"communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.”

--michelle obama

After completing my Bachelor’s degree, I began my career in public health in 2013 as a contractor for the Department of Defense. In this role, I managed the public and occupational health of over 1,600 service members assigned to the 174th Air National Guard Base, including managing the pre- and post-deployment health needs of those going overseas.

I matriculated into the University of New England’s Masters of Public Health program in 2015. Two years later, in fulfillment of my practicum requirements, I completed a Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (JrCOSTEP) in 2017 with the U.S. Public Health Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this role, I conducted data analyses of unintentional and violence-related injury for American Indian/Alaska Natives, and developed curriculum to provide basic injury epidemiology training to those working with tribal communities.

I was selected as a recipient of the James P. Keough Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Occupational Health and Safety Section of APHA to attend the 2017 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, where I co-presented in an oral session to Student Assembly members.

I was one of six students appointed to the 2017 American Journal of Public Health Student Think Tank group (pictured above). I participated in active discussions about the covers for each monthly journal, provided editorial support, and worked to implement a social media toolkit and promotional strategies to encourage readership of the journal by young professionals.

During my time as a student at the University of New England, I was actively involved in reinvigorating the university’s chapter of the American Public Health Association Student Assembly (@UNE_APHA_SA), which is still active today. I spearheaded an initiative to host Public Health Fireside Chats—informal, real-time, online meetings of public health professionals and students to discuss current public health issues. I acted as Campus Liaison to APHA-SA on behalf of UNE, and later was awarded 2017 Campus Liaison of the Year.

In December 2017, I graduated with my Masters of Public Health, and in 2018, began working at the Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this role, I managed submission of IRB submissions for research studies related to intimate partner violence and suicidal ideation, as well as personally interviewing and referring Veterans diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder as part of research activities.

I continued to advance my education and development through additional training and engagement with public health. In October 2019, I took and passed the Certified in Public Health examination, demonstrating my knowledge of key public health sciences and my commitment to the field through continuing education focused on emerging and established public health issues. I additionally took 6 graduate-level courses in Occupational Health in 2020-2021 at East Carolina University, where I also presented about the importance of respecting Indigenous sovereignty, land, and traditions to reduce health disparities.

In May 2021, I commissioned as a Health Services Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. I am a Lieutenant currently stationed as a Writer/Editor with the United States Food and Drug Administration at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). I conduct research, organize, write, revise, and edit technical and scientific articles and documents through the highest levels of the agency. I triage inquiries submitted to the Office of Compliance for response related to current good manufacturing practices (CGMP) of drugs both within the United States and globally.

I currently serve as the Networking Chair of the FDA Commissioned Officers Network (FCON); and the CDER Compliance Officers’ Readiness and Promotion (CORPS) Group. I continue to be involved with the Occupational Health and Safety section of APHA, serving as the Membership Chair, as well as reviewing abstracts for the Annual Meeting, and contributing to policy statement development. In my spare time, I volunteer with the Cortland County Health Department as an Immunization Ambassador, encouraging open peer-to-peer dialogue about vaccines among the community.

[Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.]

PORTFOLIO OF WORK