifying key themes related to caregivers' access to healthcare services, including interpretation and in-language care. My final deliverable was drafting the introduction for the report, which included recommendations for the organization.

PRACTICUM SITE: Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Frank Roberts

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Ana Lucia Seminario

I am a second-year MPH student in Epidemiology at the University of Washington, with a background in dentistry from Pakistan. My practicum project is with the University of Washington Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health, which aims to improve oral and craniofacial health globally through a strategic partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO). The DeRouen Center seeks to obtain WHO Collaborating Center designation, leveraging its expertise to support various functions, including research and policy. My role involves highlighting the need to address global oral health issues, particularly in Low and Lower Middle-Income Countries, elaborating on the support the DeRouen Center can provide, and examining, completing and submitting documentation for the DeRouen Center to become a WHO Collaborating Center. 

PRACTICUM SITE: National Taiwan University Hospital

SITE SUPERVISOR: Daniel Fu-Chang Tsai

DEPARTMENT: Public Health Genetics

FACULTY ADVISER: Malia Fullerton

I am a second-year MPH student in the Public Health Genetics program with a background as a family physician. My interest lies in exploring the barriers and facilitators to genetic service delivery in Taiwan compared to the U.S.

During my practicum at the Ethics Center at National Taiwan University Hospital, I collaborated with the center's chief to conduct an interview study involving 12 healthcare professionals experienced in genetic testing in Taiwan. My responsibilities included designing the interview guide, recruiting participants, conducting the interviews, coding the transcripts, and performing the final thematic analysis. After the interviews, I developed educational materials to introduce genetic testing and fundamental genomic concepts to non-geneticist healthcare workers. For my thesis, I will expand this project by conducting a survey study on a larger sample of physicians to evaluate their experiences and attitudes toward genetic service delivery.

PRACTICUM SITE: Northwest Health Law Advocates

SITE SUPERVISOR: Lee Che Leong

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Healt

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth & Genya Shimkin

As the Policy Manager at Asian Counseling and Referral Service, where I have worked since 2017, I developed a strong interest in healthcare access for immigrant communities, and especially undocumented immigrant community members who are systematically excluded from social welfare programs at multiple levels of government. My practicum, in partnership with Northwest Health Law Advocates, focuses on the rollout of the Apple Health Expansion, which has allowed around 12,000 undocumented people in Washington to receive health insurance. I spoke with staff at several community-based organizations serving Asian immigrant communities to understand the barriers community members faced and create a white paper with policy recommendations for the Health Care Authority and Health Benefit Exchange. This does not address all affordability issues, and so I am also creating an accompanying presentation and one-pager that explains issues that immigrants are dealing with while under the 5-year bar on accessing many federal benefits.

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle Farm to Preschool

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kelly Okumura and Tanya Fink, MS, RD

DEPARTMENT: Nutrition

FACULTY ADVISER: Anne Lund

I’m Karen Krol, a second-year MPH student in the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program. My interests include food equity, food justice, food sovereignty, and nonprofit work supporting these efforts. I completed my practicum during the summer and autumn quarters of 2024 with Seattle’s Farm to Preschool (F2P) Partnership, whose mission is to “provide children and families with access to fresh local food and learning opportunities that celebrate food cultures and invest in our local farm economy.” 

To support this mission, I developed a portfolio of culturally relevant recipes featuring seasonal Pacific Northwest produce. These recipes will be used to enhance outreach across F2P platforms, including nutritional education at preschool sites, printed materials for weekly produce bags, the online recipe database, and as a long-term resource for preschool educators and meal providers. Additionally, I created a portfolio of new produce items to expand F2P’s online Wholesale Vegetable Quantity Tool, incorporating a review of existing data and providing recommendations to better align with Child and Adult Care Food Program meal pattern requirements.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington State Department of Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Katie Treend

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta

I am a second-year MPH student in the Health Systems and Population Health Department, specializing in the Social and Behavioral Sciences track. For my practicum, I worked with the Washington State Department of Health's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program to contribute to the 5-Year Cancer Action Plan of Washington State (CAPOW). The goal of this plan was to create state-wide objectives for addressing cancer. In my role, I conducted literature reviews for the breast, melanoma, quality-of-life, health equity, and prevention sections of CAPOW. I also drafted background narratives and recommendations for achieving the plan's objectives. Additionally, I attended a committee meeting where stakeholders provided their feedback, which I later reviewed and incorporated into the final draft of CAPOW. During my practicum, I had the opportunity to connect with other passionate public health practitioners and expand my professional network. I also honed my ability to explain complex ideas clearly and concisely.

