Biography

I credit my start at LaSalle Academy, which had a strong emphasis on social justice and service, for influencing my academic and career paths. Heading into college at Lehigh University I was undecided, but oriented toward science, sociology, underserved populations, and leadership. At that point, I had no understanding of public health as a career path, nor where these interests might intersect. As an undergraduate in the biology department, I was very lucky to have an amazing mentor and advisor who gave me the opportunity to support graduate level behavioral ecology research with fish. I *loved* learning about evolution, endocrinology, behavioral research and contributing to science, but I struggled imagining a career focused on fish and not people. At this point, I refocused on social justice aligned careers and population health and landed at George Washington University on an MPH track for Community-Oriented Primary Care. 

I am currently Deputy Branch Chief at the CDC and have over 17 years of Federal cross-agency public health experience. I support CDC’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Program, which provides critical funding to health departments nationwide for their infectious disease programs. My career has centered around infectious diseases, global health security, and pandemic preparedness and response. I have served in leadership roles in multiple responses including COVID-19, Mpox and domestic Zika response, Ebola, and H1N1. 

My first public health job was through a graduate student pathway with the federal government, and I became a Quarantine Public Health Officer. I had to report to the airport, wear an official uniform, interview ill passengers on airplanes, and respond after-hours to any issue of public health concern at the airport. It was absolutely daunting. I had an incredible mentor in the early years who helped me understand and navigate the complex workplace dynamics and who provided opportunities for me to develop skills and expand my professional network. 

As an oldest child, maybe I can’t help my tendency to provide mentorship :). I have done so informally throughout my career, and served as a formal mentor to Public Health Associates with CDC’s PHAP program for over 9 years. After relocating back to RI in 2022, I was driven to this mentorship opportunity to connect locally with like minded professionals and help promote public health workforce pipelines. 

I am looking forward to getting to know the MPH students and hopefully contribute to their graduate experience!