Please tell us about your career path so far, starting with your first job after graduation and leading to where you work now.

After completing studies for an MPH in epidemiology (international health track) in August 2013, Vernon Mochache Oyaro returned to his native Kenya to work as a project manager/physician with the International Center for Reproductive Health-Kenya in Mombasa. His new post is giving him project management skills and broadening his horizons.

Why did you join the military?

My family has a history of military service (three brothers, dad, step-dad), and I liked the idea of being able to serve my country. I also needed a way to pay for medical school and this seemed like a great way to do it.

How long did you serve and where?

Rachel Shaffer graduated with a PhD in Environmental Toxicology in 2020. She serves as Senior Advisor for Chemical Safety - Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) - The White House.

Why did you choose the UW?

Andrew Chung works in health care.

Tell me about your path to the military.

I went to school at Purdue University in Indiana. I had friends who joined the military and they told me that, if I was going to go to college, I might as well consider ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps). I did, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Why did you choose the UW?

The UW and the School of Public Health have a strong commitment to service and to research. I completed my bachelor’s in nursing at the UW, and wanted to return for my graduate education.

Why did you decide to get into health administration?

After losing her father to an incurable disease, PhD student Ceejay Boyce was driven to develop more effective tools and technology to fight diseases. “I wanted to help others avoid that same experience,” Boyce says of her father’s illness.

PhD student Amy Lu is fascinated by the art of discovery – understanding the need and the problem, and probing beyond the obvious answers to find creative solutions.

Erica Lokken graduated from the UW with a PhD in Epidemiology. 

At 14 years old, Erica Lokken spent hours on weekends in a warehouse in Houston’s south side sifting through bags and boxes of donated medical supplies. She counted unused urine cups and bandages, tinkered with prosthetic legs and sorted syringes.

What are you most passionate about in public health?

The intersection of food waste, hunger, food insecurity and food access. As an undergrad at Cornell, I helped to recover food from college dining halls and deliver it to a nonprofit in downtown Ithaca. They would distribute the food to people in the community who needed it. This sparked my interest.

What motivates you about public health?

Why did you choose biostatistics?

Why did you choose the UW?

The UW is strong in both public health and health administration. My first love is public health, so I wanted to ensure I was associated with an institution with similar values.

Why did you decide to study health administration?

How did you find your way to the UW?

I got my BS in animal science from the University of California, Davis, and then worked in a lab there while taking evening classes to get my MPH. After, and as part of my practicum, I worked for a nonprofit that helped disadvantaged communities to access safe drinking water. For my thesis, I developed a 12-week water justice curriculum for community leaders to learn more about organizing around the topic.

What research are you working on?

My thesis is looking at disaster resilience for older adults in King County. I’m planning to interview senior center directors about how their organizations can support older adults’ health and safety during and after a natural disaster. I’ve also been working with my adviser, Nicole Errett, on a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that looks at how state laws address public health during disaster recovery.