PRACTICUM SITE: Fred Hutch: Office of Community Engagement and Outreach

SITE SUPERVISOR: Liz Tallent

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta 

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health. I completed a practicum with Fred Hutch's Office of Community Engagement and Outreach (OCOE). OCOE works alongside community and academic partners to improve health outcomes and address cancer disparities through relationship-building and collaboration with community partners throughout Washington State. My role involved designing and creating a community event planning toolkit to be used by Community Health Educators and partner community organizations. I also created a small social media planning toolkit to help community partners promote engagement and participation through social media platforms. I synthesized team meeting notes, past event evaluation data, and other team team toolkits to design these resources to be useful to these different audiences. This opportunity allowed me to apply my public health communication knowledge while working with a multidisciplinary team to strengthen community-based cancer prevention work. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Hurone AI

SITE SUPERVISOR: Floria Nyandaya

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Kingsley Ndoh

As a second-year MPH student in Epidemiology, I completed a practicum with Hurone AI Inc., an organization dedicated to improving global access to precision cancer care by leveraging quality data from underrepresented groups. My project focused on a landscape analysis of oncologists' ethical perceptions of AI use worldwide. I developed interview guides and conducted over 10 qualitative interviews with oncologists and policymakers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda. Through thematic analysis, I produced a report highlighting key ethical concerns and implications to guide policy-making processes. This project aimed to address gaps in AI adoption within African contexts and evaluate stakeholder perceptions to inform context-specific implementation strategies.

PRACTICUM SITE: Latinx Health Board

SITE SUPERVISOR: Giselle Zapata-Garcia & Nora Coronado

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Clarence Spigner

I am a second-year MPH student in Health Systems and Population Health. As a first-generation Mexican American, I am deeply passionate about addressing health inequities within Latinx communities in Washington State. For my practicum, I chose to collaborate with the Latinx Health Board, drawn to their work on mental health. During my practicum, I supported the Latinx Health Board by managing both qualitative and quantitative analysis for their oral histories project and parent survey, preparing reports based on the findings. Additionally, I contributed to the development of the Latinx Health Board website to enhance their community presence and communication. Lastly, I created a grant preparation and application tool to assist the board in securing funding for their initiatives. These experiences have allowed me to integrate my public health skills with my commitment to advancing equity in underserved communities.

PRACTICUM SITE: Porsesh Research Policy Institute

SITE SUPERVISOR: Ehsan Shayegan

DEPARTMENT: Online MPH

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth

I am a second-year online MPH student with a focus on public health and equity. My interests include immigrant health, social determinants of health, and barriers to healthcare access. These interests stem from my personal experiences working in the healthcare field. During my practicum, I collaborated with the Porsesh Research Policy Institute to assess employment barriers faced by Afghan immigrants in Washington and their impact on health. This project involved conducting a cross-sectional community survey and facilitating a focus group to better understand challenges such as language barriers, credential recognition, and discrimination. My work highlighted the connection between unemployment and worse mental health outcomes among Afghan immigrants, particularly women, while offering actionable recommendations for policy interventions to support this community.

PRACTICUM SITE: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

SITE SUPERVISOR: Lorelei Piantedosi

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Clarence Spigner

I am a second-year MPH student in Health Systems and Population Health on the generalist track. For my practicum, I collaborated with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support their Pharmacy Education Program and Medicare Shared Savings Program. I prepared and delivered a continuing education presentation on the social determinants of health for pharmacists and other professionals involved in value-based care models at CMS. Additionally, I contributed to a continuous improvement project for Accountable Care Organization (ACO) coordinators, aiming to enhance communication with ACOs participating in the Shared Savings Program. This practicum deepened my appreciation for the expansive scope of healthcare innovation, regulatory processes, and collaboration at CMS, which collectively provide health coverage for over 160 million people.

PRACTICUM SITE: Public Health - Seattle & King County

SITE SUPERVISOR: Megin Parayil, MPH

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta, PhD

I am a second year MPH student in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health. My interests include improving healthcare access for rural and underserved populations, emergency preparedness, and workforce safety. For my practicum, I worked with Public Health - Seattle & King County: Emergency Medical Services Division to develop a program for paramedics to administer buprenorphine to patients experiencing opioid withdrawals. Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist medication that treats acute opioid withdrawal and is a long-term treatment option for patients with opioid use disorder. This program was developed in tandem with the implementation of the Kirkland Crisis Center, allowing patients receiving buprenorphine to be transported to the crisis center rather than an emergency department. After designing the program, we developed the program evaluation plan using metrics that EMS providers already collect. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at UW Medical Center

SITE SUPERVISOR: Tijana Milinic 

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Donna Denno

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health. For my practicum, I am collaborating with the UW Adult Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Center on an ongoing study supported by the National Research Service Award. This project examines how race and ethnicity influence participation in CF clinical trials and aims to identify potential barriers and mechanisms contributing to differential recruitment within the United States. The study employs the Public Health Critical Race Praxis and the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to analyze the impact of systemic inequities and racism. My practicum seeks to illuminate the complex systems of inequity affecting clinical trial participation and to provide actionable recommendations for fostering more inclusive and equitable research practices. This practicum aligns with my goal of driving systemic change for BIPOC communities while advancing diversity to improve access and outcomes in public health.

