Class Notes Fall/Winter 2010.
Epidemiology / Biostatistics
Mary Keville (’79) moved with her husband to Belgium, where she works for GSK in the Global Quality Organization for their vaccines division, located outside of Brussels.
Beth Sommers (’89) has been serving as Co-Chair of the American Public Health Association’s group specializing in complementary and integrative care for the past several years. She writes that she “remains committed to ensuring that health care that includes wellness is a right, not a privilege,” and she thanks BUSPH “for opening so many doors!”
Bryan Eustis (’04) was on vacation in South Africa over the summer for the Comrades Marathon and the World Cup. He writes: “Back in Boston, things are going well, working with local and state health departments focused on emergency-preparedness planning and response.”
Jackie Johnson (’05) started nursing school at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore at the end of August. She is also working part-time as a field interviewer for a research study evaluating stress on women who have recently given birth and on the effects on pregnancy outcomes.
Naomi Goodman (’06) spoke at Emerson College in March on developing and teaching a Parkinson’s Disease (PD) dance class. Her presentation focused on the efficacy of dance as a treatment modality for PD, discussed how the classes address the challenges of PD, and included an abridged version of the class.
Environmental Health
Jennifer Allard Zilinski (’03) is practicing small animal medicine on Cape Cod at a clinic in North Falmouth. She and her husband recently had their first child, a baby girl named Emma.
Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights
Anuj Goel (’95) was recently honored by the Massachusetts Health Information Management Association (MaHIMA) with the MaHIMA HIM Advocacy Award. He was recognized for exceptional efforts in advancement of the Health Information Management profession by legislative and regulatory means at the local, state, and/or federal levels. Anuj has supported key HIM initiatives geared towards protecting the rights of patients, preserving data quality, promoting positive payer-provider relations, and educating hospitals in terms of pertinent practice updates. Anuj is currently the Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the Massachusetts Hospital Association.
Health Policy & Management
Sharyn Perpall (’95) has been the director of Midwifery in South Florida since 1997, and she writes that “I miss Boston every day. I utilize my education daily, as I am in [a] practice which serves the less fortunate than I am.”
Shreya Patel (’09) writes “I currently work in Boston at the Department of Health and Human Services at the Office of Inspector General. In my free time, I love to travel. My most recent trip was to Italy this past summer where I toured Rome and Venice!”
International Health
Joe Woodring (’02) writes that he is currently serving as the Preventive and Occupational Medicine physician consultant for all of Iraq. He also serves as the Preventive Medicine physician for the United States Division Center in Baghdad. “I completed a combined Preventive and Occupational Medicine residency program through Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and earned a Masters of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Currently, I am mostly tracking infectious diseases in soldiers, national and contracted workers, and developing preventative med policy for the Iraqi theater of operations. Love this work, surprisingly enough!”
Emily Bearse (’09) writes that since graduating in 2009, “I completed a one-year Global Health Corps fellowship. Global Health Corps is an organization that aims to mobilize a community of young leaders for global health equity by connecting young professionals to year placements with organizations working on the frontline of global health issues. As a Global Health Corps fellow, I worked with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in rural Malawi on a PMTCT and Pediatric HIV/AIDS project supporting a peer-counselor program within community health centers. Now, I am back in the United States on staff with Global Health Corps. GHC fellowships are excellent opportunities for BUSPH grads to develop professionally and personally, while making an impact in under-served communities and developing a strong professional network.
Maternal & Child Health / Social & Behavioral Sciences
Abbie Green (’08) worked over the summer on the “Move4Health” program, which provides both work opportunities for Cambridge youth and a community health-promotion initiative encompassing physical activity, nutrition, and environmentalism.
Ali (Conway) Weihofen (’08) is now living in Zürich, Switzerland, working for the Swiss School of Public Health Foundation as a scientific assistant. The foundation’s mission is to establish a national school of public health in Switzerland over the next few years. Ali recently married a Swiss man and enjoys “skiing, hiking and eating chocolate (in moderation of course) in the Alps.”
Leah Mycoff (’09) writes: “I am currently working in a molecular medicine lab. I am excited to use my MPH in a future career change, to fulfill my passion for social and environmental justice.”
Mary Kate Allee (’10) works in Washington, DC, at the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She trains health departments across the country to conduct community health assessments and to use the data to implement public health programs. Mary Kate also works with health officials, new to their positions, to enhance their skills and knowledge related to their new jobs.