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Master of Public Health (MPH) student Jacqueline Clabeaux knows that leading communities to practice healthier lifestyles is a key role for public health professionals. That’s why she focused her This is Public Health (TIPH) Student Ambassador social media campaign on educating people on how to improve their health while strengthening their local communities through physical activities. 

The Mason Public Health Mentor Program pilot aims to support graduating Global and Community Health (GCH) graduate students by pairing them with GCH alumni mentors, who provide professional guidance and career advice in the public health field.

For Safa Yosufzai, the clinical science concentration provided the best of both worlds; she is building a strong foundation in public health education while meeting the prerequisites for medical school.

Sisters Ashley and Briana Dawson have been helping others improve their health since they were in high school. As May 2022 graduates, they share highlights from their experience in the Bachelor of Community Health program, including opportunities that allowed them to help community members around the globe overcome health obstacles through nonprofit organizations.

Congratulations to the Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason (RHLM) student organization for receiving the Community Enrichment Award at Mason's Distinguished Quill Award Celebration. In addition to RHLM winning the Community Enrichment Award, Rehan Saeed, RHLM's former president and a recent graduate of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, received the Mentor of the Year Award.

Laurel Jennings’ devotion to public health led her to Mason to better understand how the food system can impact social justice and health equity. She found the coursework and research opportunities at Mason to support and propel her goal of educating others on the power of micronutrients and how vitamins and minerals can aid disease prevention. As she graduates with a Master of Science in Nutrition degree in May 2022, she shares how she discovered a research interest and how it will improve her future work as a dietitian.

Congratulations to Master of Social Work student Francesca Keesee for receiving the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Scholarship for the Department of Social Work. The merit scholarship recognizes Mason students who have shown significant academic achievement and community involvement while completing their program.

Sindhu Mallala's mission to study health informatics fueled her move to America to gain a deeper understanding of how technology can transform the way health systems operate, especially in storing, managing, and accessing critical patient data more quickly and securely. While at Mason, Mallala pursued opportunities that gave her insight into just how impactful technology can be—not just for hospital operations but also for training the next generation of health care providers.

Michelle Vassallo (MHA '15) led a team of infectious disease prevention specialists, physicians, pharmacists, and researchers at Inova Health System to develop and execute a plan to distribute 100,000 vaccines in just 53 days. To do this, Vassallo and her team of nearly 30 public health professionals reimagined how their hospital system could fight the pandemic while keeping everyone's safety top of mind. In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Vassallo has been named 2022 College of Health and Human Services Alumna of the Year.

Students in the Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason gained critical leadership experience by hosting a successful 2022 RHLM Spring Symposium. President of RHLM, Akshaya Chinnathevar Ramesh, reflects on how leading others to plan and organize the event further prepared her for a career in health leadership.