PRACTICUM SITE: Latino Center for Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Leo Morales

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Sarah Masyuko

I am a second-year MPH student in Global Health and the Global WACh certificate program with a background as a medical doctor. My interests lie in women and children's health, health access, and disease prevention. For my practicum, I worked alongside the Latino Center for Health team to promote health among Latinx communities in Seattle. My work involved organizing community events to raise awareness, provide health screenings, and share resources for managing and preventing chronic diseases. Additionally, I contributed to developing a survey to assess cardiometabolic health within the Latinx community in Seattle. I also assisted in creating a data-driven profile of undocumented immigrants in Washington state for inclusion in a policy brief. My role included event planning, attending outreach events, and collaborating with staff to refine culturally responsive information for Latinx residents.

PRACTICUM SITE: School-Based Partnerships Program at Public Health - Seattle & King County

SITE SUPERVISOR: Erin MacDougall

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Jenna Van Draanen

My name is ThuyMi Phung (she/her), and I am a second-year MPH student. For my practicum, I sought to learn more about systems of care for children and youth in King County, which led me to a project with the School-Based Partnerships Program team at Public Health – Seattle & King County. We conducted a landscape analysis of inclusion, diversity, equity, and antiracist (IDEA) practices at school-based health centers (SBHCs). Our objectives were to: (1) assess current IDEA efforts at SBHCs and sponsor agencies, including training, seminars, learning materials, and reflection groups; (2) compile practices and resources promoting IDEA from SBHCs outside King County; and (3) identify effective methods and tools to dismantle structural racism within SBHCs. Our ultimate goal was to develop recommendations for future IDEA practices, equipping staff with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to provide equitable care and dismantle structural racism within SBHCs.

PRACTICUM SITE: UW Indigenous Knowledge Family 

SITE SUPERVISOR: William Hartmann

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Keshet Ronan

I am a second year Global Health MPH student focused on rural and Indigenous health and wellbeing. My practicum experience occurred with the UW Indigenous Knowledge Family, a diverse group of health professionals with Indigenous affiliation focused on suicide in Native American communities.  

Influenced by misrepresentations, institutions frequently circulate misguided ideas about who Native people are that feed into harmful stereotypes and inefficient suicide prevention strategies. This practicum included an evaluation of relevant suicide literature, discussion with Native social work, nursing, research, and psychology professionals, reviewing Indigenous methodologies, and the creation of the SHARP guidelines - tangible strategies for both communities and health professionals alike. 

This project allowed me to engage with a group of Native health professionals - a rare occurrence that stimulated engaging discussion while centering Native knowledge. The SHARP considerations will be disseminated through Tribal communities & academic channels with hopes to address suicide in an effective and ethical manner. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Children's Clinic Othello

SITE SUPERVISOR: Alexis Ball

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Alison Roxby

I am a second year MPH in Global Health student with an interest in drug and substance use prevention and promotion of mental health. I worked at Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic Othello, in King County, to adapt an opioid overdose prevention training for the Black/African American community. The importance of this was to address the alarmingly increasing use of opioids by this community and its associated high opioid overdose deaths. I first developed a literature review, examining the disparities against the Black/African American community in opioid overdose prevalence, community perspectives, legal implications and treatment. I then developed an interview guide to collect qualitative data from the Black/African American community on the cultural adaptations to the opioid overdose prevention training, to promote their uptake by the community. I made a presentation of my work to the community advisory board from the African American Reach and Teach Health ministry and anticipate the feedback informing the adaptation of the training at the clinic. I am grateful for the support of my site and faculty supervisors, in making my experience amazing. I interacted with a multi-disciplinary team at the clinic and strengthened my skills in qualitative research, intercultural communications and team work. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle King County Public Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Karyn Brownson, MSW

DEPARTMENT: Community-Oriented Public Health Practice

FACULTY ADVISER: Erin Morgan, PhD

I am a first-year MPH student in the COPHP program. For this practicum project, I was tasked with completing two bill reviews surrounding gun safety and violence for the 2025 legislative session and completing and compiling findings for the Lock it Up safe firearm storage promotion program statewide. I am very passionate about gun safety and wanted to learn more about policy in public health, so I knew this was the right practicum for me! Throughout this practicum, I was able to learn how to successfully complete bill reviews so that they can get passed and make Washington a safer place for everyone. We worked to understand the legislative audience and provide talking points so that the legislators understand the impact on health. I was also able to get to know the Lock it Up safe firearm storage program well and assisted my partners in interpreting and analyzing data from partnering counties. From the data, we were able to draft a final report of the Lock it Up program to present to partners, funders, policy makers, and the public. Overall, I learned so much throughout this practicum that I am going to take with me into my future career and endeavors. Special thank you to Karyn Brownson for all of her support and guidance as my supervisor!

PRACTICUM SITE: Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kelsey Conrick

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH student in the department of Epidemiology within the Maternal and Child Health track. My practicum was conducted through the University of Washington's Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program in collaboration with Seattle Children's and Public Health Seattle & King County. This project focused on evaluating the impact of community events and trainings aimed at promoting safe firearm storage devices, with the goal of reducing firearm-related harm and deaths in Seattle and King County. As part of this project, I conducted qualitative interviews with participants and stakeholders to identify the barriers and facilitators influencing the intervention's effectiveness. Additionally, I assisted with managing quantitative data related to current firearm storage practices within the community. Moving forward, I will focus on coding and analyzing the collected qualitative and quantitative data and compiling the findings into a comprehensive final report.

PRACTICUM SITE: Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center 

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. Angele Theard

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Ahoua Kone

I am a 2nd year MPH student in the Global Health program. For my practicum, I worked with the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center to study how gun violence impacts youth of color in King County. My project focused on understanding the emotional and social effects of experiencing or witnessing gun violence, such as how it influences mental health, feelings of safety, and opportunities for the future. Alongside this, I worked on a paper reviewing previous research on the topic, and new avenues we can take in policymaking going forward, which we’re hoping to publish soon. This work gave me the chance to dive deep into the data and connect it to real-life stories, helping me see the broader systemic issues at play. It’s been an outstanding experience that created lifelong friendships with my team and reinforced my passion for public health and my commitment to advocating for manageable solutions that support young people of color and their communities.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington Poison Center

SITE SUPERVISOR: Alex Sirotzki, MPH

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth, MPH

I am a second-year MPH student in the Health Systems and Policy program. Given my interest in pediatric injury prevention, I wanted to gain experience and learn more about how the opioid epidemic impacts the pediatric population, especially in regards to high-potency synthetic opioids. Through my practicum at the Washington Poison Center, I am reviewed cases of pediatric opioid ingestions and initial emergency management of these cases. The aim of this project was first to assess the appropriate administration of drug screens in pediatric patients and to develop child safety recommendations for the Department of Children, Youth and Families. I reviewed and analyzed call records from the Washington Poison Center and medical records at Seattle Children's Hospital to also determine predictive factors in initial presentation after opioid ingestion that correlate with health outcomes. 

PRACTICUM SITE: King County Public Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Karen Chung

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Jenn Balkus

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health with interests in sexual and reproductive health, program evaluation, and addressing health disparities. My practicum was conducted with the Ryan White Planning Council at King County Public Health, focusing on a needs assessment of people aged 50+ living with HIV in King, Snohomish, and Island Counties. The aim was to inform the council's allocation of $7 million in annual Ryan White Part A grant funding to improve HIV care for underinsured and uninsured individuals. I developed and finalized assessment tools, conducted interviews with aging individuals living with HIV, analyzed qualitative data using REDCap, and presented findings to the council. This experience enhanced my skills in program evaluation and reinforced my commitment to improving equitable healthcare access for vulnerable populations.

PRACTICUM SITE: Hurone AI

SITE SUPERVISOR: Floria Nyandaya

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Kingsley Ndoh

I am a second-year MPH student in the Epidemiology Department. For my practicum, I worked with Hurone AI, a medical technology startup dedicated to developing culturally sensitive AI solutions to improve cancer care delivery in historically underserved populations. My work contributed to a validation study of Gukiza, Hurone AI’s digital health platform designed for breast cancer management. Validation studies are essential for ensuring AI tools are ethical and effective. This project aimed to evaluate the quality and appropriateness of AI-generated messages intended to help cancer patients manage side effects from combination therapy and compare these messages to guidance provided by practicing oncologists. Specifically, I conducted a comprehensive review of existing validation studies in cancer care AI to identify common methodologies and limitations. I also contributed to the planning and execution of Hurone AI’s own validation study. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington Department of Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Bat-Sheva Stein DNP, RN

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Health Systems & Population Health. For my practicum, I worked with the Washington Department of Health on their Blue Band Initiative Project. This project had three main objectives: (1) engage first responders in attending the Blue Band workgroup to draft and refine a communication plan that effectively conveys the project's purpose and potential roles for first responders; (2) expand the communication plan across Washington State, targeting first responders through existing networks and professional channels to increase awareness and involvement in the Blue Band project; and (3) educate first responders and the broader community about their critical role in managing hypertensive crises among pregnant and postpartum populations.

For my practicum, I created a presentation and communication plan to engage first responders in the Blue Band Initiative. The Blue Band workgroup plans to continue using my presentation slides during meetings with doctors and other healthcare workers.

PRACTICUM SITE: Chelan-Douglas Health District

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kristen N. Hosey

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Janet G. Baseman

I am a second-year MPH Epidemiology student with a research focus on infectious diseases, public health emergency preparedness and response systems, and outbreak investigations. For my practicum, I am exploring the intersection of public health emergencies and food insecurity through a food desert assessment project. Food deserts—areas with limited access to nutritious food—pose significant public health challenges, and these issues often worsen during public health emergencies. This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated food insecurity in vulnerable communities.

For this project, I am collaborating with the Chelan-Douglas Health District to assess food accessibility and availability within their jurisdiction. My responsibilities include conducting a literature review on food insecurity and food desert definitions, contributing to data collection methods, performing on-site windshield surveys, and drafting a report to validate the food desert status in the study area. This project also supports public health program monitoring and evaluation efforts, with the ultimate goal of improving food security and ensuring equitable access to nutritious food.

PRACTICUM SITE: Latino Educational Training Institute (LETI)

SITE SUPERVISOR: Marisol Bejarano

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Clarence Spigner

I am a second year MPH student in the Generalist track of the HSPOP department. For my practicum I worked with the Latino Educational Training institute (LETI), which is an organization that serves Latino populations in King County. Their mission is to uplift and support the personal and financial successes of Spanish and bilingual speaking persons and inspire youth to become leaders in their communities. They support wellbeing and success through education, cultural awareness, and social responsiveness. In my project with them, I conducted a literature review on and evaluated their Arcora dental program. This program is one that aims to educate young adults on the importance of oral care and dentistry as a daily practice and as a potential profession.

PRACTICUM SITE: UW Latino Center for Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Leo Morales

DEPARTMENT: Nutrition

FACULTY ADVISER: Anne E. Lund

I am a second year first generation graduate student in the School of Public Health pursuing an MPH in Nutrition. I am also part the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics (GCPD), training to become a registered dietitian. I am passionate in program development and working for the Latine community. I hope to one day start a non profit supporting underserved community health through nutrition and physical activity. My practicum involves working with the Latino Center for Health (LCH) team and various partners to organize and deliver community engagement events for Latine communities in Washington, focusing on type 2 diabetes mellitus. I will collaborate on culturally responsive nutrition research addressing health issues in Latine communities across Washington state. I will contribute to new nutrition content for the patient education handbook and create a poster on developing culturally sensitive nutrition education for the Latine community. I will also participate in monthly community screenings. These screenings aim to identify health issues within the community and provide necessary referrals and support. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Public Health – Seattle & King County, APDE Unit

SITE SUPERVISOR: Sara Jaye Sanford

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Gace C. John-Stewart

I am a second-year MPH student in the Epidemiology department with a passion for advancing health equity and understanding the intersections between social determinants and systemic health outcomes through data analysis and dissemination. My practicum with Public Health – Seattle & King County’s APDE unit addressed gaps in access to data for advancing health equity by redesigning the King County Health Disparity Dashboard. I conducted a literature review to identify best practices for equitable data representation and health disparity measurements. Insights from this review informed dashboard visualizations and data framing. I led user-feedback sessions with internal staff and community partners to prioritize health indicators and optimize dashboard design for user engagement. Using R and SQL, I improved ETL processes to streamline data extraction and updates, while Tableau was employed to enhance dashboard visuals. With my practicum, I aim to improve access to actionable health disparity data for King County communities and local agencies to inform public health policies and interventions.

PRACTICUM SITE: Hepatitis Education Project

SITE SUPERVISOR: Kimberly Taber

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Nina H. Kim

I am a second-year MPH candidate in Epidemiology with a focus on infectious diseases and clinical outcomes. During my practicum, I gained valuable public health experience by supporting HEP’s data analysis and harm reduction outreach initiatives. I developed internal reports and a dashboard in Apricot to track key performance indicators for medical case management, outreach tests, and client care outcomes. These tools, based on data from 2019–2024, enabled HEP to monitor progress and refine program strategies. In addition, I contributed to HEP’s Syringe Service Program (SSP) and encampment outreach by distributing harm reduction supplies and educating participants on safer substance use practices. These efforts extended HEP’s reach to underserved populations. This practicum enhanced my skills in data management, harm reduction, and addressing stigma within public health services.

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington State Department of Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Noah Frank

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Christine Khosropour

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology. For my practicum, I worked with the Drug User Health team at the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH). We explored the landscape of passive naloxone distribution systems, or naloxone kiosks, in Washington State. I conducted a literature review, created a reference document with programs that are likely to have a naloxone kiosk, and developed a survey in REDCap to gather insights from community partners in Washington, summarizing findings into a two-page report. This provided understanding into the implementation, operation, and impact of naloxone kiosks for the Drug User Health team and other internal teams at WA DOH. 

PRACTICUM SITE: The Transgender Health and Wellness Center of Washington

SITE SUPERVISOR: Cheryl Enstad 

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology 

FACULTY ADVISER: Steve Hawes

I am a second year MPH student in the Epidemiology department. My research interests include access to gender affirming care for transgender and gender expansive (TGE) populations, social support, and public health communication. For my practicum, I worked with the Transgender Health and Wellness Center of Washington (Trans-Wa) in the development of their “Safe and Supportive Transition Program.” I created a survey and a focus group interview guide that Trans-Wa will use to assess overall health, community assets, and needs of TGE individuals residing in Washington state. Findings from the survey will be used to inform program development and strategic planning for the organization. In addition, I developed educational content for Trans-Wa’s online platform focused on ways health care practitioners can create gender-affirming practices, and how TGE individuals can identify gender-affirming health care practitioners and advocate for their needs in the health care setting. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Department of Health 

SITE SUPERVISOR: Mariel Torres Mehdipour

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Steve Hawes 

I am a second-year MPH candidate in Epidemiology with interests in health equity, social determinants of health and chronic diseases especially working with the Latine population. King County is facing a $35M General Fund shortfall in 2025. As a result of this historic budget gap, PHSKC launched the Racial Equity Budget and Services Analysis (REBSA). REBSA is a collaboratively designed team that integrates explicit considerations of racial equity into the budget development and key decision-making processes. This practice has supported activities related to assessing the racial equity impacts of budget decisions for potential burdens and benefits for communities of color and low-income communities. It ensures programs, services, and investments to help reduce racial and ethnic health disparities; and requires future improvement requests to apply a racial equity framework and methodology to overall budget development and decision-making processes.

PRACTICUM SITE: Brown School of Public Health - People, Place & Health Collective

SITE SUPERVISOR: Julia Noguchi, MA, MPH, DrPH

DEPARTMENT: Online MPH

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth

Evaluation of a 4-week professional development course offered by the People, Place & Health Collective to staff at the Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Health Equity. The evaluation focuses on topics such as data storytelling skills and organizational data culture. Subtopics include the intersection of health equity measurements with plain language communication, audience segmentation, and data visualization. This workforce development program aims to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration in the pursuit of health equity.

PRACTICUM SITE: Pike Market Senior Center

SITE SUPERVISOR: Zoé Freeman

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology with research interests in geriatric epidemiology, cardiovascular disease prevention, and social determinants of health. Working with older adults is especially meaningful to me, which led me to partner with the Pike Market Senior Center. This center focuses on addressing fundamental needs, fostering social connections, and enhancing the physical and mental well-being of older adults in Downtown Seattle.

Our project used a qualitative approach, conducting individual interviews with members to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and provide valuable insights to staff. The findings will also support the center's efforts in future grant writing.

PRACTICUM SITE: Digital Initiatives Group at I-TECH (DIGI), UW

SITE SUPERVISOR: Anne Njoroge

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Nancy Puttkammer

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health with a background in dentistry, which inspired my interest in infectious diseases, health systems, and health equity. I also have a strong interest in monitoring and evaluation. For my practicum, I worked with the Digital Initiatives Group at I-TECH (DIGI) to develop the Curriculum Assessment Model for the Africa Epidemic Service – Public Health Informatics (AES-PHI) Fellowship. This flagship program is part of Africa CDC’s Digital Transformation Strategy for 2020-2025. My responsibilities included developing and refining assessment rubrics for Core Activities of Learning (CALs), which encompass Capstone, Practicum, and Short-Term Field Support projects. I created detailed instructions for learners and faculty to align with these rubrics, ensuring clarity and consistency in evaluations. Additionally, I designed a course assessment survey based on the Kirkpatrick Model for fellows to self-administer at the end of each course. I also mapped out learning exercises for each course, specifying grading criteria to streamline the assessment process and improve learner performance evaluation.

PRACTICUM SITE: Hawaiʻi Pacific Health

SITE SUPERVISOR: Crystal Theel, MSN, RN

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Katarina Mucha

I am a second-year MPH candidate in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health. My research interests include the built environment, transportation accessibility, and food insecurity. For my practicum, I had the opportunity to work with Hawaiʻi Pacific Health to implement a Produce Prescription Pilot Program (PRx) for pediatric patients at Kapiʻolani Medical Center. The goal of this PRx was to increase food security among our patient population with a focus on those who are low-income, food insecure, or at risk for developing diabetes and obesity through locally-sourced curated produce boxes. As part of my practicum, I researched existing literature surrounding PRx implementation with a focus on barriers and facilitators to project implementation, collaborated with stakeholders to establish the procedures and workflows for program implementation, participated in grant writing, and created a mockup of the nutrition education brochure that would be included in the curated boxes. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Washington State Department of Health, Office of Nutrition Services

SITE SUPERVISOR: Nora Downs

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Clarence Spigner

I am a second-year MPH student in the department of Health Systems and Population Health. My research interests include health equity, food systems, and program evaluation and implementation. For my practicum, I worked with the Washington State Department of Health SNAP-Ed team on a needs assessment for SNAP-Ed partners. This was the final phase of a 3-phase assessment of SNAP-Ed programing. This needs assessment was used: to assess how well SNAP-Ed programs align with participant needs, to gather input from program partners about potential improvements, and to identify innovative successes. I assisted the team with the creation of survey materials, administering and analyzing surveys, conducting partner interviews, and creation of assessment communications. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Fred Hutch Cancer Center

SITE SUPERVISOR: Catherine Duggan, PhD

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Kata Mucha, PhD, MPH

I am a second-year Master of Public Health student in the Department of Global Health, with a focus on health systems strengthening and advancing health system reform through applied research methods. During my practicum at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, I led the development of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and managed the evaluation of the RAD-AID USA Women’s Health Access Initiative at select Federally Qualified Health Centers. The findings from this evaluation will guide the program’s implementation at additional sites and support broader research efforts aimed at developing resource-appropriate, sustainable strategies to reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer screenings across the United States. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Indian American Community Services (IACS)

SITE SUPERVISOR: Salima Bangur

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Daniel Enquobahrie

I am a second-year MPH student on the Maternal-Child Track in the Epidemiology. My practicum was with the Indian American Community Services (IACS). IACS is a community‐based organization in Washington that serves Asian Indian immigrants and refugees across King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties mostly. IACS works to connect and empower the Asian Indian community of all ages and all life stages through programs, services, and advocacy that respects and celebrates cultural traditions and values. With funding from the King County Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy, IACS developed the Evidence-Based Health Program (EBH), an 8-month program focused on diabetes prevention and management for older Indian American adults with pre-diabetes or Type-2 diabetes. EBH integrates culturally tailored health coaching, nutrition education, yoga, breathing exercises, and biometric tracking to help support participants with lifestyle changes to better manage diabetes and pre-diabetes. Through my practicum experience, I created a report evaluating this program and infographics to share their program's results with the public.

PRACTICUM SITE: Kitsap Public Health District 

SITE SUPERVISOR: Siri Kushner

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Miruna Buta

I am a second-year MPH student in the Epidemiology department. My research interests include neighborhood and social determinants of health that impact access and treatment to health services for minority populations. For my practicum, I had the privilege to work at Kitsap Public Health District (KPHD), researching and developing tools that would help monitor and evaluate their Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) process for each community health priority. I also developed a comprehensive communication tool to present key data for the health priority to be shared with key leaders from health organizations in Kitsap County during a strategy development meeting. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Amisteed Consulting

SITE SUPERVISOR: Julie Rajaratnam

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Annette E Ghee

For my practicum, I collaborated with Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW), a faith-based organization dedicated to fostering self-sufficiency within diverse communities. Under the mentorship of Julie Rajaratnam, I developed theories of change (TOCs) for four VOAWW programs. This work included conducting interviews with program teams to map pathways to impact and contributing to cross-program analysis. My efforts informed VOAWW’s overarching organizational strategy by aligning programmatic TOCs with their mission, creating an evidence-based framework to strengthen partnerships and secure funding.

PRACTICUM SITE: Seattle Office of Emergency Management

SITE SUPERVISOR: Consuelo Crow

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Molly Firth

I am a second year MPH candidate in the Health Systems and Policy track. During my undergraduate studies at the University of Washington I double majored in Medical Anthropology and Human Evolutionary Biology, building on my understanding of the relationship between culture and health as well as the influence of social determinants on the well-being of individuals and communities. I've been interning with Seattle OEM, where I've continued to gain extensive hands-on experience working in disaster research and emergency management. My Practicum experience centered around project management and community engagement for the Puget Sound Resilience Hub pilot project funded through FEMA's Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program. The project looks to partner with local community-based organizations to complete community outreach and engagement to gain insight and feedback as to what local community members would like to see in a resilience hub to best prepare and sustain their unique community needs in future times of emergency.

PRACTICUM SITE: Department of Oral Health Sciences

SITE SUPERVISOR: Donald Chi

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Annette E Ghee

For my practicum, I collaborated with Dr. Donald Chi in the Department of Oral Health Sciences on a project evaluating innovative rural dental clinics implemented at Jefferson Healthcare’s Sheridan Dental Clinic in Port Townsend and on Orcas Island. My work involved developing culturally tailored Spanish-language interview scripts, conducting qualitative interviews, and analyzing data to understand the community’s perspectives on their experiences with these clinics, including their expectations, needs, and suggestions for improvement. This project also explored opportunities to enhance oral health beyond the clinics, capturing both the barriers and facilitators to care. This experience emphasized the importance of integrating community perspectives to inform equitable and culturally responsive public health strategies.

PRACTICUM SITE: NGO HAMNASA

SITE SUPERVISOR: Laurensius Amir Lein

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: MaryAnne Mercer

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health with interests in maternal and child health and sexual and reproductive health and rights. I am supporting HAMNASA’s Response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) training curriculum in Timor-Leste by reviewing updated training modules, developing learning lab guidelines, refining monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools, and strengthening evaluation plans.

This practicum aligns with HAMNASA’s goals of enhancing its GBV training program and promoting evidence-based practices. By addressing gaps and making strategic recommendations, I aim to improve healthcare services for GBV survivors and equip providers with the skills needed to respond effectively and compassionately. My work contributes to building a compelling narrative that highlights the program’s impact and its critical role in addressing GBV in Timor-Leste.

PRACTICUM SITE: Genetics Program, Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

SITE SUPERVISOR: Nini Shridhar, PhD, MPH, State Genetics Coordinator

DEPARTMENT: Public Health Genetics

FACULTY ADVISER: Joon-Ho Yu, PhD, MPH

Hello, my name is Sarah, I am an Institute for Public Health Genetics MPH student. I interned under the WA Department of Health to conduct a quality assurance and improvement assessment that captured average wait times for patients seeking genetics related care. The information was intended to identify differences in wait times, help the state identify where resources may be needed to improve wait times, and determine the effect of widespread telehealth adoption as a means of genetics healthcare delivery on patient wait times. This endeavor was a follow-up to previous iterations from 2013 and 2017. Over ninety timelines for patient wait times were collected from over twenty clinics using the Third Next Available Appointment model and stratified by provider type, urgency, and mode of healthcare delivery.

PRACTICUM SITE: NDNCollective

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dawn Mackety

DEPARTMENT: Health Systems and Population Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Miruna Buta

As a second-year MPH candidate in the Health Systems and Population Health Department with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, I completed my practicum with NDNCollective. My work focused on understanding the comprehensive needs of Indigenous communities, particularly how self-determination and cultural practices contribute to healthy living. This project enhanced NDNCollective's understanding of holistic health indicators in Indigenous communities by highlighting the influence of cultural continuity, land rights, and access to traditional practices on positive health outcomes. These findings will inform NDNCollective's future initiatives and policies to foster thriving Indigenous communities.

PRACTICUM SITE: Kenyatta National Hospital 

SITE SUPERVISOR: Dr. John Kinuthia

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Keshet Ronen

I am a second-year MPH candidate in the Department of Global Health, with a focus on reproductive health, mental health, Indigenous health, and public health education. For my practicum project, I worked with Kenyatta National Hospital to summarize discussions from the participatory design workshops with stakeholders, which helped guide the intervention for the Integrated Perinatal Mental Health (IPMH) study trial. Additionally, I developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on risk and serious adverse event reporting for the clinical trial of the intervention. I am grateful for the DGH Fieldwork Fellowship, which allowed me to learn from and collaborate with the team in Kisumu, and for the guidance from Keshet throughout my practicum journey. 

PRACTICUM SITE: Naivasha Sub-county Hospital

SITE SUPERVISOR: Douglas O Bosibori

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Carey Farquhar

I am a second year MPH in Global Health Student from the United States. I have experience working in women's health, reproductive health, DEI programming, affordable housing, and obesity prevention in cancer survivors. My passion lies in supporting gender equity through uplifting women’s health. For my practicum project, I created educational materials and supported community education sessions on HPV Vaccination for girls ages 10-14 in Naivasha, Kenya. These educational materials were adapted for church settings and female sex workers. Along with the educational materials, a survey was created and disseminated to evaluate the educational materials and collect community perspective on HPV and Cervical Cancer. 

PRACTICUM SITE: UW Center for One Health Research

SITE SUPERVISOR: Vickie Ramirez

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Kathryn Kuehl

I am a second-year MPH Epidemiology student with an interest in infectious diseases. Currently, I am working with the One Health Clinic (OHC) in downtown Seattle and Ballard to enhance the delivery of integrated medical and veterinary care for youth experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. My practicum focuses on quality improvement initiatives that promote diversity awareness, cultural sensitivity, trauma-informed care, and effective communication among volunteers. These efforts aim to build trust and improve the clinic's capacity to provide comprehensive, inclusive care in a challenging environment often constrained by staffing limitations and reliance on volunteers. Through this work, I strive to support the OHC’s mission of addressing health disparities for vulnerable populations.

PRACTICUM SITE: Naivasha Sub-county Hospital

SITE SUPERVISOR: Douglas O Bosibori

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Carey Farquhar

As a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health with a passion for maternal and child health, I completed my practicum with the Clinical Education Partnership Initiative (CEPI) at Naivasha Sub-county Hospital in Kenya. My project focused on cervical cancer, a pressing health concern for women in Kenya, through culturally tailored education and community outreach. I developed bilingual brochures and presentations to raise awareness about cervical cancer prevention and early detection. Collaborating with local churches and key population clinics, I facilitated interactive sessions to empower communities with lifesaving information. Additionally, I designed an evaluation plan to measure the impact of these efforts. This experience strengthened my commitment to reducing health disparities and highlighted the critical role of education in improving health outcomes for women in low-resource settings.

PRACTICUM SITE: Entre Hermanos

SITE SUPERVISOR: Martha Zúñiga

DEPARTMENT: Global Health

FACULTY ADVISER: Jane Lee

I am a second-year MPH student in Global Health, with primary interests in reducing inequities in access to quality healthcare services for marginalized communities and exploring the intersection of cultural diversity, health, and the One Health approach. For my practicum, I collaborated with Entre Hermanos, a community-based organization dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community through prevention, education, support services, advocacy, and fostering a culturally inclusive environment.

The main goal of my project was to support the launch of a new location in Yakima, aimed at enhancing outreach to rural areas of Washington State. To contribute to this initiative, I developed a culturally adapted communication plan that integrated evidence-based strategies to effectively engage Latinx and Indigenous populations.

PRACTICUM SITE: Public Health – Seattle & King County (HIV/STI/Hepatitis C Program - Harborview Medical Center)

SITE SUPERVISOR: Roxanne Kerani, PhD 

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology

FACULTY ADVISER: Dr. Joel Kaufman, MD, MPH  Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine

I am a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington, with a background in microbiology . My research interests focus on infectious disease prevention, vaccine effectiveness, and health equity. I hold a Master’s in Microbiology and have prior experience working on molecular profiling of antibiotic resistance and public health interventions.

For my practicum, I collaborated with Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Washington State Department of Health, and the CDC on a case-control study evaluating the effectiveness of the mpox vaccine (Jynneos) across King County and 12 U.S. sites. My role included managing REDCap data, integrating immunization records, and contributing to recruitment strategies.

This experience, combined with my academic and professional background, has strengthened my skills in epidemiological research, data management, and stakeholder engagement, driving my commitment to improving public health outcomes.